Best Step Secondary School which is to be referred to as “BSSS” has been incorporated to provide educational services to children between the ages of 11 – 17 years. Responsibility for educational institutions is shared between Federal, State, Local government, communities and private organizations. BSSS as a private entity will be a profit operating organization whose exclusive purpose is to provide sound education to corroborate the effort of government in building manpower, raising future leaders and ensuring growth and development of the nation.

1.2 Service Descriptions

According to the constitutional provisions, the main responsibilities of the Federal government in basic education are in the realm of policy formulation, coordination and monitoring. Direct control by the Federal government is predominantly at the tertiary level. Only a handful of institutions at the secondary level (the Unity Schools and technical colleges) enjoy federal direct control. The

bulk of secondary schools in the country are under the purview of state governments, which are also directly responsible for a considerable proportion of the nation’s tertiary institutions. Local governments have statutory managerial responsibility for primary education, with the federal and state governments exercising appropriate oversight functions.

The National Policy on Education stipulates a 6-3-3-4 structure offering six years of primary, three years of junior secondary, three years of senior secondary and four years of higher education. The category in which BSSS falls into is Junior and secondary schools which means it will be operating a six-year programme for the children that fall into the aforementioned age bracket. The education that is offered at this level has two purposes, one is to prepare pupils to exit school with necessary skills to find employment, and the other is to prepare them to continue with academic careers in higher institutions

The establishment of BSSS aims at producing children with sound education, good behaviour-patterns, abilities and skills necessary for effective citizenship in the community. In addition we expect that any child that will pass through our education system would develop latent physical skills, character, and intellectual skills and inculcate respect for elders and those in position of

Authority. Other tasks to be performed by BSSS include developing in students a sense of belonging and to participate actively in family and community affairs and to understand, appreciate and promote the cultural heritage of the community at large.

1.3 Target Market and Customers

Our target market shall be children within the age bracket of 11 – 17 years of age as earlier mentioned. The community in which BSSS will be established has a great amount of this age bracket. For instance out of average population of 72,800,000 pupils who finish from primary school 67,841,600 of it normally proceed to secondary school. After researching the population facts and statistics of Owerri community in which the BSSS will be launched, it is apparent that BSSS has a very suitable demographic for this particular industry. Owerri is the capital city of Imo state and even the one of the largest cities in Eastern Nigeria, most inhabitants of this city are middle to upper-middle class who are elites and value formal education. The average combined family income per month was given as =N=350,000.00. The result of our research carried out that each household will be willing to pay a reasonable sum of money as school fees for their wards as they want quality education that will make their children acquire necessary skills to compete internationally. Knowing the average size of family income as well as potential estimates of students that will participate in this school provides valuable insight on a projected target market.

1.4 Need for BSSS education service

Provision of excellent and quality education as compared to what is obtainable abroad is basically the motive for the establishment of BSSS. In order to determine the necessity of the establishment of BSSS, we had to collect data and sample the opinion of people in the city. From the survey, we were able to discover that the populace value good education and are ready to pay for it. However, it was gathered that there was much emphasis on reasonable fee.

1.5 State of education sector in Nigeria

Over the past decade, Nigeria has been plagued by frequent political unrest. This political instability has generated negative effects on the education system. Although education had been in crisis for many years, the situation had recently been made worse by frequent strikes staged by students and teachers. Much of the difficulty lies in the fact that the sector is poorly funded. This results in shortages of materials and human resources for education, lack of qualified teachers; a brain drain from the public sector; few instructional inputs, shortage of classrooms and a host of other challenges.

In 2009, the Federal Ministry of Education, following a nation-wide tour of the schools, stated that the basic infrastructures in schools such as classrooms, laboratories, workshops, sporting facilities, equipment, libraries, were in a state of total decay. These challenges were more pronounced in both primary and secondary levels of education.

Nigeria as a reconstituted democracy has to address the issues of dual transformation. The new government has declared education as one of its top priorities and hence focuses on developmental plans that will reform education sector. One of these plans is giving room for private sector participation to ensure that education is accessible to each and every individual in the society.

After careful study and analysis of the growth trends of the education sector and the need to improve its present state, we therefore decide to aid and complement the efforts of government in building the future of our nation by providing good and quality education to the populace in the city of Ibadan.

