CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background to the Study
Secondary education is defined in the Nigeria context as the education children receive after primary education and before the tertiary education (IPE, 1998).
Secondary school is the second stage of children education after primary. It is a post primary school level of education where children between 12 -18 years attain to prepare themselves for tertiary education and other life professional, Challenges Secondary school in the history of Nigerian education system has come to stay as the basic education for youths.
The broad goals of secondary education, according to the policy document is to prepare the individual for useful living within the society, and higher education. In specific terms, secondary education provides all primary school leavers with the opportunity for education of a higher level, irrespective of sex, social status, religion or ethnic background.
There are stated aims of senior secondary education in Nigeria. And for these to be achieved certain mechanisms must be properly put in place. One of these mechanisms is adequate information and communication system, this is because in the world of today, easier and faster means of communication have made time and space less complex or confounding variables of organization and existence of social or individual systems.
At the core of the modern communication is the growing profusion, timeless and accuracy of information, consequently, information richness and information heading capability have become necessary and perhaps, and imperative components of life and living in modern society. The imperative of information storage is now clear to those who manage complex, social, and industrial organization, such as education and commerce. Thus, the ability and capability for timely analysis, and utilization of the storage of relevant and accurate information have become one of the most important attributes of the modern manager (Nwankwo, 1999).
The complexity of educational systems and institutions, particularly in Nigeria and other developing countries tend to be characterized by such phenomena as: student population, explosion, diversities in the directions and dimensions for programmes and funds and other material resources, conflicting policies as well as inadequacy of information. The demand for appropriate, adequate and timely information for decision at the secondary school level and in the entire education system, appears particularly challenging in the current situation where the available date are unreliable, unmanageable and generally involving highly technical issues and rapid development advances.
    Secondary education is expanding at an unprecedented rate in Nigeria. As the system  grows, so also the problems of their planning, organization administration, monitoring and control. Hence the need for proper means of storing information.
    One of the efficient ways of planning, organizing, storing, and retrieving information in Nigeria’s senior secondary schools is through record keeping. A doubt, the principles of keeping, managing and utilizing records are the very crucial. This is because on absence of adequate records to the proper management of school. To that extent, the schools will not be able to store, retrieve, and use information where it is absolutely necessary to do so.
    Record keeping in the administration and management of senior secondary school is very vital if made available and put to use at the appropriate time, it will not only enable the teacher to monitor the progress of the child, but also enable them to give information to parents and guardians about the progress being made by their children. To the head teachers, the school records would enable him to follow the implementation and evaluation of the school curriculum and programmes, as well as ensure good conduct of teachers and students within the school system.
    Indeed, as the demand for senior secondary education increases, more resources such as: man, machines, money, materials, and information are needed. The greatest proportion of information needed for effective and efficient running of senior secondary school system are therefore to be sourced from the internally generated and externally receive record. Records are therefore recorded information needed in pursuance of its legal, fiscal, and administrative function so as to achieve these corporate goals, information considered relevant to the management of the school. This could be captured with the use of materials like: paper, disks, and other materials.