Unformatted Attachment Preview
African Journal of Political Science and International Relations Vol. 5(3), pp. 159-163, March 2011
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/ajpsir
ISSN 1996-0832 ©2011 Academic Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Early childhood education: Its policy formulation and
implementation in Nigerian educational system
E. D. Nakpodia
Department of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.
E-mail: edwardnakpodia@yahoo.com. Tel: 08033862036.
Accepted 16 February, 2011
This paper dealt with childhood education as a preparatory step for primary education, a starting point
for the child’s general development and the foundation of Nigerian education system, using the mother
tongue as a means of communication and as medium of instruction. The paper emphasized that if preprimary education is to serve its purposes as stated in the National Policy of Education in Nigeria
amongst others for making the children to have an effective smooth transition from the home to the
school and prepare the child for the primary level of education, then it should be well supervised,
staffed, equipped, financed and coordinated. To achieve this, this policy requires political will,
determination, transparency, accountability and steadfastness and a close interface between policy
formulation and implementation.
Key words: Pre-primary education, policy formation, implementation, educational system, Nigeria.
INTRODUCTION
The foundation of education of the child is the preschools education which forms an integral part of his or
her early education which may be formal or informal,
which is given in an educational institution to children
aged 1 to 5+ prior to their entering the primary school.
This educational level of the child provides for the
physical, motor, health, nutritional, intellectual, aesthetic,
emotional and social development of the pre-school child.
If child education can provide these vital necessities
which are fundamental in human life, it is not therefore
unlikely to have an important and strong relationship with
the pupils’ performance at the primary school level and
perhaps at the secondary and tertiary levels (Nakpodia,
2003).
The Universal Basic Education Act of 2000 cites Early
Childhood Education (ECE), which has to do with preprimary education given to children between ages one to
five, as an integral part of basic education. It represents
the first important step in achieving the goals of
Education for All (EFA). Since it is the foundation for a
life-long education, government is expected to be actively
involved in providing it for the younger children. Evidence
on the ground has shown that parents, private
individuals, religious bodies constitute the largest proprietorship of ECE, while government agencies provide a
pattry 10%. Adenipekun (2004) notes that this abysmally
low government’s participation in proprietorship of day
care centres and nursery schools deny the poor,
disadvantaged and marginalized groups access to ECE.
RATIONALE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Underpinning the importance attached to early childhood
education which pre-primary education is an integral part,
the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and
Development of Children in 1990 undertook a joint
commitment to make an urgent universal appeal to give
every child a better future. In addition, the World
Conference on Education for All (EFA) and the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
emphasized urgent priority to ensure access to and
improve the quality of education for all children.
Adenipekun (2004) documented eight reasons given at
these fora in support of the provision of affordable, quality
programmes of early childcare that are community based,
and which are linked with health care and nutrition as part
of an integrated approach to meeting the needs of the
young child. These reasons include:
1. From conception of six years of age, children,
according to research findings, undergo rapid mental,
160
Afri. J. Pol. Sci. Int. Relat.
social and physical development to the extent that by the
age of six, their brains would have developed to almost
the size of an adult;
2. The convention on the rights of the child stipulates that
children have a right to live and develop to their full
capacity;
3. Moral and social values postulate that through
children, societies pass on values and culture from
generation to generation;
4. Supporting the development of the child physically and
mentally leads to increased enrolment, improves
performance and the society generally.
5. Provision of early childcare facilities and offer equal
opportunities to children from both the privileged and
disadvantaged homes.
5. A programme in early childhood development should
be used as an entry point for other developmental
activities which will benefit the entire community;
6. ECC (Early Child Care) projects should be linked with
other developmental activities for women, nutrition,
health, water and sanitation.
7. There is a growing demand for better ways of caring
for children through an ECC project given the
advancement in science and technology which now
ensures the survival of many more children, thereby
increasing population growth.