1.6 Growth trends in education sector in Nigeria

Secondary education follows immediately after primary education and is also referred to, as post primary education. The 2 tier, 3,3 system consisting 3-years of junior and senior secondary schooling respectively, was introduced in 1982 following the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 education system of education. Prior to this, secondary education was for a duration of 5 years followed in most cases by a 2-year higher school certificate which also existed then.

In Nigeria, as elsewhere in the world, secondary education is ‘the second stage traditionally found in formal education, beginning about age 11 to 13 and ending usually at age 15 to 18.’1 It is thus the education for the adolescent years, i.e. from about age 12 to 18 years of age. The National Policy on Education [1999] defines secondary education similarly, stating that it ‘is the education

children receive after primary education and before the tertiary stage.’

Institutions that provide secondary education feature under four main nomenclatures: Secondary School, College, Grammar school, and High School. The National Policy on Education also spells out the broad goals of secondary education as being ‘to prepare the individual for

useful living within the
Society, and (c) higher education.’

In order to achieve this goal, the document further states that secondary education shall:

Provide all primary school leavers with the opportunity for education of a higher level, irrespective of sex, social status, religious or ethnic background;

Offer diversified curriculum to cater for the differences in talents, opportunities, and future roles;

Provide trained manpower in the applied science, technology and commerce at sub-professional grades;

Develop and promote Nigerian languages, art and culture in the context of world’s cultural heritage;

Inspire its students with a desire for self-improvement and achievement of excellence;

Foster national unity with an emphasis on the common ties that unite us in our diversity;

Raise a generation of people who can think for themselves, respect the views and feelings of others, and respect the dignity of labour;

Provide technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, industrial, commercial and economic development.

During the colonial era and up till 1976, secondary education was in just one phase of six years, though some schools did the course in just five. However, with the 1976 introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system, the six-year secondary education was split into two, constituting the junior and secondary levels. Thus, most students at the junior secondary level are aged between 12 and 15 years. With the introduction of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme, covering the first nine years of formal schooling, i.e. the six years of primary school and the three years of junior secondary school, the sharp distinction between primary and secondary education has become less marked. Thus, the Britannica’s statement that ‘the dichotomy between elementary education and secondary education has gradually become less marked, not only in curricula but also in organizations’ is quite applicable.

Secondary education came into what is now Nigeria in the mid 19^th century largely through the effort of the Christian missions. The government for a very long time did not complement the efforts of the Christian missions. It was only in 1909 that the colonial government established its first institution, the King’s College, Lagos. However, the colonial government contributed to, and

influenced, the development of secondary education, by promulgating a number of edicts and bylaws regulating the management of schools. Throughout the colonial period that ended in 1960, secondary education was available to only a few as the figures for the numbers of secondary schools in the years before independence would show: 161 in 1955; 275 in 1956; 297 in 1957; 303 in 1958; 305 in 1959; and 311 in 1960. Immediately after independence, the various regional governments addressed this issue by establishing more schools. Thus, some two decades after independence, the figures of secondary schools in the country had risen to 1928 [in 1977/78], 2,249 in 1978/79, 2,778 in 1979/80, 5,191 in 1980/81, 5,401 in 1981/82, and 5740 in 1982/83. [Osokoya, 1989].The sharp rise in the figures from 1979 to 1980 ranges from thousands to millions in line with population increase and people’s awareness of importance of education.

1.7 THE CURRICULUM

1.7.1 Junior Secondary Education.

The curriculum for junior secondary education covers the first three years of secondary education and is both pre-vocational and academic consisting of basic subjects that are expected to prepare learners for senior secondary education and empower them with some prevocational skill. Students at junior secondary level are expected to offer a minimum of 10 and maximum of 13 subjects selected from three groups of ‘A’ core, ‘B’ pre vocational and ‘C’ Non prevocational electives. While all the 8 specified core subjects are compulsory, students are required to offer at least pre-vocational and non prevocational elective Core subjects-Group A. The 2004 Policy prescribes that transition from junior to senior secondary school shall be on the bases of streaming the ratio of 60% to senior secondary school with academic biased curriculum, 20% to technical vocational schools, 10% to vocational training centres while the outstanding 10% are to enrol in open

apprenticeship schemes. This prescription is however not enforced as most completers of junior secondary school generally transit to senior secondary. Consequently the technical vocational colleges which should provide the middle level manpower remain largely unsubscribed as most parents would prefer their wards to join the bandwagon into the most prestigious academic senior

secondary stream. In 2002 however the Federal Ministry of education upgraded technical vocational colleges to Science technical Colleges as a strategy to increase participation within the sub-sector. This strategy appears to be producing the desired effect as enrolment in Science technical schools is increasing gradually. In addition the 2004 revised policy has made it possible for pupils to transit directly to Science technical Schools the duration of which has been increased from three to six years as formally obtained in only academic biased secondary schools.

