PRINCIPALS' LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE AND FAECES MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Proper faeces management and adequate sanitation have become the focal agenda in Nigeria and globally due to faeces related infections. Nigerian secondary schools lacked access to improved faeces management facilities due to poor funding and mismanagement. This leads to the practice of open defecation in bushes near the school premises and pollution of the school environment. This study therefore, examined ‘Gender of school principals’ and faeces management practices in secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria’. To achieve this purpose of the study, one specific objective was raised to guide the study which was converted to research question and then transformed into hypothesis. Related literatures were reviewed in line with the variable of the study. The design used for the study was survey research design. This design was chosen because it describes current situation and events as they occur presently and also permits generalization to be drawn from a representative sample of the population. The research area is Cross River State, Nigeria. The target population of the study was 273 principals of public secondary schools in the three Education Zones of Cross River State (Ministry of Education, Calabar, Cross River State; 2015/2016 academic year). The instrument used for data collection was the questionnaire, which was designed by the researcher to test the items. Cronbach Alpha method of reliability was used to determine the reliability estimate of the instrument which ranged from 0.64 to 0.85. Independent t-test analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that gender of school principals’ significantly influence their faeces management practices in secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. It was recommended among others that Principals of public secondary schools in the State should ensure that more toilet facilities are provided in their schools to meet the demand of both male and female staff and students; and should be made accessible to them to prevent the dangers involved in moving long distances especially in the rural areas before using the facilities