EFFECT OF UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION UBE PROGRAMME ON BASIC SCIENCE AT THE JSS LEVEL

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Education has remained a social process in capacity building and maintenance of society for decades. It is a weapon for acquiring skills, relevant knowledge and habit for surviving in the changing world (Danmole, 2011). The Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme, an educational reform programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria was introduced to serve as a catalyst for achieving free, compulsory and universal a years education for all school age children irrespective of their socio-economic circumstance (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2006). The programme was to help eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and poverty as well as stimulate and accelerate national development, political consciousness and national integration. The Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme was launched in the country in September 30, 1999 and passed into law in May, 2004 as one of the strategies aimed at achieving Education for All (EFA) and implementing the educational component of the MDGs by the former President Olusegun Obansanjo the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) was formally established on October 7, 2004 to co-ordinate the implementation of the programme at state and the local government through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) of each state and the Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAS). The objectives of UBE are: 1. Ensure unfettered access to nine (9) years of formal basic education. 2. The provision of free, Universal Basic Education for every Nigerian child of school going age. 3. Reducing drastically the incidence of drop-out from the formal school system through improved relevance, quality and efficiency. 4. Ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy numeracy, manipulative, communicative and life skills as well as the ethical, moral and civic values needed for laying a solid foundation for life-long learning.

The new (UBE) consists of three basic level: the first level (lower basic) is the first three years in primary school; the second level (middle basic) is the 4th – 6th years in primary school and the third level (upper basic) is the 7th -9th years in primary school. The junior secondary school now called the Upper Basic (National Teachers Institute, 2006). Basic Science (also knows as integrated science) is defined as an approach to the teaching of science in which concepts and principles are presented so as to express the fundamental unity of scientific thought and avoid premature or undue stress on the distinctions between the various scientific fields (Bajah, 1983). An integrated science course eliminates the repetition of subject matter from the various sciences and does not recognize the traditional subject boundaries when presenting topic or themes (Opara, 2011). Science plays a major role in all human activities ranging from everyday living in order to cope and adapt to the demands of the environment. Ige and Arowolo (2003) opined that science will continue to play an increasingly important role in every individual’s life whether the individual may have chosen science profession or not hence the government thought its science education programme focuses on achieving the goals of “science for all” (Nworgy, 2005).

According to Nworgu (2005), the government has demonstrated commitment to the inculcation of scientific literacy among all Nigerian’s not only for those pursuing scientific career or profession through making science compulsory (a core subject) to all our primary and junior secondary schools. The National Policy on Education (1981), stipulate that an integrated approach be used in devising and teaching science for the first nine years of formal education system in the country. According to the policy document, education of student be aimed at preparation for useful living within the society and for higher education for this the school science subject taught in the junior secondary schools science component of Nigerian education system is called integrated science. This is inconsonance with the view of UNESCO-UNICEF (1971) that up till the junior secondary school level students should be exposed to a broad view of science which enliven and enlightens their interest in the environment and contributes to the steady development of their mental, manipulative and social skills. The teaching of this subject requires the provision of adequate and appropriate materials to be handled by specialist in the subject. Ige and Arowolo (2003) stated that lack of adequate materials for practical activities and specialist teachers of basic science were factors that hindered the acquisition of science process skills by student in the junior secondary school supporting this view, Abba and Ubandoma (2006) citing Bajah, stated that lack of well-trained personnel was identified as a key factor constraining the effective implementation of Basic science curriculum.

Among the reasons identified was inefficiency of human resources capacity hence the need for capacity building education, training and information management. Although student’s performance is often believed to be dependent on teacher quality some other factors also aect students’ performance. Curriculum and instructional methods influence what students learn and whether they can apply knowledge and skills to new problems or application (Schmidt et al, 2001). The availability of text books curricular content, good learning environment, instructional materials, asses to interment facilities and aspects of teacher’s instructional practice all combined with good management will guarantee improved students performance.

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Part of the philosophy of the 9 years Basic Education Curriculum as stipulated by the Nigeria Educational development council and one of the goals of UBEC is that every learner who has gone through the nine (9) years of basic education should have acquire the appropriate level of literacy, numeracy, manipulative, communicative and life skills as well as the ethical moral and civic value needed for laying a solid foundation for life long learning. Basic science is one of the core subject taught. How far has this goal affected students performance in Basic science through seven years of implementation.