CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The essence for one going to school is for better survival tomorrow wherein becoming what he
or she is capable of becoming what he or she wants in life. And the desire of knowledge is the
natural feeling of mankind and every human being whose mind is not debauched will be willing
to give all that is required of him or her to get knowledge.
It is on this basic idea that knowledge oriented organization (school) has been set up as a ground
for people to go in and learn in respond to paying for their acquired knowledge for tomorrows
success.
According to Oxford Dictionary of Current (6 th Edition), fee is defined as an amount of money
that one pay for professional services.
Simply put, school fee is that fixed interval payment made by a student or students to the school
he or she attends.
From the definition, one can outline that school fee payment supposed to be in a regular interval
that is timely, although sometime may not be that ready by the student due to some financial
lapses.
Financial lapses poses a lot of problems to school management because of some pressing needs.
However, when students refuse to pay their school fees on time the school management seems to
lack money in the purse which at this render the management ineffective.
Apart from the management being ineffective financially, students also face barriers by not being
allowed to write their examinations which is one of the academic frustration or setback. Using
computer based system for fees payment necessitated this research in order to help solve this
problems of either delayed fee payment, or the student not paying at all or the fee being
misused/mismanaged or entangled with criminal attack either on the side of student at the course
of payment or the side of bursary department/school management.
Using College of Education, Ekiadolor as a case study, the research has the intention of creating
a software that could process students school fees payment to College of Education, Ekiadolor

bank accounts and electronically lodging individual students fees indicating name, department,
registration number, level/class, date of payment, amount of money paid, academic
session/semester/ banks name, account number, phone number, school name and other personal
records etc. This will enhance prompt payment and safe delivery and automatically stop the
management and students from being frustrated financially and otherwise.
1.1
Theoretical Background
Before, now, people/students often embraced technological changes with the fear of the unknown
and as such decided to carryout activities their usual way (manually).
However, the 21st century came with a lot of challenges that only the use of computer can solve
problem effectively. Electronic/Automated payment of student school fees in any school would
boost the school management morale and therefore increase productivity. However, this supports
the mash lows theory of management which is of the view that metrication of an organization
financially will bring increase in productivity.
Therefore, the payment of student school fees in a particular school enhance the productivity of
such school for both the management and students as well, even as a computer based system is
used for such payment for easiest and fastest mode of operation as well as accurate security and
good financial management; which College of Education, Ekiadolor is operating now.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
The problems encountered with the manual method of school fees payment is viewed from two
perspectives, the school managements problems and the students problem.
The school management problems have to do with the processing of students information about
their paid fees with mistakes and come out with sum total and grand total amount of the paid fee
from each class, department or across all the students who paid as a whole.
The student problems on the other hand have to do with the embarrassment from the bursary
department, such as wasting of time, mistake made in the receipt and criminal threatening and
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being driven out from the examination hall for not showing evidence of school fee receipt or
even after paying shortly before the examination.
1.3
Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the manual and automated student
school fees payment system in College of Education, Ekiadolor.
The objective of this study is to create on automated-based system for students school fee

payment
To determine the conversion of manual system of school fees payment to
computerized/automated method to ease the stress of students information processing

during payment.
1.4
Significance 0f the Study
This research work would help the management and students of College of Education, Ekiadolor
to have a better knowledge of operating on the method of automated students fees payment and
how this can be effective through practical aspect of the device. It is obvious that the manual
system is slow in operation and also ineffective in service.
The in-convenience brought about by the manual system could be over-whelmed by the use of
more effective and advanced system. In other words, an automated system minimize time delay
procedures during students fee payment.
1.5
Scope of the Study
This study is restricted to College of Education, Ekiadolor and no other firm. Data used for the
study were gotten from the case study only (College of Education, Ekiadolor). It focused on
automated students school fee payment only.

1.6

Research Methodology

This research work Design and implementation of computerised shopping cart system for a
GSM/Mobile shop. the system will be a web-based application and will be implemented on a
relational database system (MySQL). Html (hypertext markup language), CSS (cascading style
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sheet) and Java Script will be used to design the web-user interface, php (hypertext preprocessor) will be used as the serve- side script language to link the interface and the database
and Ajax technology for automation of the cart system.
1.7
Limitation of the Study
The problems encountered during the course of carrying out this research include:
i.
Time for the research was too short couple with other academic work.
ii.
Lack of fund to take care of transportation and other expenses.
iii.
Lack of access to research materials on the topic in the polytechnic and public
iv.

libraries.
The polytechnics bank and bursary department were not liberal enough to give out
information about their activities concerning students school fees payment.

