Primary Education In Nigeria Challenges And Prospects

Primary Education In Nigeria Challenges And Prospects

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated primary education in nigeria To guide this study five research questions were posed and five null-hypotheses were formulated. The design of the study was a descriptive survey design. The population comprised of 2,673 made up of 238 head teachers and 2,435 teachers of primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone of Enugu State. The sample constituted of 40 head teachers and 80 teachers drawn from 3 local government areas of the zone. A total of 360 respondents participated in the study. A 30-item questionnaire was used for data collection. Mean rating and t-test were used in answering the research questions and testing of the null-hypothesis respectively. In order to narrow in the study, the researcher focused on the challenges of the UBE programme in Nigeria. The findings showed among others that infrastructural facilities, instructional material, trained teachers and funds are not adequately available to a high extent for the effective implementation of UBE programme in the primary schools. Also the findings of the study regarding the constraints to the effective implementation of the UBE programme revealed that lack of proper supervision of teaching and learning in primary schools, inadequate provision of instructional materials and infrastructural facilities to primary schools. Poor finding of educational programme and poor statistical data on UBE primary schools were to a high extent constraints to the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools. Based on this, recommendation were made which include: that government should recruit more teaching staff for the primary schools and provide adequate training incentives, infrastructural facilities, instructional materials and funding for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in the schools in Nsukka Education Zone.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Education in all countries of the world has been considered very important for personal and societal development. Nigeria is one among the nations of the world that values education. In her National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) Nigeria sees education as an excellent instrument for effecting national development. Thus, education will be used to achieve the nation’s needs. The policy document provides guidelines on the education of Nigerian society. It contains the philosophy of the nation’s education, levels of education and their objectives, beginning with pre-primary, through primary, secondary to tertiary education.

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All over the world, primary education has been regarded as the most important as well as the most accessed by people. This perhaps may be due to the fact that it is the foundation of the whole educational pursuit, which is expected to provide literacy and enlightenment to the citizens. Oni (2008) posited that the importance of primary education can be seen in the sense that all beneficiaries of the other levels of education by necessity have to pass through this level. Federal Republic of Nigeria in her National Police on Education (2004) defined primary education as the kind of education given in an institution for children aged 6-11 years plus, and it constitutes the bedrock upon which the entire educational system is built. It is in view of the indispensable role of education in the development of man and modern society, particularly the primary education that various declarations on education were made at the global level. Such declaration includes The 1984 Human Rights Declaration which states that everyone has right to education, which will be free at least in the elementary school. The Jomtein Declaration on Education for All (EFA) by the year 2000. The New Delhi 1993 Declaration on E-9 Countries in 1993 (the nine countries with the largest concentration of illiteracy of which Nigeria is a member) which was later reaffirmed in Recife, Brazil (2000) by calling for a massive eradication of illiteracy within the shortest possible time span.

Infrastructural facilities and instructional materials are factors that facilitate and promote teaching and learning and they include items like class rooms, furniture, libraries, administrative block, etc. Trained teachers are special brand of men and women that have received training on coaching, supervising and guiding pupil/students to achieve outstanding feats in life. Fund, on the other hand, refers to the sum of money saved or made available for a particular purpose.  These resources, according to Mohammed (2004), have to be of appropriate quality and quantity to meet the minimum standard of promoting any meaningful teaching and learning. Some experts particular Okoli (2007) have observed that the responsibility for providing these facilities and resources in public schools lie with the government. It is based on this background that the researcher aims to study the challenges and prospects of primary education in Nigeria.

• Statement of the Problem

Over the years, the implementation of basic education programme in Nigeria has been facing lots of constraints, and it seems like the problem of the Nigeria educational programme does not always lie with adequate knowledge and policies, but the effective implementation of the programme. Thus, the problem of this study is to assess the problems and prospects of primary school education in Nigeria by studying the implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program.

1.3  Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the problems and prospects of primary school education in Nigeria by assessing the implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools:

1. The extent of availability of infrastructural facilities for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools;
2. The extent of availability of instructional materials for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools;
3. The extent of availability of trained teachers for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone of Enugu State;
4. The extent of adequacy of funds for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools; and
5. The constraints to the effective implementation of UBE programme in primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The results of this study will be of practical benefits to the government, administrators of primary schools, teachers and society in general. It will be of benefits to the government because when evaluation is done, the area of weakness in the implementation process of the UBE programme in primary schools will be revealed, and this will help the government to propose possible strategies for improvement on the implementation process.

1.5 Scope of the Study

In terms of content, the scope of inquiry was limited to the evaluation of  the extent of availability of infrastructural facilities, instructional materials, trained teachers funds and  the constraints to the  effective implementation of UBE programme in primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone of Enugu State.

1.6 Research Questions

The following research questions were posed to guide the study:

1. To what extent are infrastructural facilities available for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools?
2. To what extent are instructional materials available for the effective implementation of UBE programme in primary school?
3. To what extent are trained teachers available for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools?
4. To what extent are funds adequate for the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools?
5. What are the constraints to the effective implementation of the UBE programme in primary schools?

1.7 Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses guided the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

H0₁ There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of head-teachers and teachers on the availability of infrastructural facilities for the effective Implementation of the UBE Programme in primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.

H0₂ There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of head-teacher and teachers on the availability of instructional materials for the effective implementation of the UBE Programme in primary school in Nsukka Education Zone.

H0₃ There is no significant difference between the mean rating of head-teachers and teachers on the availability of trained teachers for the effective implementation of the UBE Programme in primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.

H0₄ There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of head-teachers and the teachers on the adequacy of funds for the effective implementation of the UBE Programme in primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.

H0₅ There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of head-teachers and teachers on the constraints to the effective implementation of the UBE Programme in primary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.

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