RELEVANCE OF SCHOOL MAPPING IN EDUCATIONAL

ISSN (Online): 2455-3662

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Volume: 6 | Issue: 4 | April 2020 || Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor: 5.614||ISI Value: 1.188

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RELEVANCE OF SCHOOL MAPPING IN EDUCATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Dr Nzokurim, Joy. C

Department of Educational Management

Faculty of Education

University of Port Harcourt

Prof. S. O Oluwo

Department of Educational Management

Faculty of Education

University of Port Harcourt

ABSTRACT

Educational planning at the local level is referred to as school mapping. It is a rational process of identifying locations for the

construction of classrooms, laboratory and workshops for the achievement of educational objectives. It is the last phase in a

planning process when the physical facilities that should be provided under a given plan are actually located based on the

norms and standards set up by the government. The essence of school mapping is to overcome the possibilities of inequalities

and imbalance in the location of schools and provision of educational facilities. In this period of economic recession, when

the government is finding it difficult to fund education, there is need to rationalize the use of existing facilities in order to

optimize the limited resources provided. A situation where physical facilities are surplus in some schools at the expense of

others cannot guarantee equal educational policy on education. Hence, the need for school mapping.

CONCEPT OF SCHOOL MAPPING

School mapping can be conceptualized in

different ways. Kaufman and Herman (2002) see school

mapping as requiring systematic effort designed to

locate educational facilities in such a manner that target

age groups of the population are able to use the

facilities to their maximum advantage. To Kaufman and

Herman school mapping is not a one-shot thing but a

continuous process of ensuring that school facilities are

provided where they ought to be. Also Igwe in

Oboegbulem (2007) sees school mapping as a process

of planning the location and spacing of educational

institutions taking into consideration the demographic,

pedagogical, economic, geographical, social,

administrative, and political and manpower factors. For

Igwe, school mapping is seen as a technique and

procedure to plan the location and spacing of

educational institutions with a view to achieving

educational objectives. School mapping is therefore a

process for collecting and recording curriculum-related

data which become a tool to help teachers improve

teaching and learning. It is education planning process

that incorporates spatial and demographic dimension.

School mapping therefore is not an ordinary

map of a school that is static showing the location of

schools, it goes beyond this to show where schools can

be located, the need for teachers, facilities and

equipment forthe purpose of implementing education

policies of a state. It is used to estimate future

educational requirements and how they can be met.

PURPOSE OF SCHOOL MAPPING

The purpose of school mapping is manifold.

The objectives include the following:

• To assist realize the targets set by the national

policy on education.

• To set up a school network that will meet the

future demand for education.

• To identify the locations for the construction

of classroom, laboratories, school buildings

and workshops.

• To optimize the use of physical and human

resources in achieving educational objectives.

• To avert waste of scarce educational

resources, human and material.

• To produce an inventory of available

educational facilities and show which of the

facilities are utilized, over utilized and

underutilized.

• To ensure that facilities are provided where

they can be utilized to the highest advantage.

• To achieve equality of educational

opportunities through equitable distribution

and redistribution of educational facilities.

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• To plan the demand for school at the local

level and to support decision making on the

planning, policy formulation, resource

allocation and prioritization of future school

development.

• To give a vision of how educational service

should look in the future.

• To identify the most appropriate location of

school or their alternatives so that more

number of children can be benefited from the

same level of investment.

• To ensure children attend school within their

catchment areas without much effort in terms

of trekking a long distance.

• To cover not only the distribution and

redistribution of formal educational facilities

but also the non-formal educational ones.

Therefore school mapping should not be

delimited to formal school sector.

SCHOOL MAPPING ACTIVITIES

To undertake a detailed school mapping

activity in a locality, thefollowing stages need to be

followed:

• Specification of standards and norms

• Consideration of the present stock of data

• Projection of future population of the residents

• Taking decisions on the school location

• Estimation of the required facilities in all the

educational institutions

• Decisions on the financial resources to

accomplish set tasks.

SPECIFICATION OF STANDARDS AND

NORMS

The location of educational facilities should be

guided by the standards and norms developed by the

government in its investment policies. Therefore

location of schools depends on the set standards and

norms. Norms and standards are set after due

considerations of the entire gamut of educational

enterprise. Thus location of schools is based on norms

and resources available. So the norms have to be set

prior to the establishment of schools. Also within the

norms and standards set some geographical areas may

be more eligible for opening of new schools than the

others. The norms and standards are set based on the

threshold population in urban and rural areas as well as

the minimum number of teachers based on the size of

enrolment. The norms and standards are also set

regarding the maximum permissible distance a child has

to travel from their residence to school. Thus the

catchment areas of a school can be measured based on

the norms and standards set. Norms are also set

regarding construction of school buildings and

provision of educational facilities and their utilization.

The standards are also set on the location of schools in

urban and rural areas.

