Spatial Distribution and Accessibility to Post Primary Educational Institution in Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria: Case Study of Yewa South Local Government Area, Nigeria

Abstract

Access to post-primary school education plays significant role in the future prospect of children in any nation. However the accessibility to post-primary education depends on availability of school within minimum spatial distance to children of different economic divide in the society. Spatial distribution of post-primary school has been generally uneven in most developing countries and thus limits the level of accessibility to that level of education. The study examined the spatial distribution of post-primary education in Yewa South local government area, in the southwestern Nigeria. The locations of post-primary schools in the study area were captured through handheld Global Positioning systems (GPS) receivers and the spatial analyses were carried out in the GIS platform. The results showed a dispersed pattern for the overall assessment of spatial distribution in the areas. However a clustered pattern was obtained for 9 electoral wards while a dispersed pattern was obtained in Ilaro ward (a relatively urban ward). Some students in the public post-primary schools travel as much as 5 kilometers mostly on foot to school every working day. The paper concludes that spatial reengineering and reorganization of post-primary school is necessary in the study area if the access to educational facilities would be enhanced.