1.8
Definition of Terms
To do away with ambiguity, the following terms are hereby defined for easy comprehension.
Design: In this context, it has to do with the coding of the program (software).
Fee: A fixed regular amount of money made by the school organization/management to a
student.
Automated Payment: This is also known as electronic/computerized payment. It is the
introduction of computer for easy disbursement of student fee payment to the school
management/organization.
Basic Fee: It is fixed payment by students based on their level/class or programme offers.
Sum Total Pay: This is the amount gotten by summing all the fees paid together.
Total/Grand Total: This is the overall amount of money which a student or students has to pay
before official clearance for graduation. It is also the total fee-based analysis/report which
must be made at the bursary department to the school management and that of bank to
justify students fees total inflow for decision making.
File: This can be defined as complete collection of related records or information.
Data Base: This is a collection of data organized to service many application at the same time by
storing and managing data so that they appears to be in one location.
Computer: This is an electronic device or programmable machine that is capable of accepting
data as input, process the data, store them and sent out the result of the processing as
output according to logical instruction given by the user.
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CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0
Introduction
This aims at reviewing the relevant literature on this research topic, it intends to consider the
suggestion, ideas, citations and comments of various authors and professionals on the concept
and implementation of Automated Students School Fees Payment System..
2.1
Automated Students School Fees Payment: An Overview
Change is inevitable especially in a rapid evolving world but as the growth, pace and the
structure of an economy changes so does the payment systems required to facilitate transactions
in that economy. This is in line with Nigeria push to keep its payment system far with
international practices and standards by leveraging on technology. Tamuno (2003).
In order to meet up developed nations, automated payment becomes the answer. According to
Nwankpa (2009), automated or electronic payment defined as a subset of an e-commerce or
computerized transaction to include machine payment for buying and selling of goods and
services offered through the internet.
Generally, people think of automated payment as referring to online transactions on the internet,
these are actually forms of e-payments. As technology is developing the range of devices and
processes for electronic transaction continues to increase while the percentage of cash and
cheque continue to decrease.
Andian (2008) posits that in the US, for example, cheque have declined from 85% of non cash
payment in 1979 to 59% in 2002, and automated or e- payments have grown to 41%. The
internet has the potentials to become the most active trade intermediary within a decable. Also
internet shopping revolutionizes by allowing customers to sit in their homes and buy enormous
variety of products and services from all over the world.
Commenting on automated payment system; Adeyinka (2008) postulates that automated payment
system intermediation in Nigeria has continued to make steady progress towards ensuring full
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banking transaction automation with the value of automated payment system rising to N 360
million in 2008. He noted that the increase in the adoption of the electronic model is not only
driven by the need for electronic services but also by the core and speedy update of new
technologies by Nigeria.
Experts says that with the mass market in Nigeria constituting about 70 percent of the nations
gross domestic product (GDP) the impact of deploying cards and other electronic mode of
banking operation in the country has led to increased reach, as customers can now have access to
their bank account even at the location where banks are not located through electronic banking
models.
According to Eboh (2009), the introduction of various electronic models has led to low
operational costs, increased operation efficiency, removing cost of cash transactions, multicard
and multiplication availability reduced congestions in banking halls amongst others.
Speaking to business day in an interview Mitchel Elegbe, managing director, interswitch, a
payment solution platform provider with Nigerian banks on its platform confirmed that, the
network has witnessed increased transactions with the high level of adoption of technology by
Nigerians.
In payment of school fees, automated system has also been one of the immense benefits in that
through the schools bank account, money (student fees paid) are automatically transferred
irrespective of the school bank. Here, there is no physical involvement of cash which makes it
safer and dependable.
According to Oduyemi (2009), automated payment of students school fees showcase the joy over
the trends in that the student have been relieved of the stress of having to visit bursary and queue
to pay their school fees. Now, the trends are just the transport to the bank location to pay their

