CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Education worldwide is regarded as the citadel of knowledge, the fountain of intellectualism the most appropriate ground for the incubation of leaders of tomorrow.
According to Ike (1991:1), an education fulfills, one major function it is a knowledge an value provider it stand or fails in its ability or inability to deliver on this criteria.
According to Magna Carta, ‘’The education is an autonomous institution at the heart of societies differently organized because of geographical and historical heritage, it produces, examines, appraises and hands down culture by research and is an enterprise that serves multi-disciplinary purposes. Education are key actors in national development, more so in Africa than in other regions. Their roles in research and this explains why the federal government of Nigeria is acknowledging the education as a fulcrum for national development, set up a commission headed by Chief Gray Longe (1992) to review higher education in Nigeria with particular reference to universities in Nigeria. The commission was given terms of reference among which are;
The commission held special sessions with a number of eminent personalities and educationist from whose knowledge and experience of the educational system in Nigeria it benefited immensely.
Finally, the commission defined higher education as the type of education in higher educational institutions especially in universities (conventional and specialized) which produce high level and middle level manpower, but no specialized set up by professional bodies.
The commission, however, frowned at the discovery that the following physical conditions are still the trade-marks of the Nigerian Education System.
The commission was also appalled by the fact that education have not achieved much in terms of the goals and objectives for which were set up, owing to incessant disruption in the academic flow chart caused by strike actions, industrial unrest, students hooliganism, political instability etc.
Based on these discoveries, the commission recommended among others that;
The government on its part accepted these recommendations and thus, commented as follows:
This is however; the general picture of the events that surrounds the education system in Nigeria. We shall examine at the appropriate chapters of this work how far these major actors in industrial disputes have discharge their respective obligations in order to reduce the rate of industrial dispute in the Nigeria education system.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
Over the last thirty years in Nigeria, the educational system has witnessed an unprecedented industrial disharmony and so many officials assaults that other social institutions.
According to Onuoha (2001), this is so perhaps, because of its strategic place both in the nations hierarchy of priorities and its considered role as a veritable machine for development.
In his own contribution, Nwankwo (2000:37) opined that Nigeria educational institutions, characterized by military intervention interference and a seeming calculated mores to submerge it in the river of irrelevances. He further argued that those in authorities see education system as a burden and as institutions to be exploited and left desolate. Consequent upon this disharmony, non-payment development, our education system he posited, have become aberrations of themselves. The manifestation are in form of cultism, brain drain, under funding by government, erosion of academic freedom, general insecurity, dilapidated structures, non-payment of staff salaries. These are indications that all is not well with the Nigeria education system.
The sources of discontent in our education system are in exhaustive. According to Akpala (1982:56), it has bearing with present economic situation in the country, our political history and inheritances authoritarian attitudes of both government and education. Management towards labour issues, the presence of obsolete labour laws, corruption in all segments of the society, mal administration, class conflict and struggle, struggle for survival etc also in the list of the problems in the inability of the Nigerian education system to actualize the objectives for which they were established, such as a training of high caliber manpower etc. it was on the basis of the above problems that the researcher was motivated to conduct The research work to find out the true position of things in the Nigeria education system and to state the facts as they are without any bias and to proffer some solutions.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study had the following objectives:
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This research work will enable the researcher to come up with answers to the following research questions namely:
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
A study on industrial relations would not only be beneficial to the state, employers of labour and employees but to the society as a whole. Labour issues have bearing with integrated national planning. It contributes to manpower development and harmonized industrial relations, which promotes rapid economic development. Besides a peaceful industrial atmosphere is required to actualize the noble objectives for which education system were set or established to achieve the research work is significant in a number of ways which includes;
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is the research boundary. This research focuses on industrial disputes on the Nigeria education system. Emphasis is laid on the management of industrial disputes with a view to identifying the causes, the dimension and socio-economic implications of industrial disputes in our society.
The scope of the study will be limited to some selected institutions in Kogi State. The research work will pay attention to Kogi State University and Federal College of Education, Okene Kogi State.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Hardly would a research study be concluded without constraints. In a country such as ours where bureaucracy in the flow of information and where there is inaccurate data and statistics, there really has to be a problem. Specific instances of constraints related to the data system would include:
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Education: Many attempts have been made to give a proper definition education many scholars have abandon the attempt as no single definition can do justice to the word ‘’education’’ many scholars have abandon the attempt as no single definition can do justice to the word ‘’education’’ because the word education is a concept or an ideals. Education is a is a concept or an ideals. Education means therefore, the process by which people are brought to an understand and appreciation of what is valuable in human life.
In a another word, education is an influence to which every one is continually subjected by the physical, biological and social environments in which he lives. It also mean the nature of personal growth and conservation, transmission and renewal of culture. In summary, education is the heart of die, so also if education of a nation, suffer the nation will suffer. Industrial harmony is the key to educational growth.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: A tripartite relationship involving three parties namely, the owners of work, the employees or their representatives and government agency for the purpose of setting job rules and regulations.
INDUSTRIAL DISHARMONY: When there is inability among the participating parties in industrial relations to reach peaceful agreement as it affects job rules and conditions of work generally.
LOCK OUT: This is the employers action of closing a business enterprise for the purpose of enforcing a demand on the employees by causing them to be thrown out of work.