PROBLEMS FACING PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

A CASE STUDY OF AJEGUNLE COMMUNITY, LAGOS STATE

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Primary education refers to the education given to children between the ages of 3 to 12 years, primary education is the foundation of all other education like a building of the foundation is faulty or not strong enough, the building will collapse. Primary education needs great attention in terms of finance, trained teachers, equipments, good administration, better environment and so on.

Proper education of the child is a basic tool for effective child upbringing and overall societal development. In recognition of this fact, most nations of the world place much premium on the care and education of the child. Nigeria as a nation at this point in time cannot be credited to have done well in this regard. The author is bold to say so because most government policies and programmes targeted at improving the child’s education have not recorded good success. Increase in children’s enrollment in primary schools in Nigeria has posed great deal of challenge to primary education in Nigeria, as the ratio of teachers to pupils is about 1 : 40, thereby disallowing effective learning environment, as well as the efficiency of primary school teachers.

The issue of Nigeria educational system today is raised, the first sets of thoughts that comes to mind are: decline in standard, deterioration of facilities, examination malpractices, mass promotion syndrome and the likes before any other thing else. This calls for an in-depth study and analysis aimed at tutoring each and every stakeholders in the education system on how their actions and inactions have individually and collectively contributed to the collapsing state of education in Nigeria (Anero, 2013).

Primary education refers to the education given to children between the ages of 3 to 12 years, primary education is the foundation of all other education like a building of the foundation is faulty or not strong enough, the building will collapse. Primary education needs great attention in terms of finance, trained teachers, equipments, good administration, better environment and so on (Eziekel-Hart and Adiele,  2008).

According to Odigie (2003) proper education of the child is a basic tool for effective child upbringing and overall societal development. In recognition of this fact, most nations of the world place much premium on the care and education of the child. Nigeria as a nation at this point in time cannot be credited to have been done well in this regard. Most government policies and programmes targeted at improving the child’s education have not recorded good success. According to Thomas, Abolade and Junaid (2004), some such programmes are the regional UPE programmes of 1950’s and 60’s, 1976 national Universal Primary Education (UPE), the disagreement of who funds and manages childhood education among the tiers of government through the promulgation and abrogation of various National Primary Education Commission decrees between 1988 and 1993.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004a) signed the bill known as the Compulsory Free, Universal Basic Education bill number 66, volume 91. One of the major targets of the bill is to give primary education the needed attention. Paper documentation in Nigeria does not imply practical implementation of policies and programmes. The case of primary education is no exemption. Indeed there is nothing much to show rather dilapidated and half collapsed.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Education in Nigeria is bisected with myriad of problems. These includes; poor funding and thus poor educational infrastructures, inadequate classrooms, teaching aids (projectors, Computers, Laboratories and libraries), paucity of quality teachers and poor / polluted learning environment. In addition to these inadequacies, our school system is plagued with numerous social vices such as examination malpractices, cultism, hooliganism, corruption and lack of concentration or poor learning.

For meaningful development to take place in the educational sector; the government need to re-address the issue of funding. Private educational investors, teachers! Parents/guidance and pupils/pupils need a reorientation towards achieving the goals of education. Also education must be made affordable for all and sundry at all level.

The current monopolistic approach to knowledge acquisition must be changed. Technical education and innovation/ adaptation centers must be encouraged and well funded, if this nation must move out of this present technological and scientific dependence. Government and the organized private sector must as well fund research programmes, inventions and mass production of invented products.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the problems facing primary school education in Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to:-

1. Find out the numbers insufficient of qualified teachers affects pupils’ mass failure in Primary school.
2. Examine if availability of instructional materials for teaching subjects that affects pupils’ mass failure in Primary school.
3. Extent of which Poor funding in primary school which affect pupils’ academic performance.
4. Investigate how inadequate classrooms will affect pupils’ performance in primary education.

1.4       Significance of the Study

The significant of the study are stated below:

The school administrators: The findings from the study will enlighten them on the problems facing primary school education in Nigeria. This will help to plan and strategize on how to apply a better approach that will give the primary education a facelift.

Teachers: The study will serve as a guide to teachers on how strategically enhance classroom management and as such district education officers, district inspectors of schools to realize the effects of poor classroom management on pupils’ performance.

School Proprietors: it will enable primary school proprietors to be able to plan systematically for the provision of good classroom which enhance pupils’ academic performance

Researchers: It will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and will help other researchers when working on related issues.

1.5       Research Questions

In assessing the purpose of the study, this research project will answer the following questions:

1. Rate of insufficient numbers of qualified teachers that affects pupils’ mass failure in Primary school?
2. How will unavailability of instructional materials for teaching subjects affects pupils’ mass failure in Primary school?
3. The extent to which poor funding of primary school have effect on pupils’ academic performance?
4. Will inadequate classrooms that affect pupils’ performance in primary education?

1.6       Scope of the Study

The study examines the problems facing primary school education in Nigeria. A case study of Ajegunle Community, Lagos State. The study will combined five selected primary Schools in Ajegunle Community, Lagos State.

1.7       Limitation of The Study

Some perceived constraints may be encounter by the researcher in the course of carrying out the research work. The limitations are as follows:

1. Inadequate material: Inadequate material constituted one of the limitations of the research work. The non-availability of materials like journals, textbooks etc the       research study.
2. Finance: The researcher also may encounter some financial constraints which will contribute in limiting the work in the sense that fund available was not enough to carry out the research to a logical conclusion.

iii.       Time: Time is also another factor or limitation that may affect the     research work. The limited time may not give the researcher enough             opportunity to    do more rigorous work.

1.8       Definition of Terms

Education: Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people that is transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training or through research.

Classroom: A room or place especially in a school in which teaching/learning are conducted.

Classroom management: Classroom management is a term used by teachers to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by public/the environment.

Pupil: Pupil is a person formally engaged in learning, especially one enrolled in primary school.

Primary School: A primary school or elementary school is a school in which children receive primary or elementary education from the ages of about five to eleven, coming before primary school and after preschool.

Failure: A person or thing that proves unsuccessful

Teacher: A teacher or qualified personnel who is previledge to teach pupils or mature mind if it is in higher level.

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