CONSIDERATION OF THE PRESENT

STOCK OF DATA

School mapping activity also involves

consideration of existing facilities to know the state of

the art. The consideration and diagnosis will enable the

planners know what is on ground so that rational

projections can be made. This will also assist in

avoiding duplication of educational facilities as well as

in rationalization of what should be provided. The

consideration will equally help to identify the strengths

and weaknesses of the system so that equitable

distribution of facilities can be ensured. Questionnaires,

document analysis and interviews as instrument for

gathering data can be used. Thus data on resident

population enrolment, teacher supply, school buildings,

facilities and equipment can be collected for this

exercise. Demographic information is very necessary in

school mapping and this should be given optimum

consideration.

PROJECTION OF FUTURE

POPULATION OF THE RESIDENTS

Here, the number of children to be enrolled is

assessed based on the catchment area of the school.

This has to do with the projection of total and school

age specific population. Population projection gears

towards estimation of the future size and age structure

of the population based on midyear population estimate,

fertility, mortality and migration. The projections are

used for the purposes of resource allocation and

planning of where educational facilities will be

provided. In population projection, assumptions are

made about levels of fertility and mortality as well as

how many people will move into or out of an area

before the date. The net population increase or decrease

over the given period is added to the baseline

population to project future population. Population

projections are classified into three categories. They

include mathematical projection, economic projection

and component projection methods. Furthermore,

growth rates and ratio methods of population projection

can be used. Enrolment projection is essential when

new schools are to be opened, the existing schools are

to be upgraded as well as in the estimation of the

required number of teachers. A lot of data are needed in

enrolment projection like dropout rate, promotion rate,

repetition rate, entry rates.

The only constraint here is lack of some of

these data at the local level required to make reliable

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and precise projections. Capacity to keep accurate data

in Nigeria most times is lacking and sometimes

projections are made without reliable information. At

times the data are scanty and not enough to make

accurate population Projection, hence we depend on the

most probable approximations and estimate that may

not be entirely reliable.

TAKING DECISIONS ON THE SCHOOL

LOCATION

Opening of new schools should be based on

the set norms by government. Decisions should be

taken before location of schools in line with the norms

and standards set by the public authorities. Decisions

are made based on the number of school going age to be

enrolled; population in rural and urban areas; the

number of teachers available; the permissible distance a

child should travel home to school These information

are necessary and can be obtained through a survey.

This will help to identify the most ideal locations to

open schools. In Nigeria, some schools are located

based on political consideration rather than due

consideration for accurate information. Most times

decisions are not made to favour equitable distribution

of educational facilities. Schools should not be located

based on political considerations but on social demand

to benefit the majority of the citizenry. Gaps on unequal

location of schools should be bridged to ensure equal

educational opportunities. Statistics is necessary in

deciding the location of schools. Location of schoo1s

should be based on the norms and resources available.

ESTIMATION OF THE REQUIRED

FACILITIES IN ALL THE

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Facilities are very essential educational

institutions. As is the facility so the school. Researches

have consistently shown that schools with adequate

facilities perform better than those with poor facilities.

However, the facilities available should be well utilized

and maintained for the benefit of the students. The

requirement of facilities in schools can easily be

assessed in the new schools. In the existing schools,

facilities can equally be assessed but not as easy as in

the new schools. Additional infrastructural facilities can

be required in the existing schools based on the

population growth and potential growth in enrolment.

In the assessment of the entire school facilities, direct

observation can be used. Also questionnaire and

interview schedules can be employed. The estimation of

facilities requires that the number of enrolment of

pupils, the total population and the number of class

streams should be generated.

The facilities in question include the site, the

building and the equipment, machines, laboratory, seats,

blackboard, etc. The estimation of the facilities is

necessary to avoid duplication, underutilization and

overutilization. Therefore both the infrastructural

facilities and teaching and learning material should be

incorporated in the estimation.

ESTIMATION OF THE FINANCIAL

RESOURCES REQUIRED FOR

PROCUREMENT OF FACILITIES

Estimation of physical facilities to be procured

without financial provision is a wild goose cheese.

Funds are very important in every organization.

Planning without due consideration for funding will

definitely fail. Therefore based on the estimate of

facilities required for new and existing schools, cost

estimates can be made based on the prevailing market

price. It is only after the cost estimation that proposals

can be prepared for the purchase of the facilities

required. However, costing is one thing and making

money available for purchase another more especially

in this era of economic recession. The process of school

mapping activity therefore involves rationalization of

existing facilities and provision of new or additional

facilities. According to Sabix (n.d) the rationalization of

existing educational facilities can be by shifting, closure

or amalgamation of institution; optimal utilization of

teaching and non-teaching staff; and optimum

utilization of buildings, equipment and furniture. The

provision of new or additional facilities should be by

opening of new schools or upgrading of existing ones;

providing additional teaching and non-teaching staff

and providing new or additional buildings, furniture and

equipment in institution. Sabix states further that school

mapping has the dual function of securing greater

equality of educational opportunities and at the same

time of rationalizing the use of existing ones in an effort

to optimize the limited material and manpower

resource. Thus school mapping should cover not only

the distribution of formal educational facilities but also

in the non-formal educational facilities (UNESCO,

1983).