Subjects Prescribed for JS Level

At JSS level a student is expected to offer a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 13 subjects. All subject in Group A are compulsory while at least one subject is offered from each of Groups B and C.

Group A Compulsory Core Subjects

English language
French
Mathematics
Language of immediate enrolment ie L1
Major Nigerian language other than that in 4-L2
Integrated Science
Social Studies and Citizenship Education, and
Introductory Technology.

Group B. Prevocational electives teaching of normal subjects in this group

is with emphasis on practical.

Agriculture
Business Studies
Home Economics
Local Crafts
Computer Education

Group C: Non-prevocational electives

Religious knowledge
Physical and health Education
Fine \Art
Music
Arabic.

1.7.2 Senior Secondary Education

The 1998 policy stipulates a comprehensive curriculum for senior secondary education with a view to broaden students’ knowledge and outlook. As with the subjects at the junior secondary level, subjects at this level are also grouped into three with the core group of seven subjects in Group A.

Students are expected to offer a minimum of one or maximum of two subjects from the two other groups of vocational electives the and non-vocational electives B and C. The number of subjects a student may offer in the final year is a minimum of 8 or maximum of 9. The subjects’ distribution is as follows:

Group A. Core:

1) English Language

2) French Language

3) Mathematics

4) A major Nigerian language

5) One of Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Integrated Sc. Replaced by Health Sc. On 2003 policy)

6) One of Literature-in-English, History, Geography or (Social Studies replaced by Religious Studies 2003)

7) A vocational subject

Group B. Vocational Electives

1) Agriculture

2) Applied Electricity

3) Auto-Mechanics

4) Book-keeping and Accounting

5) Building Construction

6) Commerce

7) Computer Education

8) Electronics

9) Clothing and Textiles

10) Food and Nutrition

11) Home Management

12) Metal Work

13) Technical Drawing

14) Woodwork

15) Shorthand

16) Typewriting

17) Fine Art

18) Music

Group C. Non-Vocational Electives

1) Biology

2) Chemistry

3) Physics

4) Further Mathematics

5) Integrated Science** (removed in 2003 policy and replaced with French)

6) Health Education

7) Physical Education

8) Literature-in-English

9) History

10) Geography

11) Social Studies*** (removed in 2003 policy)

12) Bible Knowledge

13) Islamic Studies

14) Arabic

15) Government

16) Economics

17) Any Nigeria language that has orthography and literature etc.

French is included as a Non Vocational

Although the 1998 Policy limited the number of subject offerings for senior school certificate examination to a minimum of 8 and maximum of 9, the revised 2003 policy (unpublished) reduces the subjects offerings by one i.e. a minimum of 7 or maximum of 8 subjects. Subsequently the number of core subjects has been reduced from 7 to 6 with the removal of French as a core subject at Senior Secondary level. The reduction of total number of subject offered for the senior certificate examination must have been informed by the need to reduce the burden of students as a means of improving performance in senior secondary school terminal examination.

1.8 Certification

As with the 1998 policy, the 2003 policy (unpublished) stipulates that certification at the end of junior secondary schooling would be based both on continuous assessment scores and on performance on examinations conducted by Federal or State examination board. However, certification at the end of senior secondary schooling would derive only from aggregation of continuous assessment scores and scores on national examinations only. For uniform national standards, the policy stipulates the use of public examination bodies for requisite assessments.

For the preservation of national culture, the national policy specifies that measures would be instituted purposefully in this regard. It further stipulates the encouragement of state visits, promotion of co curricular activities and formation of youth clubs and society as instruments for character building.

1.9 Need for Private Secondary School

Private secondary schools have a more recent history than private primary schools and are beginning to attract more investors. The growth in popularity of private schools derives from the loss of confidence by parents in public schools due to the pervasive decline in quality of performance and obvious depreciation in existing facilities. Various state governments have quite recently handed back acquired private schools to the original proprietors further increasing the

proportion of private proprietorship of secondary schools.

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A BUSINESS PLAN : To Establish Best Step High School

1.0 The Business Profile

1.1 Business Description

1.6 Growth trends in education sector in Nigeria

Author: SPROJECT NG

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