ABSTRACT
The
study assessed the extent to which the National Policy Education (NPE) has been
implemented in Early Childhood Education (ECE) Centres in Ogoja Education Zone
of Cross River State. Specifically, the study determined the extent to which
the ECE programme has met with the stipulated policy statement in terms of:
establishment of ECE centres, teacher specialisation, application of language
and method of instruction among others. Six (6) research questions and one
hypothesis guided the study. Methodically, the researcher employed descriptive
survey design for the study. A sample of four hundred (400) respondents (300
teachers and100 head-teachers) drawn from all the primary schools in the study
zone responded to the researcher's designed questionnaire titled; Assessment of
Policy Implementation on ECE Questionnaire (APIECHQ), which consisted of 30
questionnaire items in six (6) clusters. Mean and standard deviation with four
point ranking order were used to analyse the data, t-test was used to test the
hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed low or
unsatisfactory implementation of the NPE as evidenced among others by lack of
adequate support to private efforts, failure in the application of the
recommended language of instruction and method of teaching, ineffective
supervision and maintenance of ECE facilities. This implies that ECE centres
provide poor quality educational background for children at this stage. Based
on this, the researcher recommended among others that maximum support should be
given to private participation, provide and recruit professional ECE teachers,
organize regular Seminars and workshops for teachers, intensify efforts to
funds for infrastructural development and supervision of ECE activities.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Most countries of the world have provided various educational programmes
for their citizens because education is recognized as the cornerstone for
sustainable development. In Nigeria, the Cross River state Education Sector
Analysis (CRSESA), (2011) described education as the bedrock for national and
personal development because the socio-economic development of any nation is
wholly dependent on the level and quality of education given to its citizens.
According to Olalaye and Omotayo (2009), education is the fulcrum around which
development of any country revolves. In this context, education includes any experience
that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts. This is why
developed countries always guard their educational industries with jealousy and
total commitment. In order to address issues of holistic transformation, the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) referred to education as an instrument 'par
excellence' for national development and has initiated several educational
policies over the past decade. One of such policies is the 2004 edition of the
National Policy on Education, which specify the objectives and guidelines of
action on Early Childhood Education (ECE) (Agbo, 2008).
Early Childhood Education consists of varied formal or informal
initiatives required for children from birth to pre-school age to make them
thrive. These activities are intended to effect developmental changes in
children prior to their entry into primary school. Mitchell (2011) describe ECE
as the overall development of the child; physically, socially and
intelligently. It is the foundation for a life-long education for children
which provide for the physical, motor, health, nutritional, intellectual, aesthetic,
emotional and social development of the pre-school child. According to Mezieobi
(2006), if a child’s education can provide these
vital fundamental necessities, it is likely to have an important and strong
relationship with the pupils’ performance at the primary school level and
perhaps at the secondary and tertiary levels. Developmental ideologies and
theories of Dewey, Montessori, Piaget, Chomsky, Vygotsky and so on influenced
the practices of ECE (Bahago, 2010). Contextually, ECE is the bedrock upon
which excellent basic and sound education is built for children through
vigorous activities that lead to mental abilities at this stage.
Unprecedented attention to young children has created concerns on parents
about their children’s learning, and readiness for school. Parents are more
concerned than ever before about their children’s: learning, care, protection
and readiness for school and values for life challenges and others . Early
childhood teachers are taking on the challenges of serving all children
equitably and well. And policymakers are looking carefully at the outcomes
reported for children participating in early education programs. Motivated by
these concerns and by the growing emphasis on accountability, parents, teachers
and policymakers all want more information as they make decisions on how to
foster children’s early learning a and development (Nakpodia, 2003). 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 (UNCRC,
2005) emphasized urgent priority to ensure access to improved quality of
education for all children. The Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act of 2000
cites ECE as an integral part of basic education. Bush (2001) consider this a
step in the right direction in achieving the EFA goals. Prior to the
introduction of Universal Basic Education, Nigeria had early childhood centres
managed basically by private sectors, thereby making this educational provision
inaccessible to every child. (Awoniyi, 2006).
In pursuant of the development and implementation of the ECE,
Sub-sections 13 of the FRN (2004) National Policy on Education refers to ECE as
the education given in an educational institution to children prior to their
entering the primary school. It includes the crèche, the nursery and the
kindergarten. It enumerated eight (8) objectives of early childhood/pre-primary
education to include: effecting a smooth transition from the home to the
school, preparing the child for the primary level of education, providing
adequate care and supervision for the children while their parents are at work,
creating individuals who are responsible citizens and so on. According to
Napkodia (2010), the objectives cover adequately the three main aspects of
developmental domains as recommended by Benjamin Bloom (cognitive, affective
and psychomotor domains).
Using the whole- child concept, the objectives of ECE can be categorised
as catering for social, emotional, mental and physical needs of the child. So
the ECE centres could be regarded as an extension of the home because the
primary concern of the home, namely, social, emotional and mental adjustment,
is majorly pursued in the ECE centres. This implies that child-care facilities
have to be provided, these facilities need to do more than just provision of
safety of the children but also to cater for intellectual development as well,
(Maduewesi, 2000).
To ensure the attainment of these objectives, the Government outlines its
responsibilities and strategies in the National Policy on Education to include:
Ø
Encouraging
private efforts in the provision of pre-primary education;
Ø
Making
provisions in teacher education programmes for specialization in early
child-hood education;
Ø
Ensuring
that the medium of instruction is principally the mother tongue or the language
of the immediate community, and to this end, will develop and produce textbooks
in orthography of many more Nigerian languages;
Ø
Ensuring
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;
Ø
Regulating,
monitoring, controlling and setting a minimum standard for the operation of
early childhood/pre-primary education;
Ø
Ensuring
full participation of government, communities and teachers’ associations in the
running and maintenance of early childhood education
facilities (FRN, 2004).
The FRN placed the child at
the centre of learning activities, but left out execution mostly in the hands
of ‘private owners’ most of whom lack knowledge of the national philosophy
behind ECE (FRN,2004). One wonders, if these ‘private owners’ can implement the
policy as was designed to be done (Borishade, 2009). The thrust of this study
is find out the extent of implementation of the stipulated FGN 2004 edition of
the NPE Guidelines of action on ECE. The guideline of action borders on: School
establishment, teacher factors, language of instruction, method of teaching
among others. This NPE serve as a guide to the current ECE and other levels of
educational programme in the country. Eresimadu (2008) insists: for this
educational level to be a reality in Nigeria, the aspects of the 2004 edition
of the NPE, that stipulated government's guidelines of action need to be
considered seriously. Supportively, Adenipekun (2004) ensued: for a nation to develop
quality ECE programme, faithful utilization of Government`s guidelines for such
institutions is the only sure way. Adesina (2007) opined: in spite the glaring
recognition given to ECE programme the real challenge will lie in the
successful implementation of this educational policy guidelines by all.....
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