INSECURITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON SECONDARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IN UKANAFUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

This study examines the effects of insecurity on Secondary school attendance in Ukanafun Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study used a survey method in the analysis. Research objectives and questions were set to guide the study. Questionnaire known as Effect of Insecurity on School Attendance (EISA) was developed to collate data for the study. A random sampling technique was used to select 107 parents in 10 Secondary Schools that were affected by the activities of insurgency in the study area. Responses to the questionnaire were summarized using percentages to study students attendance in schools before and during the insecurity. The Queer Ladder theory proposed by Daniel Bell 2010 was adopted. It was observed that the level of school attendance before the crisis in the study Area was high and low during and after the crises. The result also revealed gender imbalance. Male student’s attendance during the crisis was higher than female student’s attendance. Furthermore, the result shows that parents who were willing to send their children back to the affected schools were 58 out of 107 and which was merely above 50% of the total population. Based on these findings, the study recommended among others that education administrators should help students overcome emotional distress gotten during the crises through sensitization programmes, town hall briefings, and visit to churches in the affected communities. It was further recommended that teachers should embrace methods that will reduce emotional anguish instigated by the insurgency. Finally, government should tackle youth restiveness by providing employment give Special incentives to engage aggressive youths in the affected communities.