THE CONCEPT AND PRACTICES OF SUPERVISION/INSPECTION IN KWARA STATE PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS BY S. A. ONASANYA Ph.D. DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, NIGERIA. Introduction The sudden explosion of pupils population coupled w ith the attendant increased complexity of the school organi zation and the introduction of the new school basic system of 6-3 -3-4 or 9-3-4 (?) system of education in the country has indeed necessitate a greater attention of supervision more than ever before. This is more so because school supervision occupies a unique place in the entire e ducation system. If qualitative education is a thing seriously desir ed in schools so that standard of education in our schools can be highly improved, school supervision must therefore be accorded high priorit y. Through inspection and supervision, the inspectors and supervisors ass ist in improving classroom instructions because teachers are made mo re competent and efficient, parent are satisfied with the performanc e of their children, children are motivated to work harder in order to a chieve the required standard, hence in the long run, the goal of educat ion is achieved. Concept of Supervision Supervision is a way of stimulating, guiding, impro ving, refreshing and encouraging and overseeing certain group with t he hope of seeking their cooperation in order for the supervisors to b e successful in their task of supervision. Ogunsaju (1983). Supervision is essentially the practice of monitori ng the performance of school staff, noting the merit and demerits and using befitting and amicable techniques to ameliorate the flaws while s till improving on the merits thereby increasing the standard of schools a nd achieving educational goals. The term supervision is derived from word “Super vi deo” meaning to oversee, Adepoju (1998). It is an interaction betwe en at least two persons for the improvement of an activity. It is also a co mbination or integration of processes, procedures and conditions that are consc iously designed to advance the work effectiveness of individuals and g roup. Adepoju (1998) defines school supervision as the process of bringi ng about improvement in instruction by working with people who are worki ng with pupils. It has also been described as a process of stimulating gro wth and a means of helping teachers to achieve excellence in teaching. Supervision in school therefore is a vital process and combination of activities which is concerned with the teaching and improvement of the teaching in the school framework. Differences between Inspection and Supervision Inspection could be described as the critical exami nation and evaluation of a school as a place of learning, (Oje labi, 1981). Through inspection, necessary and relevant advice may be gi ven for the improvement of the school. Such advice is usually r egistered in a report. On the other hand, supervision is distinct from ins pection since it can be described as a constant and continuous process of p ersonal guidance based on frequent to a school to give concrete and constructive advice and encouragement to teachers so as to improve the lear ning and teaching situation in the school. On such visits, attention is paid to one or more aspects of the school and its organization. Therefo re, it is normal to refer to both at the same time. Rationale for school Supervision The importance of supervision in schools includes t he following. - Improvement of teaching and learning. - Systematic efforts to help students understand th emselves, get in touch with their own feelings and monitor their own behaviour (Adewole and Olaniyi 1992). - Helps teacher in school management. - For approval of new school. - Payment of grant in aids to private and voluntary schools. - Approval of schools for recognized examination bo dies e.g GCE, WAEC. - - Assessment of teaching and learning. - Linking teachers with the ministry of education. - Assistance in development of needed teaching comp etences. Investigation on Financial Mismanagement Inspection This is not a common type of inspection, it takes place when ther e is a misappropriation of funds, professional misconduc t and during teachers and students unrest. It can last for two or three d ays. Report of findings is normally sent to the Ministry of Education for furt her actions. Subject Inspection This type of inspection is conducted under two circ umstances. (a) If a school failed in certain subjects during t he inspection for recognition and the school applies to the ministry of Education for a reinspection of the failed subjects during the earlier inspection. (b) If a school wishes to register its final year s tudent for final examinations in certain subject which were not inspected during the inspection for recognition. Application for such inspection is usu ally granted and the inspection take place before registration for such exam. If the school that applies; passes the inspection, it is allowed to re gister students for subjects. Basic Principles for Effective Supervision 1. Healthy Atmosphere The environment should be made free of tension and emotional stress. The atmosphere should be given incentives f or work. 2. Staff Orientation The quality and quantity of the work must be specif ied in clean clear terms. Staff should be made to understand clearly w hat are or not expected of them. New staff must be given the neces sary orientation. References Adepoju T.L (1998). Fundamental of school administration, planning and supervision in Nigeria. Ibadana; Alafas Nigeria at Company. Adewole E.E and Olaniyi W.O (1992) School organization and management Ondo: Ife-Oluwa Ent. Nig Ltd. Nwokafor, J.N etal. (1987) Educational administration and supervision Lagos: Heinemann Educational Book (Nig) Ltd. Ogunsaju, S. (1983) Educational Supervision perfectives and practice in Nigeria. Ile-Ife: Obafemi Awolowo University Press. Ojelabi, A.(1981). A guide to school management Ibadan : Valuta Educational Publishers. Wiles, K (1954). Supervision for better schools. News jersey: prentice Hall Inc.
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