The National Policy on Education for Nigeria became
necessary to avoid the previous half-measured
educational policies, administration and control which
was a hallmark of the missionary and regional eras of
education in the country. The policy is meant to put in
clear perspective the educational jurisdiction of the
Federal Government, including that of the State and
Local Governments. The document being the first after
Nigeria’s independence (enacted in 1977, but revised in
1981, 1989, 1998 and 2004), is meant to have universal
effect throughout the federation. This can be seen from
its content that is in its philosophical anchorage for
Education’ in Nigeria. As opined by Adesina (1977: 209),
“Perhaps, most significant of all, the National
Policy, if considered in all its ramifications, is a
chapter for integrated educational system”.
Can we in all honesty share in the optimism or
enthusiasm of the aforementioned foremost educationist
in Nigeria based on our current experiences?
The Policy (2004) in Section 2, page 11 refers to “pre
primary education” in this document as the education
given in an educational institution to children aged 3 to 5
plus prior to their entering the primary school. The N.P.E.
identifies the responsibilities of government at this level
as the promotion and training of qualified pre-primary
school teachers in adequate number, contribute to the
development of suitable curriculum and supervise and
control the quality of such institutions.
Sub-sections 13 of the policy enumerate the purpose of
pre-primary education thus:
1. Effect a smooth transition from the home to the school;
2. Prepare the child for the primary level of education.
3. Provide adequate care and supervision for the children
while their parents are at work (on the farms, in the
market, offices etc);
4. Inculcate social norms;
5. Inculcate in the child the spirit of enquiry and creativity
through the exploration of nature, the environment, art,
music and playing with toys, etc.
6. Develop a sense of co-operation and team spirit;
7. Learn good habits, especially good health habits; and
8. Teach the rudiments of numbers, letters, colours,
shapes, forms, etc through play
Authoritatively and confidently, the Government
announced its responsibilities and strategies for
implementing this sub-system thus:
a. Encourage private efforts in the provision of preprimary education.
b. Make provisions in teacher education programmes for
specialization in early child-hood education;
c. Ensure that the medium of instruction is principally the
mother tongue or the language of the immediate
community; and to this end will:
d. Develop the orthography of many more Nigerian
languages;
e. Produce textbooks in Nigerian languages;
f. Ensure that the main method of teaching at this level
shall be through play and that the curriculum of teacher
education is oriented to achieve this, and
g. Regulate and control the operation of pre-primary
education.
With the objectives of pre-primary education in the policy
and Government’s intended line of action(s) as previously
enunciated, the question should be asked: to what extent
has the Government encouraged private efforts in the
provision of pre primary education in Nigeria?; what are
the provisions in Teacher Training. Institutions for
students who want to specialize in pre-primary
education? Is the medium of instruction principally the
mother-tongue or the language of the immediate
community? Has much been done in the areas of
developing orthography and producing textbooks in
Nigerian languages for use in the existing pre-primary
institutions? To what extent is the government regulating
and controlling the operations of pre-primary education or
even enforcing the educational laws which relate to the
establishment of nursery schools?; Are the existing
nursery schools in the country well equipped and staffed
with the required qualified manpower?; Any set standards
for their operations in terms of curriculum materials and
Nakpodia
teaching methodologies? So many questions but few
answers. All the same, an attempt will be made to x-ray
some of the issues previously raised.
PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION: THE NEGLECTED AND
FAILING POLICY
The idea of pre-primary education was strongly
influenced by the stream of thought from Pestalozzi et al.
(1977) believed that one major shortcoming of the Third
National Development Plan was that it was disturbingly
silent on the whole question of pre-school education. The
silence became inexplicable in the face of the mounting
number of nursery and pre-primary institutions which
abounds in the urban areas of the country. The
conspicuous omission of policy statements relating to
pre-school education according to him, was attributed to
the inadequate understanding of the whole concept of
pre-school education by the government. Presently, there
are so many ill-equipped, sub-standard kindergarten and
nursery institutions scattered all over the urban centers
and some in the rural centres of Nigeria. Standards or
quality is an anathema to most of these pre-primary
institutions. Is there inspectorate unit in any of the
Ministries of Education in the country solely charged to
determine which and which schools are not built on
standards, not to talk about the over commercialization of
most of them? Most nursery schools even charge higher
fees than what many model secondary schools and even
Federal universities do charge. The extra-ordinarily
prohibitive high cost has not been reciprocally matched
by an encouraging provision of facilities and basic equipment.
