Bridging Social Capital for fostering P.T.A in Managing Secondary Schools in Nigeria: Challenges and Strategies

Abstract

The aim of establishing PTA in Nigerian schools is to bring parents and school staff to work in close harmony as would enable each contribute positively towards the transformation of the educational system particularly at the secondary school level of education in Nigeria. Nevertheless, to work in ‘this’ close harmony, there is a need for schools to recognize existing relationships and channel appropriately, its key characteristics in fostering PTA. This paper however highlighted strengthening school administration, school management, school-community relationship amongst others, as the benefits of adopting bridging social capital for fostering PTA in managing secondary schools in Nigeria. Additionally, the challenges associated with bridging social capital for fostering PTA in managing secondary schools in Nigeria were highlighted including principals adopting the norms, trust, and ties of bridging social capital via good administration and supervision of PTA activities and ensuring proper accountability and strengthening of PTA records hence, encouraging parents to put more efforts in their PTA activities amongst others, is one of the strategies suggesting the ways forward