OBSTACLES TO SCHOOL MAPPING

ACTIVITIES IN THE DEVELOPING

NATIONS

School mapping activities have the advantages

of improved information for decision making,

equalization of educational opportunities, increased

enrolment, equitable distribution of educational

facilities, decreased incidence of drop out, enhanced

capacity of field actors to plan and take action, etc.

However, there are some challenges planners encounter

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in school mapping especially in a developing nation

like Nigeria. They include but not limited to the

following:

• Poor data supply

• Inaccurate information generation

• Lack of hardware and software for effective

school mapping activity

• Poor manpower supply

• Inadequate capacity building for the planners

• Lack of collaboration between planners at the

local level

• Emphasis on politics rather than the interest

of the local communities

• Astronomical increase in the number of

students’ enrolment vis-a- vis governments’

inability to fund schools.

• Lack of funds to acquire the necessary tools

for effective school mapping.

• Lack of commitment on the part of the

government to ensure effective school mapping at the

local level.

• Poor information dissemination to teachers,

parents, students, education officials, community

leaders on the real situation of education at different

local levels.

• Lack of cooperation of the stakeholders with

the government to carry out effective school mapping

activities (poor synergy).

WAYS OF IMPROVING SCHOOL

MAPPING ACTIVITIES

• Collaboration on the part of stakeholders in

education, the parents, students, community leaders,

non-governmental organizations, the government, etc to

carry out a robust school mapping. The government

alone cannot do this without the cooperation of other

stakeholders because school mapping activity requires

synergy. Without this synergy the goals of school

mapping will not be achieved.

• Collaboration on the part of the local

communities to acquire the materials like Geographic

information system needed for effective school

mapping. Those who have the facilities can share with

those that do not have. There is therefore need for

networking among communities for effective school

mapping.

• Need for capacity building. Training should

be conducted on school mapping to all the people that

will be involved in it to appreciate what it is. If those

that should be involved do not know what the outcome

of school mapping is, they can frustrate the activity. It is

therefore important that they are well tutored about the

activity to enable them give their full cooperation to it.

• Need to conduct an inventory of existing

resources. At the local levels, the inventory of existing

resources in terms of manpower, hardware, software,

databanks etc should be conducted. The results of the

inventory will determine the shortfalls, the gaps and

shortcomings of the education management information

system (EMIS) in meeting its current future demand

and requirements (Sabix, n.d).

• Government’s show of commitment to

school mapping. Government should cooperate with

educational planners by giving them the needed

supports for effective school mapping. After costing the

facilities, the government should endeaviour to provide

necessary funds for the procurement of the facilities in

the new and existing schools, knowing full well the

benefits of educational facilities in teaching and

learning. Agencies of the government should be ready

to release statistics for effective school mapping when

the need arises because poor data supply can mar a

well-intentioned school mapping.

• Educational planners should establish a link with other

government agencies to ensure that the requirements of

school mapping can be fully addressed. Without this

synergy, school mapping activity cannot be effectively

executed.

• Existing policies, system and procedures appertaining

to school mapping should be reviewed and revised from

time to time for a more rational and balanced approach

to upgrading schools from one level to another.

• Educational planners should be trained and retrained

in the use of new technology in school mapping.

Knowledge of computers and programming is essential

in processing data for the purposes of school mapping.

Computer literacy is paramount and should be held at a

high premium.

CONCLUSION

School mapping activity helps to identify the

best location of schools so that more number of children

can be benefited from the same level of investment.

This helps to equalize educational opportunities through

effective distribution and redistribution of educational

facilities in new and existing schools. To enhance

school mapping activity, educational planners should

see school mapping as a serious business and make use

of the strategies identified in this write up.

REFERENCES

1. Kaufman, R & Herman, J. (2002). Educational

planning: strategies, tactics and operation France

Littlefield Education

2. Oboegbunam, A. (2007). School mapping and data

indicators for educational planning in institutional

network in Nigerian educational situations.

ISSN (Online): 2455-3662

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Volume: 6 | Issue: 4 | April 2020 || Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor: 5.614||ISI Value: 1.188

2020 EPRA IJMR | www.eprajournals.com | Journal DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra2013

201

International Journal of Educational Planning and

Administration 1(3), 79-93.

3. Sabix, M. J. (n.d). School mapping in the light of

education reform in Pakistan. Education Archive

1(8), 30-34.

4. UNESCO (1983). IIEP advanced course in

educational planning and management training

materials, France.