The pre-primary education is the ultimate foundation
stone needed by the child to smoothly transit to the
formal school system at the primary level. Any shaky
foundation here naturally will affect other levels.
Ironically, the policy statements on this level of education
are a failed one.
In the National Policy on Education (2004) “Policy”, the
Government committed herself extensively as to the
measures she will take to achieve the stated objectives
for pre-primary education. Regrettably, however, six
years after the last revision (2004) have been made,
most of the measures and proposals are still mere paper
formalities. While the government proposed assisting
private efforts in the establishment of these institutions,
what obtains now is a far cry from all expectations. As
“the spirit directs” these private individuals, they open
these institutions without adequate planning. What we
have on the ground are more of “pigry”, the aftermath
being a systematic mal-adjustment of our young ones.
Where even standard ones exist, they are relatively few
and concentrated within the urban centres and later
become elitist.
The government in the “Policy” further made more
161
undertaken in the area of making provisions in the
Teachers Training Colleges for students who want to
specialize in pre primary education. Inspite of this, it is a
known fact that some of these institutions including the
Universities, have little or no provisions for this aspect of
our educational system. This set-up has led to the
drafting of graduates of Colleges of Education who were
originally prepared for the secondary schools system to
nursery schools. This situation could be better with some
institutes of education/departments of our universities
bracing up with this challenge.
The “Policy” further states that the medium of
instruction should be the mother tongue (MT) or the
language of the immediate community (LIC) while
orthography and textbooks of Nigerian languages will be
produced to aid this. Ironically, however, in most of our
existing pre-primary institutions, the medium of instruction
is the English language. The centrality of language to the
teaching-learning process, the importance of Nigerian
languages to the protection, preservation, promotion of
Nigerian culture, and inter-ethnic cohesion, the
enhancement of human dignity, the necessity of learning
a major language for purposes of promoting national
unity and integration have constitutional backing in the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and even
justification in the NPE (Emenanjo, 2001). The use
therefore of English Language to the neglect of the
mother tongue as medium of instruction alienates the
child from his culture which the “Policy” is meant to
protect. Evidence has shown that a child learns better
and develops faster intellectually, psychologically and
cognitively if he is taught with the mother-tongue
continuously over a period of time. Ironically, this is not
the case presently because most parents want their
children to be taught in English language at this level and
even measure the standard of education these schools
give to their children’s ability to speak English language
(Alani, 1994).
The failed language policy of the NPE is not just the pre
primary education but also primary and post-primary
levels of education and has brought about many
criticisms from many language experts. Some of the
problematic question posed include: Do not the
statements on language constitute just a statement of
intent rather than a serious programme for
implementation?; if the mother-tongue (MT) or the
language of the immediate community (LIC) is
considered so important at the pre-primary level as an
integral part of the child’s culture and the link between the
home and the school, why should it be “principally” and
not “solely” used at this level?; if the MT or the LIC is
considered a very important medium for achieving initial,
functional, and permanent empowerment, literacy, and
numeracy, why should it be only used “initially” and not
throughout the whole of primary education? So many
questions but few answers.
162
Afri. J. Pol. Sci. Int. Relat.
The Government’s inability to regulate and control the
establishment and operations of pre-primary education in
the country, not to talk of enforcing the educational laws
which relate to them as provided in the NPE, has led to
the indiscriminate establishment of pre-primary institutions with little or no concern for standards in infrastructure, curricula and teaching methodologies; the total
effect being maladjustments on the child not only in terms
of cognitive but both psychological and psychomotor
wise.
The financial input of the government at the three tiers
of pre-primary level of education has been very negligent.
