Effect Of Poor Learning Environment On The Academic Achievement Of Primary School Pupils

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
All over Africa, particularly in Nigeria, the child is regarded as very important and highly valued. For this reason, the parents do not disregard their future and fate. It is a general belief in Nigeria especially in Igboland that the children will grow up and take care of their old parents. Emphasis is therefore laid on the education of the child, right from primary school level, which is seen as the basic foundation the child needs in order to equip him for future education and adulthood.
Education in any society at all levels is expected to help the members of the society to acquire necessary knowledge, attitudes or values and competent skills for effective knowledge and functioning in the society. Education is seen as an important instrument for social change, national development and national integration (Mmaduewesi, 2005).
The school is a formal institution established and set aside by the society for learning, transformation and preservation of the cultural heritage of the people. Nevertheless teaching and learning can take place in other places like the family, church, mass media and other formal or informal organizations.
The primary goal of any educational institution is to achieve optimal service delivery in teaching and learning process. In recognition of the importance of education, the international community and government all over the world made commitments for every member of the society to have access to primary education (NPE, 2004).
Primary education is very essential in the development of any nation. It is the type of education given to the children between the age of six and eleven plus, FRN (2005). Primary education determines the key, success or failure of any educational system of the nation since it is the foundation of all intellectual development not only for the individual but for the society in general. The rest of the education system is built upon the primary education as stated by the government of Nigeria FRN (2005).
According to World Bank (2006), the primary education/school is a place expected to prepare the child for a committed tomorrow and proper ways of living in the society. The major goals of primary education according to FRN (2004) include: to inculcate permanent literacy; to lay sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking; to give citizenship education as basis for effective participation and contribution to the life of the society; to mould the character and develop sound attitude and morals in the child; to develop in the child the ability to adapt to his changing environment; to give the child opportunity for developing manipulative skills that will enable him to function effectively.
In other to achieve these goals, primary education is designed to be free, universal and compulsory. Resources such as human, infrastructural and financial resources must be carefully managed. Many factors are responsible for effective teaching and learning in primary schools which includes the school leaving environment.
School leaving environment therefore includes all those physical and social factors that is everything within the school that can help the pupils to achieve the desired educational goal or purposes Dike (2002). In the school environment, the pupils are exposed to sets of interaction with their classmates and teachers, school building and facilities, laid down rules and regulations, prevailing norms, values and social sanctions Igbuzor (2006).
School learning environment is an important factor that contributes to the learning and assimilating of lessons by the pupils. The environment can help the child realize or hinder his goals in life. School environment should be motivating challenging and learning-inspiring, Nkemakolam (2006). Maduewesi (2005) said that school environment consists of the infrastructures like classrooms, chairs, tables, desks, reading, learning and teaching materials laboratory and library facilities, sanitation facilities, recreational equipment, motivated staff, good relationship between teachers, pupils and the wider community.
Most pupils are motivated to attend school because of how beautiful the surrounding is, therefore a conducive learning environment is expected to arouse the interest of the learner and not the other way round. Some schools lack these facilities and this has a significant effect on the academic performances of the pupils. Lack of enough books in our school libraries and other library facilities hinder learning capability of the child, make him inefficient in decision making, inability to make choices and lack of self reliance. Also, in some schools there is no workshops for craft, thereby decreasing the pupils ability to develop his skills and creativity.
The need for laboratories in our primary school cannot be over emphasized (Erten, 2000) said that laboratory provides the pupils to participate in the activities related with science and to learn the scientific method. It further states that laboratory is a place where new information is developed by sighting, developing ideas and interpreting of data.
Serin, 2002 said that laboratory applications are the complementary part and the focus point of science education. Thus, in all the schools, developing and using the laboratories matter a lot. The availability of laboratory facilities in primary school will aid the pupils to learn how to use the laboratory and become used to the laboratory tools, thereby encouraging learning. Use of laboratory in teaching and learning increases the ability of the pupils for critical thinking; aids retention of information and helps to develop favourable attitudes towards learning. The authority in-charge should therefore provide necessary laboratory facilities in order to enhance learning process.
Action Aid (2003) said that the health of the pupils is determined by how healthy the school environment is. Adequate space in the compound, ventilation in the classroom, good toilet facilities and other appropriate facilities assumes a healthy living in the environment. Most public schools lack good toilet system and waste bins as this conditions can be hazardous to their health thereby retarding their academic performances.
According to Akinola (2004:195), “the children are enrolled in primary schools so that they can be protected, learn and interact with the environment at the same time”. It is pertinent that schools employ teachers that qualified and properly trained in their respective fields of specialization.
A professional teacher is defined by Okeke (2004) as a person who has a registerable professional qualification that enables him to be appointed to teach at any appropriate level of education in Nigeria. Ocho (2005) said that a qualified teacher is one who instruct others in virtue, help them to learn and understand their world. National Policy on Education (2004) said that no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers. This is because, the success of the system depends on their personality, quality of training, motivation and dedication in the school system.
Again Bowler (2005) observed that the teacher’s personality is the bedrock to his effectiveness. A qualified teacher makes use of teaching methodology, principles and knows how to present the learning materials to pupils for them to understand the lesson. Therefore, there is need for organization of workshops, conferences, seminars for teachers to boost the awareness of the teachers and also encourage their spirit to the teaching professions.
Mmaduewesi (2005) view that pupils learn from each other and things around. What a child considers important usually depends upon the values placed on the event by the people whom he comes in contact with. Therefore the teachers appearance, clothing, physical examination, recreation and verbal scores are important guidelines for pupils.
