CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
This study examines the comparative of Personnel Management practices in Public and Private secondary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area Oyo State Nigeria.
Ogunsaju (2000) defined management as “the organisation and mobilisation of all human and material resources in a particular system for the achievement of identified objectives in that system. “A close look at this definition clearly reveals the importance of two key words, these are, human and material. If critically examined and analysed, the human resources in the school system would comprise all men and women within the school system from the principal to the school gate-man. (Alabi, 2000). It then becomes the responsibility of the management to organise and mobilise these human resources for effective achievement of the institutional goals and objectives.
The degree of the effectiveness (goal attainment) with which people work harmoniously together for the attainment of the goals of an enterprise, the efficiency of the tools and devices they use, and the skills with which they use these tools and devices are all indicative of the efficiency of the management of the enterprise. Educational resources just like the business resources are four, these are: money, material, machine and man.The main difficulty in management is the organisation of people into co-operative teams in order to use the non-human resources effectively and efficiently. This co-ordination of human efforts is a common element, or in fact, the fundamental task in all administration.
 According to Alabi (2000), human resources available to schools constitute their most valuable asset and their greatest management challenge. Therefore, managerial functions like planning, organising, co-ordinating, commanding and controlling become essential. Thus, given that quality learning depends on the recruitment, retention and development of professional teachers, effective personnel management procedures are essential, preconditions for the employment and continual development of adequately qualified and dedicated staff that would promote an optimum level of performance towards the provision of quality education.
Alabi (2000) opined that personnel management encourages making the best use of the skills and capabilities of all those employed in the organisation with a view to attaining the potentials of individual employees and organisational goals and objectives. It is the management of people at work. Thus, it is otherwise referred to as human resources management, concerned with the handling of employment relationships and all activities that are employee-oriented or centered. Management of personnel is the most sensitive aspect of management in any discipline. Long administrative experiences show that it is easier to deal with herds of cattle than directing two or more individuals. This is because, the individual differs in the sequence of needs based on each workers learning experience, cultural and economic background (Durosaro, 2000).Personnel management is an ingredient for increased productivity in the educational sector. All staff personnel services such as selection and promotion training and staff welfare development and compensation should be geared towards getting the best out of the work force. Strategies such as security of tenure of employment, education and training motivation in wages and benefits are ways to mobilise staff for increased productivity.
The poor performance of secondary school students in both internal and external examinations these days call for great concern. Over the past five years, Nigeria has consistently recorded an annual less-than 50 percent success rate in the West African Examination Council (W.A.E.C.). In 2010, it was reported that out of 1,351,557 students registered and only 337,071 which represents 23.36 % at least 5 credit which include English and mathematics. It was only 471,474 (30.9%) out of 1,540,250 who registered in 2011 that have 5 credits.
    In 2012, out of 1,672,224 students that registered, only 38.8% (649,156) made five credits. In 2013 however, there was an increase with 64.26% (1,085,472) who made 5 credits.   In 2014, things fell apart again as only 529,425 representing 31.28 per cent obtained five credits in English and Mathematics. It was the same story in 2015 as 616,370 candidates, representing 38.68 per cent obtaining five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics (WAEC), 2016.
It is generally belief that students in private secondary schools performed way better than their counterparts in government secondary schools. For instance, in the 2013 W A E C, Master OgunfolajiOloruntoba, Miss FasolaIfeoluwapo and Miss Anyanwu Maureen who emerged first, second and third respectively in Distinction/Merit Award in the May/June 2013 WAEC are all from private secondary schools. Ogunfolaji who made A1 in eight subjects including English and Mathematics attendeda private secondary school named Sacred Heart Catholic School, Abeokuta, Ogun State.