As clearly documented by Maduewesi (2001), this level of
education is recognized by Government in the National
Policy on Education, which also declares that financing
education is the collective responsibility of all tiers of
government but there is no financial provision for
education before the primary school. The only time the
government was visibly involved in the financing of
education at this level was through the Early Child Care
(ECC) project of the NERDC which was founded through
a collaboration agreement between the UNICEF, the
Bernard Van Leer Foundation (BVLF) and the Federal
Government of Nigeria (Maduewesi, 2001). A funds total
of $2.9 million (1987 to 1995) was expended in the
development, production and distribution of learning
instructional materials (readers, test books on child
development and nutrition, curriculum guidelines; training
of different caregivers, project officers, NGO’s
development, production and distribution of locally
available mechanical play materials as samples of
replication at community level; supply items, hard and
softwares; staff support and other operation costs. Do we
have impacts of these at this level? The Nigeria’s
Education for All plan of action (EFA, 2001) envisages
that by 2010, 3% of the National budget will be spent on
early childhood care and development programmes and
by 2015, enrolment in early children programme will
increase to 70%. How realistic are these policy
statements? Is the government playing politics with the
future of cur children?
INTERNATIONAL
MANAGEMENT
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
OF
EARLY
As a way of having a comparative picture of the status of
Early Childhood Education in other countries, some
countries pre-primary education system will be examined
following. In Britain, funding of nursery education is
through subsidy or outright funding; Finland with National
child Care Policy, the National Government picks the cost
of day care centres (43%) the municipalities -39% and
the users -14%, respectively (Ojala, 1989). In Belgium,
care and education of the under three is free of charge
except for meals and child minder which are exempted
from taxes.
In New Zealand, whereas eight out of nine children of
primary school age are catered for by the State schools,
the State makes no direct provisions for the education of
children under five. It does, however, assist tow voluntary
organizations to provide pre-school centres for children
aged three and four (and a very small number under
three and over five). A few independent private
kindergartens and day-care centres also operate, subject
to prescribed standard covering buildings, equipment and
supervision.
The theories of education that have grown up around
nursery schools have been widely accepted in America.
Copious literature indicate that apart from local and state
governments that support public education including
nursery and kindergarten schools, the Federal
government in America recognizes the importance of
these pre-primary schools. This it demonstrated by
housing some of them in public buildings. This has
established a precedent for making nursery schools an
integral part of the public school system.
In Japan, over seventy percent of Japanese children
attend Kindergartens or pre-schools. These schools are
indirectly under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Education in
the sense that they supervise them though largely owned
by private individual/bodies.
Pre-primary education in Russia, made up of nursery
(Yasli) and Kindergarten schools (detski sad) are
established to fulfill political obligations to the party.
Kindergarten education is not compulsory and it is mainly
run by factories, industries, collective farms or local
enterprises in subordination to the Ministry of Education
(Nwadiani, 1996).
The Ghanaian educational system has provision for
pre-primary education. Here, pre-primary education is
very much in vogue. Though the Ghanaian government is
not directly involved, there are organizations which
sponsor pre-primary schools and they include the Ghana
Education Service, Local authorities, religious bodies and
parent’s co-operatives.
In Cameroon, primary education is sub-divided into
nursery and primary education respectively. The nursery
schools are run on the basis of fifty-fifty relationship
between public (government and private nursery schools.
In Kenya, over 80% of pre-primary institutions are
being run and financed by private groups and individuals
(Riak et al., 1989). The local government through the
local authorities has only been involved in the provision of
professional advice through inspection, supervisions,
curriculum development and the training and employment
of teachers.
Recently in Nigeria however, some primary schools
within the local government(s) have started to attach
nursery schools to the existing primary schools. Is this an
attempt by the government to get involved in pre-primary
education?
Nakpodia
THE WAY FORWARD
While the axiom or saying that, “if we fail to plan, we plan
to fail” is a truism, it should be emphasized also that
merely having a good plan policy without effective and
efficient implementation strategies, can be said to be
mere paperizing and planning to fail from the first stage of
such policy.
