STRATEGIES FOR CURBING MALADJUSTMENT BEHAVIOUR IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Primary schools are established with the aim of producing
pupils who are worthy in character and learning. Pupils are
expected to acquire knowledge, skills, experience and discipline
that will help them sharpen their destiny and rebuild them from
what they used to be to what they intend to become. Pupils at
this level of education fall between the ages of 6 to 11 plus (NPE,
2004). This period is described as the childhood age period which
has been christened by some psychologists as a period below the
legal age of responsibility or accountability (Okobia & Ohen,
2006). Children like human beings are social in nature. They
hardly live in isolation but prefer to live and interact with one
another (Idowu & Yahaya, 2013).
The urge for a child to interact in school usually creates
some challenges which need to be addressed especially in
primary schools. A child is a person who is below the age of
adulthood (Oke, 2009). In the context of this study therefore, a
child is a person who is below the age of adulthood and is in the
primary school.
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Primary school is education given to children from aged 6-
12 years in schools. It is a transition into secondary schools.
Primary school is education given in an educational institution
for children aged 6 to 11 years plus (NPE, 2004). The author also
noted that primary education is the pivot upon which the whole
system of education revolves. The Federal Republic of Nigeria
(2004:14) highlighted the objectives of primary education as
follows: Inculcating permanent literacy and numeracy, and ability
to communicate effectively, laying of a sound basis for scientific
and reflective thinking; giving citizenship education as a basis for
effective participation in and contribution to the life of the
society; moulding the character and developing sound attitude
and morals in the child; developing in the child the ability to
adapt to his changing environment among others.
These objectives if vigorously pursued is expected to
transform the child at the end of primary education to
demonstrate decent and decorous conduct, respect for authority,
high sense of responsibility, love for orderliness, eagerness to
discharge duties among others (Peter & Felicia, 2013). However,
when a child fails to discharge these characteristics,
maladjustment behaviour.