MAPPING SCHOOLS FOR INCLUSIVITY IN IFE CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The investigation created data sets using administrative boundaries and road networks in Ife Central Local Government area of Osun State, Nigeria. The study also mapped spatial distribution of primary schools in the study area and determined its primary school enrolments. The geo-database was also linked while a spatial decision support system for educational planning purposes in Ife Central LGA. These were with a view to ascertain the importance of GIS technologies in school mapping. The study gathered through field work using the Global Positional System (GPS) tool to collect the coordinate positions of the primary schools while oral interviews were held with 10 head teachers (N=31) or their proxies. The data so gathered were incorporated into the Geographic Information System (GIS) environment for analysis of water body in the study area while direct estimation of schools’ enrolments, number of classrooms, number of teachers and their qualifications using survey approach. Results indicated the existence of 276 classrooms, 4677 pupils and 416 teachers in the 31 public primary schools located in little ‘water body’ areas; and major roads concentrated towards the southern part of the LGA. Most of the primary schools are located in the south (4.25 to 7.235 degrees) while the northern part of the study area had only four primary schools (7.237-7.350 degrees). The enrolment range of primary schools in the south was 259 to 600 pupils much more than enrolment range in the northern part (30 to 144). Results also showed the existence of a range of two classrooms (L.A. Middle School in Iremo Ward 1) to 22 classrooms at Baptist Elementary School in Ilare Ward 4 in the study area. The teachers possessed both Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) which is described as ‘highly qualified middle level manpower in the National Policy of Education’ (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013) and Bachelor degrees. The study recommended, among many other steps, a better spread of the schools towards the northern part in order to reduce the distance of schools thus complying with United Nations Children Fund two kilometres distance from homes in the study area; the need to build more classrooms in the northern part and thus divert some resources from the south to the northern part of the study area particularly in the urban slums; and thus, disaggregating crowded settlement in the south. The study concluded that the GIS technology was capable of engendering inclusivity and efficiency in the management of schools’ establishment.

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