A conducive school learning environment is expected to have a standard level of discipline both to pupils and staff. Discipline according to Asaya (2005) is a state of mind conducive for teaching and learning and also the ability of the pupils to conform to the norms of the school. To this extent, it is expected that every school should have a set down rules, norms and regulation binding its pupils.
Classroom discipline from Kpee (2003) includes maintaining neatness and decent classroom, attentiveness of pupils in the class, respect for the teachers and pupils, participating in class activities that is every preparation a teacher makes to control his class in order to deliver the lesson effectively to the pupils.
Teachers are therefore expected to inculcate in the pupils, this spirit of discipline. Atanda and Lameed (2006) maintained that discipline of pupils in schools significantly depends on the interpersonal relationship among teachers and pupils. They said that any learning environment that lacks discipline tends to breed irresponsible pupils and a high level of poor academic performance.
The school does not exist in isolation. It is established in a community hence, there should be a cordial relationship between the school and the community.
The school is expected to include some of the values of the community into its curriculum. Mmaduewesi (2005) said that no education can be considered relevant to development unless it is firmly rooted in the cultural surroundings (milieu).
Schools should provide good football fields and playground for pupils for recreation and participation in extra curriculum activities. Involvement of pupils in this area makes them to be physically fit and mentally developed. Again availability of garden and farms help them to appreciate natural things and makes them to develop interest of productivity and hardworking among all, full utilization of the natural environment.
To this ends, teachers presumed that pupils given good learning environment will demonstrate the interest and capabilities pertinent in all fields of human endeavours and would want to make proper use of all that is not their disposal.
Based on this proposition, it is generally assumed that school learning environment has or should have some influence on the academic performances of the learners. The researcher is aimed at finding the relationship between the school environment and the academic performances of primary school pupils in Nkanu East Local Government Area.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The academic performances of pupils in primary schools have been attributed to different factors. The home environment, educational background of parents, the teachers competence, teachers pupils relationship and general school environment.
However, there is a conception that school environment affects pupils academic performances in primary schools. This implies that, the pupils are prepared to learn more and perform better if the learning environment is motivating and challenging. One of the inadequacies of this opinion is that, it is not backed up by enough empirical evidence especially in Nigeria. the level to which each of these factor could produce result on pupils performance has been a subject of interest to many scholars.
In the highlight of the above problem, it is the researchers intent to carryout this study in order to emerge with some empirical data determining the extent to which the school learning environment has influenced or contributed to the effective or non-effective academic performance of primary school pupils in Nkanu East Local Government Area.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to find out the effect of poor learning environment on the academic achievements of primary school pupils. The purpose specifically includes:
1. To find out the level of the academic performances of the pupils in primary schools.
2. To find out the status of the learning environment of the school so far.
3. To discover the effect of poor learning environment on the academic performance of the pupils in primary schools.
4. To find out the strategies that could be used to improve the infrastructural facilities and the learning environment in primary schools.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
It is the desire of the researchers of this study to address the following research questions:
1. What is the level of the academic performances of the pupils in primary schools?
2. What is the status of the school learning environment of the primary schools in Nkanu East Local Government Area?
3. To what extent has the school environment affected the academic performance of the pupils in primary school.
4. What are the strategies that could be used to improve the infratructural facilities and the learning environment in primary school?

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Due to transportation cost, time and financial constraints, the researchers could not use all the primary schools in Enugu State. In the highlight of the above problem it is the researchers intent to carryout this study in order to emerge with some empirical data determining the extent to which the school learning environment has influenced or contributed to the effective or non-effective academic performance of primary school pupils in Nkanu East Local Government Area.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1. Pupils
This research will help the pupils to know that when they are equipped with the necessary learning materials like enough textbooks, writing materials and other teaching and learning aids, it will make them to develop interest in their studies and thereby reducing distractions in the classroom and much playing at homes. Again this research will help the pupils to know the need for good learning environment like spacious classroom with good ventilation, enough light, adequate desks for them to sit and not standing or sitting on the floor or even under some tree shades. This will make them to be comfortable in the class. Others include good sanitary facilities, good libraries, laboratory and recreational facilities. The pupils will be able to know that when all these above material facilities are available and properly utilized, it will help them to improve their academic performances.
2. Teachers
This research study will equally help the teachers to develop a good relationship with the pupils as they will know the adverse effect of lack of adequate instructional materials, furniture, sanitary, laboratory, libraries and recreational facilities. They will know that when all these facilities are made available, the teaching and learning environment will be conducive because the teacher will now use them at the appropriate time to teach so that the pupils will understand and equally participate in the class activities thereby helping them to improve in their academic performance.
3. Parents
Parents will benefit from this study because they will understand the need for good learning environment for their children since they are their future hopes. This study will help the parents to know that when a child is well equipped with enough test books and other learning materials, it will reduce the rate of playing at home as the parents assist them in reading at home thereby helping them to improve in their academic performance.
Again the parents will know the need for well equipped classroom like enough desks for the pupils to relax and learn.
4. Government
Above all, the government and policy makers of this nation will benefit immensely from this study. This is because from our finding the government and policy makers will understand some of the factors militating against quality standard of education. Also the recommendations will service as part of solutions to solving this nagging problem.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
In a study of this magnitude, there is no doubt that there are some terms that requires definition for the purpose of clarification. Such terms includes:
1. School
School is a formal institution established and set aside for learning, transformation and preservation of the cultural heritage Adelayo Akinkpelu (2003). He further calls the school a formidable agent for socialization and an organizer of social relationship.
2. School Learning Environment
School leaving environment includes those tangible and intangible objects that is both physical and sociological elements that surround the learners and which help learning to take place in the school. They include building and good facilities, instructional resources, the peer group influences relationship among the teachers and pupils and the community in general.