Effect Of Cognitive Restructuring And Shaping Techniques In Handling Lateness To School Among Secondary School Students

viii.    Labeling, Unhealthy Relationship and Bullying
According to Osisioma (1997) and Anagbogu (2002) this is one other reason why students go late to school. Osisioma opined that labeling means giving someone a degrading implicating name, which often time makes the individual involved to be ill at ease. Such names as “ikwo” (k-leg) and “pig” in the school can make a student develop some complex and may result in the individual having dislike for the school environment, leading to late-coming behaviour. In like manner, if a student is not in good term with a fellow student and he is told, till tomorrow when we come to school, the student who was told this would sense danger. Thus he or she will be late to school when the teachers will be in school so that he or she will be protected by them.
She also pointed out that bullying is very rampant in secondary schools today. Often, the senior students are seen beating the junior students brutally. To avoid this, students may decide to go late to school when their teachers will be around to protect them.
ix.    Avoiding Morning Assembly by Senior Students and Avoiding Punishment during Assembly by Teachers
Ogbuvbu (2008) and Osisioma (1997) noted that junior students come late to school because senior students assign them duties. It is common in secondary school for the junior students to be forcefully used to do the work (duty) of a senior student. There have been instances where a junior student is made to do the duty of more than one senior student. This could be stressful and tiresome. To avoid this act of wickedness, students come late to school, having in mind that by the time they are in school, the teachers would have been there too, to give them due protection.
Ogbuvbu (2008) observed that students keep late in order to avoid punishment by the teachers. Students who are not neatly dressed and probably in the wrong uniform often dodge the morning assembly to avoid being punished.
Personal Factors
i.    Low Commitment
Lawal (2001) is of the opinion that students come to school late because they have low commitment to their studies. Accordingly, he asserted that students’ low commitment is reflected in lateness to school. Some students, because they have no zeal for education are non- challant about their studies and so they can afford to be late to school.
ii.    Poor Academic Performance
Osisioma (1997) argued that students who perform poorly academically keep late to school. Students who do poorly in examinations and even tests are not in a hurry to school.   They feel that since they are in the teachers’ bad book as weak students what is the point hurrying to school only to be called bad names.
iii.    Illegal Visits and Laziness
In 1997, Osisioma equally noted that illegal visit delay students from going to school on time. According to her, the time for going to school is often the time the students have themselves to make illegal visits especially to the members of the opposite sex.   It is during this time of visit that they discuss matters of interest to them and new ideas for hours hence become late to school as noted.
Anagbogu (2002) and Osisioma (1997) affirmed that laziness causes lateness to school. Some students walk sluggishly to school. Others may have dirty and un-ironed uniforms. There may be some others with un-kempt hair. All these could make a student chose to be late to school so as to avoid being disgrace and ridiculed in the assembly.
iv.    Going to Bed late
Ogbuvbu (2008) identified going late to bed because of watching films and home night movies as one of the causes of lateness among secondary school students. When students go to bed late at night, it is likely that they will wake up late.   Students who wake up late will be going late to school. Thus, the assertion “if you wake up late, you’re late” (Internet Resources, 2007).
v.    Physical Punishment
According to Holme (1972), physical punishment makes adolescent students to develop phobia for school. They feel depressed each time school is mentioned. At times they develop the idea of doing morning duties late so that they may be late to school, and avoid such punishments by teachers or principal.
Effect of lateness
Lateness to school has lots of adverse effects on the latecomer. According to Anagbogu (2002) lateness could expose the adherents to such dangers as rape and kidnapping. This is very common when the victim goes to school much later when the others have left, and is therefore alone to school. She also was of the view that lateness could lead to other associated delinquent problems such as lying, cheating, truancy, failing, examination, quarreling, keeping malice among others. A latecomer may frame up a response like lying to escape punishment.
The researcher, from experience as a teacher discovers that it is a common thing for latecomers to the assembly as well as classes to get emotionally upset. Such emotional experiences are as those listed by Adejumo and Adamolekun (1993). They include anger, hatred, sorrow, hostility and anxiety.