The Relationship Between Class Size And Secondary School Students Academic Performance In Geography
[A CASE STUDY OF ABEOKUTA-SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OGUN STATE]

Enrolment in Secondary School Education in Geography
    According to a publication on education in Nigeria (1989), enrolment in secondary education has grown at a fast pace since the introduction of the Universal Primary Education in 1976, by General Olusegun Obasanjo led government. About the same time as the introduction of the Universal Primary Education, tuition fee were abolished in all secondary schools in the country to allow easy and smooth education for all and sundry. Students who would otherwise have stopped schooling and others who enrolled earlier all enjoyed free education.
    There were of course not enough places for all who wanted to attend, but many more places were made available in terms of land mass without available materials for effective teaching and learning. The period allocated for school activities ranges between 7:45am – 2.00pm daily from Monday to Thursday and 7:45am to 1:00pm on Friday due to the Muslim Jumah (Friday) prayer at the secondary school level to ensure that more time is provided for effective and efficient teaching and learning to take its full cause.
    The increase between 1975/76 and 1981/82 shows a sharp increase become the first cohort of the 1976 Universal Primary Education were admitted into secondary school in September 1981, since 100% transition rate from primary to junior secondary school was expected to start in September 1982 in some states. The secondary school enrolment increase by as much as 100% in the first year of the new secondary school programme in some states especially Ogun State. If all secondary level institutions were considered the total enrolment in 1982/83 was about 3,234,644 and in 1983/84 the figure increased to 3,402,655 (External publicity department, Federal Ministry of Information, 1989).
    However, as at 2006, only 22% of the over 10.5 million eligible children between 12 and 14 years of age were enrolled in junior secondary schools. Over the last 10 years, the enrolment ratio improved only marginally.
    Ajayi and Ogunyemi (1990), in their study of the relationship between instructional resources and students academic achievement in geography in Ogun State found no significant relationship between class size and student academic achievement in geography.
    Adeyela (2000), found in her study that large class size is not conducive for serious academic work especially geography practical.    
    Afolabi (2002), found no significant relationship among class size and students learning outcomes in geography.
    According to Dror (1995), class size has become a phenomenon often mentioned in the educational literature as an influence on pupils feelings and achievement, on administration, quality and school budget.
    He noted that class size is almost an administrative decision over which teachers have little or no control over.
    The Federal Government recognized the impact of size of class enrolment in teaching and learning process when the National Policy on Education (1977 revised in 1981, 1998 and 2004)specified 20 in pre-primary; 20 in primary and maximum of 40 in secondary school. These specifications, however are unrealistic in some areas as a result of dense population and shortage of classrooms, which is greatly affected by the local government under study (that is Abeokuta – South Local Government Area of Ogun State).
    Kolo (1991), from his studies put the size of a large class as ranging from 30 – 33, and small class from 8 – 45.
    Zakariyau (1996), has observed that there are over-crowded class rooms and half baked products from our educational system with very little contribution to the national economy, thus the education that has been given become counter productive or less efficient.
    Faminu (2000), stated that the rapid expansion in secondary school in recent times has been the major problem militating against the educational progress of all states of the federation, yet with this expansion in school population there is uneven distribution of facilities.
    The government or its agencies have to manage the facilities provided with the population for a better academic performance of the students in school and for purposeful and productive learning.