PHYSICAL FITNESS STATUS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

The study was conducted to assess the physical fitness status of public and private secondary school students in Zaria, Kaduna State. Four hundred and eighty (480) male and female students were selected using stratified sampling techniques as the subject’s in this study. The subjects were selected from both public and private secondary schools. Two hundred and forty (240) were females and two (240) were males. Two hundred and forty subjects were selected from each type of school. Individuals in the group were administered physical fitness tests.

The test items included the twelve minutes distance run, sit up test, push up test, sit and reach, skin fold measurements, standing broad jump, 50 meter sprint test, shuttle run and the balance test. These were used to measure muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, percent body fat, speed, power, agility and balance respectively. Student t-test was used to determine if significant difference existed between the groups in these variables at alpha level of 0.05. The findings indicated significant differences between public and private secondary school students in all the performance indices. Public secondary school students had better performance values in all the test items than their counterparts in private secondary schools. Public Secondary School male students were better performers, followed by private male students, then public female students and private female students were the least performers in the test 8 batteries used. [tdf (478) = 1.960 < 0.05; tdf (238) = 1.960 < 0.05]. This shows significant differences in their cardio respiratory endurance, speed, trunk flexibility, coordination, agility and balance. It is recommended among others that secondary schools should organize routine physical fitness tests for students so as to help them gauge students’ progress in physical fitness components such as muscular strength, muscular endurance, muscular power, cardio respiratory endurance, flexibility, coordination, speed, agility and balance.