Psychologist who have studied the effects of nursery
school education upon children have all agreed that a
nursery school education that is not properly planned,
equipped and staffed, will do more harm than good to the
children. If therefore, as provided in Section 2, subsections 13 of the National policy on Education that the
purpose of pre-primary education is to effect a smooth
transition of the children from home to the school;
prepare the child for the primary level of education;
provide adequate care and supervision for the children
while their parents are at work; inculcate social norms;
inculcate in the child spirit of enquiry and creativity
through the exploration of nature; develop a sense of cooperation and team-spirit; learn good habits especially
good health habits, among others. Then, the government
at the three tiers should implement both the letter, spirits
and purpose of this policy, devoid of lip-service and ad
hoc implementation processes, procedures and
strategies.
Pre-primary education must also provide daily nurse’s
inspection, medical examinations and dental care.
Beside, the children at this level must be given all round
development-cognitively, affectively, emotionally and
psychomotor wise. Clear-cut standards for equipment,
infrastructure, curricula and qualifications for teachers
should be set by the government. The days of “frustrated”
job seekers picking chalk and instructing at this level (or
all the levels of education) should be a thing of the past.
Trained specialists in pre-primary education should be
motivated while institutions training teachers at this level
should be expanded.
The three tiers of government through their various
ministries of education and Boards should establish
inspectorate units for the sole purpose of supervisions
and standardization of these schools. On the language
policy, if the mother tongue (MT) or the language of
immediate community (LIC) is considered so important at
the pre-primary level as an integral part of the child’s
culture and the link between the home and the school
and as a way of safeguarding the culture, then, it should
be practically and properly implemented. To achieve this,
more language experts should be commissioned to write
textbooks in Nigerian languages and to develop orthography of many more Nigerian languages instead of the
suppose three dominant languages of Hausa, Yoruba
and lgbo (Nigerian has well over 300 languages).
It is equally necessary for the Government to
encourage the spread of these schools all over the
163
country instead of serving only the urban high and middle
classes. This calls for involvement of all stakeholdersparents, local communities, voluntary organizations and
the Government. The Government should enforce the
educational laws governing the establishment of these
institutions.
Conclusion
The purpose of child education is to prepare the child for
primary school education, which is universal, free and
compulsory, and to offer every Nigerian child the
opportunity to go to school and receive education as a
right enshrined in the National Policy on Education (NPE,
2004). In fact, a house that is on a faulty foundation
cannot stand the test of time and space. So if the preprimary education is the “recognized” foundation stone of
Nigerian educational system, then it should be reinforced,
adequately funded, equipped, staffed and wholeheartedly implemented and not neglected.
REFERENCES
Adenipekun O (2004). Government Falters in Early Childhood
Education in G Adefaye (Ed). Vanguard Newspapers, Apapa
December 23, 20(2): 20–22. Vanguard.
Adesina S (1977). Planning and Educational Development in Nigeria.
Lagos: Educational Industries Nigeria Ltd.
Alani RA (1994). Teaching in Nigerian Languages: Socio-economic and
Planning Implications. J. Appl. Res. Educat., 2 (12): 15-17.
Emenanjo EN (2001). Languages, NPE/UBE in Multilingual Nigeria:
Implementation Strategies, NAE Seminar Series. Lagos The Nigerian
Academy of Education. pp. 4-6.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2000). Implementation guideline for the
Universal Basic Education. Federal Ministry of Education.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education,
Lagos: Government Press.
Maduewesi EJ (2001). Funding of Early Childhood Education in EJ
Maduewesi (Ed), Financing of Education in Nigeria. Ibadan The
Nigerian Academy of Education. Year book No. 3.
Nakpodia ED (2003). The Role of Nursery Education on Primary School
Pupils in Nigeria J. Teachers Educat. Teaching, 6(X): 1-2.
Nwadiani M (1996). Education in Foreign Countries. Lessons for Policy
Planning and Practice. Benin-City Monose Amalgamates.
Ojala M (1989). Early Childhood Training, Care and Education in
Finland in PP Eda and DP Weigkart (Ed.), How Nations Serve Young
Children: Profiles of Child Care and Education in 14 Counties.
Michigan High Scope press.
Riak P, Rono R, Kiragu F, Nyukuri M (1989). Early Childhood Care and
Education in Kenya, In PP Eda and DP Weigkart (Ed.), How Nations
Serve Young Children Profiles of Child Care and Education in 14
Countries. Michigan Highscope Press.