The Awareness Level, Challenges and Problems Militating Against Hearing Conservation Programme For School Age Children in Akure, Ondo State

Abstract

The focus of this study was to investigate whether there is the existence and awareness of hearing conservation programme in Akure schools, especially for the school-age children. The study highlighted the importance of hearing conservation programme in order to prevent the trouble shooting of the hearing mechanism, due to noise pollutant, which are everywhere in our society. The benefits of hearing conservation and processes were identified in this study. The opinions of 180 Head teachers and principals, male and female respondents, young and old were sampled to know their awareness levels as well as the challenges and problems militating against the implementation of hearing conservation programme in Akure schools. Six Null hypotheses were tested and found not to be significant in this study. The findings showed that hearing conservation programme does not exist in Akure schools, the awareness of the respondent on hearing conservation programme and benefits were nil. Hence many problems were hindering the implication, ranging from lack of adequate policy and funding system, as well as lack of professionals and screening procedure/equipment. Relevant solutions and recommendation were made for proper implementation of hearing conservation programme in Akure schools. Among them are inauguration of adequate policy to back up hearing conservation programme, provision of professionals to implement it in schools and offices, provision of equipment, and frequent screening of the hearing mechanism of the school age children at the point of time into school and every year in the school setting.