Sources of Insecurity and Educational Continuity of Senior Secondary School Students in Public Schools in Oyo-South Senatorial District of Oyo-State

Abstract

This study investigated the sources of insecurity and possible educational continuity of Senior Secondary School Students in public schools in Oyo-South Senatorial District in Oyo State. Three (3) research questions and three (3) hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted expost- facto research design. The study consisted of 105,649 students drawn from one hundred and ninety five (195) Senior Secondary school students in public schools in Oyo–South Senatorial District in Oyo State. Stratified random sampling technique through Taro Yamane formula was used to select the sample size of 398 students from One Hundred and Ninety – Five (195) schools that participated for the study. Self –structured questionnaire designed by the researchers tilted “Sources of Insecurity and Educational Continuity of Public Senior Secondary School Students Questionnaire (SIECPSSSSQ)” was used for the study. “SIECPSSSSQ” was validated and Cronbach Alpha was used to establish the reliability indices of 0.81, 0.83, 0.92, 0.78, 0.85, and 0.71 respectively. Mean and standard deviation as well as rank order were used to answer the research questions; while Z-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study among others revealed that legislation for provision of grazing reserve for Fulani- Herdsmen settlement, marginalization of Yoruba ethnic group in project execution, giving preferential treatment to Northerners on sensitive political appointments that is against federal character principle and the available security agencies have fallen below standard to protect lives and properties. It was concluded that inability of the government to carry out its constitutional responsibility led to wanton destruction of lives and properties thereby hindering educational continuity in the area. It was recommended among others that Government and Non-Governmental Organizations should provide scholarship award, entrepreneurial education that will promote skills development among youths, and withdrawal of sensitive political appointments to a particular region that is based on federal character principle to reduce regional uprising.