fees and taking the teller to the bursary to exchange for receipt which will properly indicate an
evident that fee has been paid by the particular student.
2.2
Types of Automated Payment
The following types of automated payments are mostly common today. It is important to realize
that new payment types are continually being discovered and these are additional methods that
exist or are being developed continuously.
1. Cards: Credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards currently represent the most common
form of the consumer or the business most often uses a plastic card, commonly with
magnetic stripe. The card holder gives his or her number to a merchant who stripes the
card through a terminal or enter the data to a PC. The terminal transmits data to his or her
bank account. The acquirer transmits the data through a card association to the card
issuer who makes a decision on the transaction and relay it back to the merchant, who
gives goods or back to the cardholder. Funds flow later for settlement with credit cards
and debited immediately for debit or prepaid cards.
2. Mobile Payment: According to Nwankpa (2009), mobile phones are currently used for a
limited number of electronic transactions. However, the percentage seems likely
increased as mobile phone manufacturer enable the chip and software in the phone easier
electronic commerce. Consumers can use their mobile phone to pay for transactions on
several ways. Consumer may send an SMS message, transmit a PIN number, use WAP to
make online payments, or perform other segments of their transactions with the phone.
As phones develops further, consumers are likely to be able to use infrared, blue tooth
and other means more frequently to transact full account data in order to make payment
securely and easily from their phone.
3. Financial Service Kiosks: Companies and service providers in several countries
including Singapore and US, have set up kiosks to enable financial and non financial

transactions. These kiosks are fixed stations with phone connection where the customer
usually uses a keyboard and television like screen to transact or to assess information.
Andrian (2008).
4. Biometric Payments: Automated payment using biometrics are still largely in their
infancy trials are underway in the united states, Australia and a limited number of other
countries. Most biometric payments involves using finger prints as the identification and
assess tool, companies like visa international are piloting voice recognition technology
and retina scans are also under consideration.
Essentially, a biometric identifiers such as a finger print or voice could replace the plastic card
and more securely identifies the person undertaking the transaction. The automated payment is
still changed to a credit card of other account, with the biometric identifier replacing the card,
check for other transaction mechanism.
5. Automated Payment Networks: Various countries have automated payments networks
that consumer can use to make payments electronically. ACH (Automated Clearing
House) in the US, domestic networks enable automated payment between business and
between individuals. The consumer can go online, to a financial service kiosk or use
other front end devices to assess their account and make payment to business or other
individuals.
2.3

Challenges of Automated Students School Fees Payment in Akwa Ibom State

Polytechnic
Automated school fees payment system, has come to stay. However, there are some challenges
attracted to it, even though most to these challenges are peculiar to the school management.
Some of these challenges are analyzed below
1. Transportation/Due Process: At the course of a student to get his or her school fee paid
it is required of him or her to get to the bank location through paying an extra money for
the transportation. Also, students are expected to pass through due process (normal

way/criteria) while paying their fees or before getting their fees receipts from the school
bursary department.
2. Financial Fraud/Error in Operation: Automated fees payment, like any other
electronic based system, is prone to fraud and error in operation. This implies that
computer operators in the banks who collects these fees from students should be very
careful in their transactions while keying in the students identities in order to avoid
mistakes or wrong coding or money divert to another one elses account.
3. System Breakdown/Network Fluctuation: Automated payment systems are usually
networked. When there is network failure or breakdown, the system would not function
and as such its aims is not achieved.
4. Late Returning of Teller by the Student/Unavailability of Bursary Attendant:
Evidence of school fee payment is the indication of school fee receipt of the current
academic year. The failure of the student to produce the receipt on demand shows that the
student has not paid the required fee and as such the student may be disallowed from
taking examination.
2.4

Impacts of Automated Students School Fees Payment System in Akwa Ibom State

Polytechnic
The major advantages of automated student school fees payment are as follows:
1. Conveniences: The convenience of using automated fees payment system is the major
advantage derived by both students and management.
2. Speed: Using automated payment system is very fast because most of its steps involves
the use of computers, which has advantage of speed over manual method.
3. Security: Security has to do with the ability of automated systems to safeguard financial
transaction and customers information/data.
4. Productivity: The advantage of automated fees payment system is that it will to speed up
the school management duties for the effective progress and development in the school
system. It also provide job opportunity for computer literates.

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5. Storage: Records of transaction are safe since all transactions are stored in a database of
the automated system for reference in terms of any illegalities.

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