FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR POOR NURSERY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR POOR NURSERY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Statement of the Problem

According to Egwu (2009), some challenges facing primary education in Nigeria include the huge disparity between expected school enrolment and the actual enrolment figure. This leads to difficulties in accurately planning and allocating human, material and financial resources adequately to the various primary schools in the country.

Education in Nigeria has suffered great setback, double jeopardy and total disconnection due to national strike, political instability, insecurity, and all manner of mal-function of institution and the decay of educational standard.

Poor management of information in terms of gathering accurate data, recording and retrieval of data leads to conflicting statistics about the number of enrolled pupils and new applicants in the system. This means that these vital information are not readily available when needed, thereby creating a vacuum for policy makers, stakeholders and researchers to carry out their functions efficiently.

The availability of adequate school building, classrooms, chairs and other facilities are necessary are also factor affecting the educational system. However the increase in primary school enrolment does not have corresponding increase in infrastructural development in the primary schools. A common scene at the primary schools in Lafia environment is that of half completed or dilapidated and overcrowded classrooms lacking basic equipment and facilities with unsightly and unhygienic toilet.

Most of the schools do not follow the stipulated curriculum provisions that are designed for school teaching and learning. At primary level ten subjects are taken. Two of these ten subjects-agriculture and home economics are to be deferred to later years of primary schools.

Teachers still operate under very pathetic conditions such as overcrowded classrooms, wide variations in age and with little or no materials for teaching. Most worry of course is the fact that some of these teachers are still ill equipped to cope with such situations. Teachers need to be empowered with skills which will enable them identify their own problems (administrative or pedagogical) and seek solutions to these problems

Funding is another major challenge facing nursery and primary schools in Lafia. Without availability of funds and proper management to carry out any work at the primary level, any plans of transformation are bound to fail. Funding issues in primary education plays a crucial role in determining the level of success, development and change. It also helps to direct attention towards the achievement of set goals at all levels of education. Adequate funding entails a timely supply of funds, qualified teachers, administrators and infrastructural facilities to ensure success in any organization.

It is on these premises and more to be explored in the literature review that has prompted the researcher to carry out this study with the aim of identifying the causes of these problems and proffering useful recommendations.

Similarly, Omotayo, Iheberene and Maduewesi (2008), also indicated that poor implementation strategy, management and lack of assurance as responsible factors that contributed to the failure of the UBE to attain its goals since its inception more than 10 years ago. Other predicaments include financial problems in terms of misappropriation and embezzlement of funds, and financial crimes of all sorts being perpetuated by those in authority.

Related Project Materials

ABSTRACT

This research study was designed to examine the effect of lack of qualified teachers on the performances of...