Background of the Study<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleges of Education are teacher education institutions which have as their objective the production of highly motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for the primary and post-primary levels of our educational system. (Ogbonnaya, 2010). Colleges of Education is the institution solely meant for the training of teachers. It is a vehicle for economic and social development in different parts of the world. They have the responsibilities of equipping individuals with knowledge and skill required for positions of responsibilities in government, business and other spheres of life. The crucial roles Colleges of Education play in the education of future leaders and development of high level manpower cannot be overemphasized. Okoh (2004) in support of the above stated that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

th<\/em>e growth of students enrolment in Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria has created serious accommodation problems in all the Federal Colleges of Education to the extent that some students have resorted to living in laboratories, workshop and even in the classrooms and this has gone a long way in affecting them psychologically, emotionally, socially, and even in their academic performance. (p,165)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the objective of Colleges of Education to be achieved, there should be adequate provision, proper allocation, and effective supervision of student hostel accommodation in order to ensure effective teaching and learning processes and all-round development of students. Akuchie, (1998).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation has to do with privacy, personal space and territoriality. Student accommodation can be seen as a place of abode for students; it is also a place where students live and it is usually situated within the College where students are accommodated in hostels or halls of residence Ezeukwu, (1999). This hall of residence, apart from protecting students from sun, rain, heat and cold, represent a learning environment which has tremendous impact on the comfort, safety and performance of students. The essence is to enable students settle down and have a place of rest. According to Onyegiri (2004), the essence of hostels in Federal College of Education is to accommodate students and to encourage effective teaching and learning. Ozioko (1997) affirmed that adequate accommodation is one of the student\u2019s personnel services that enhance the achievement of educational objectives or instruction in an educational institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) in her NPE stated that the goals of higher education include the acquisition, development and inculcation  of  the  proper  value  orientation  for  individual  and  societal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

survival and the development of intellectual capacities to enable the individual understand and appreciate his environment. These goals, as far as colleges of education is concern cannot be achieved unless students in the colleges of education are adequately accommodated and provided with safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, regular supply of electricity and access to affordable means of transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of or inadequate living space among students is one of the causes of psychological difficulty, and the likely hood of disposition to aggression is high among students when they are not properly accommodated or when they are crowded. This is because when an environment is not conducive, it leads or results in aggressive behaviours emanating from such environment. Ozioko, (1997).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, the quality of an environment goes a long way to influence the behaviour of the individuals found in and around it. Credence has been lend to this assertion by Omu, (2003) who stated human behaviour is fundamentally related to attributes of physical environment, that is, an environment determines the range of behaviour or activities that can occur in it and most of the times determines in a more positive sense particular aspect or pattern of an individual\u2019s behaviour. Therefore, the physical environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of the school including condition of hostels and the transport system, affect student behaviours either negatively or positively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem of students accommodation started in 1973 when the Federal Government took over the existing tertiary institutions and even established new ones without giving serious consideration to the implications of such policy decision including the large students population it inherited from the take-over. For instance, this increasing student enrolment also affected students enrolment in the colleges of education in Nigeria. For instance, Alumanah (2001) observed that between 1996\/97 and 1999\/2000 academic sessions, Alvan Ikoku College of Education recorded about 100% increase in students enrolment. And this increasing students enrolment affected students accommodations negatively even to the extent many students opted to live out of the college campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This development forced many students to live off-campus where they are exposed to all kinds of danger and threats. For those who are lucky to secure private accommodation within the campus, they are charged exorbitant rents. And even at that, safe drinking water and access to affordable means of transportation are not assured. All of these constraints affect students academic achievement negatively. Alumanah ( 2001).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problems arising from the above situation are enormous. For example, a room which is meant and structurally designed for two persons now accommodates four to six students. The implication is that other household facilities like water supply, electricity and toilets are over used because they are now serving more people than it was originally meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though, Colleges of Education are not expected to provide a hundred percent of the student\u2019s hostel accommodation, National Commission for College of Education (NCCE) in its guidelines states that at least seventy five percent of the student population should be accommodated in the hostels. This NCCE guideline has not been complied with by any of the College of Education in Nigeria Nwankwo,( 2006). However, N.C.C.E. guideline did not state where those not accommodated in the hostels should stay. Accommodation is hard to find in towns where most tertiary institutions are situated and the situation is worsened by inefficient transportation system thereby affecting students academic achievement negatively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of adequate hostel accommodation for students could imply that accommodation should not only be adequately provided but should also be well managed. The authorities of the Colleges of Education are not only concerned with the planning and coordinating but also with the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

maintenance of student hostel accommodation. The management of student hostel accommodation therefore rests on the hand of the Colleges of Education management which is in a position to appreciate as well as administer a school on a productive manner so as to achieve the goals and objectives of the educational system Omu, (2006). Writing on the social implications of students living together in hostels, Elechi, (2008) posited that school is a socializing agent that helps in moulding human character and the state of art in schools can determine an individuals character. The institution of higher learning is also expected to give the student a wholesome education that will positively influence character and learning. Since his\/her character is influenced by his\/her interaction with fellow students in the classroom and in the hostels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While lamenting on the ills associated with inadequate accommodation facilities in the Nigerian tertiary institution, Ezukwu (1999) observed that students frequently forfeit their academic work for a long period in search of accommodation. Most times, the students are reported to skip or miss lectures, examinations and laboratory practical as a result of problems emanating from inadequate accommodation. In addition, there are frequent  cases  of  frustration,  friction,  conflict,  antagonisms  and  open<\/p>\n\n\n\n

confrontation among roommates in overcrowded student hostels, on usage of wardrobes, corner\/spaces and other facilities in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today the student hostel accommodations are not only appears to be inadequate but some of the existing ones are dilapidated and constitute danger to the health of the students and the entire college communities. For instance, the hostel accommodations in the Colleges of Education are unconducive and deplorable and this affects the academic performance of students and their all-round development Akuchie, (1998). According to Mboto (2000), today cracked, decaying walls, sagging roofs, blown-off roofs, and bushy surroundings are common phenomenon in schools. Ogbonnaya and Ajagbonwu (1997) observed that this situation does not augur well for effective teaching and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many students miss lectures while looking for accommodation either in the Department or at the exams and records. Some of them repeat an academic year or miss their batch of National Youth Service due to the fact that records of result of exams they wrote and passed are missing (Nwagwu, 2006).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The colleges medical centers are always busy attending to students who are sick due to inadequate hostel accommodation. The picture suggests<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that student hostel accommodation appear not only inadequate in our colleges, but that the existing ones are poorly managed and poorly supervised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present situation is apparently affecting the student\u2019s in many ways, and all the strategies adopted by the colleges of education so far to arrest the situation appear to be yielding no significant results. It could be that effective strategies have not been applied. This situation informs the researcher\u2019s interest to investigate how best to handle the situation, that is management of student hostel accommodation problems in federal colleges of education in South Eastern Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n