CAUSES, FORMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF INSECURITY IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZAMFARA STATE, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY MAKING

Abstract

The paper examines the causes, forms and consequences of insecurity in secondary schools in Zamfara State. Three research questions and three research objectives guided the study. The target population of the study was 5,448 participants consisting of school administrators, parents’ representatives from members of Parent-Teachers Association, members of school-based management committee and teachers that were deliberately selected from four education zones of Zamfara State. Cluster and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 10% of the entire target population as sample of the study. Questionnaire titled Causes, Forms and Consequences of Insecurity (CFTIQ) was used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Findings indicated that causes of insecurity in secondary schools in Zamfara State include nonchalant attitude of school administrators, porous school environment, shortage of qualified security personnel, emotional and psychological maltreatment, inadequate school security awareness, attitude of teachers towards security issues, and poor government commitment towards school security, among others. The study recommends that school administrators should work in collaboration with key stakeholders to address the causes of insecurity in their schools as a proactive measure against all threats to the security of staff, students and properties in their schools.