EVALUATION OF UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION IN OBIO/AKPOR L.G.A OF RIVERS STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The complex and conflicting nature of education system in Nigeria led to so many trials and errors in the smooth running of schools right from primary to tertiary level largely due to inconsistence and lack of continuity in formulating education policy objectives and the methods employed to realize such objectives (Asemota, 2011). It is an open secret that the education system bequeathed to us by the colonial masters was tailored towards achieving narrow minded political objectives in which the emphasis was to produce white collar jobs for immediate post independent elites (Ajayi, 2011). However, the idea to introduce Universal Primary Education (U.P.E) was first nurtured by the then regional government of Western Nigeria in 1955 as a last resort for a massive expansion of education services to the generality of school age children in the area (Boyd and King, 1989). Consequently, the concept of U.P.E later became the watchword in the other regions as a political idea to satisfy the yearning and aspirations of their people in a slogan called, “Educational Services for All”. This massive development and investment in the education sector which has far reaching consequences in the national education system was adopted by the Federal Government and launched in 1976 with the sole aim to produce citizens that are capable of using their heads, hands and hearts for the overall socio-economic improvement of the individuals and their nation at large (Dukor, 2015). As a result of the 1976 Ibrahim Dasuki Committee report in Local Government reforms, coupled with the transfer of power to civilian government in 1979, the responsibility of shouldering primary education was rested with the Local Government councils. Subsequently, and in line with the new revenue formula introduced in 1981, the Federal Government withdrew itself from funding primary education. Many state Governments realizing that they would not fund the scheme also le the management to the Local Government councils (Ibukun, 2011). This singular action of the Federal Government led to the down turn of the standard and quality of primary education as classrooms built for the UPE intake began to collapse, and could not be rehabilitated.

The pupils’ enrolment and attendance started to decline. Instructional materials and equipment became scarce in the schools (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2011). In the same vein, teachers’ salaries and allowances were not paid for several months. The whole system witnessed an unprecedented deterioration, when it was under the supervision of the Local Government councils, which echoed in every part of the country manifesting itself in the form of poor funding and gross mismanagement (Fafunwa, 2010). Such crisis and conflict in the running of primary education necessitated the introduction and the reintroduction of National Primary Education Commission (NPEC) through Decree No. 31 of 2008 and No. 96 of 1993 respectively.

The introduction and reintroduction of the commission though short lived had contributed greatly in the areas of prompt payment of teachers’ salaries and allowances, renovation and rehabilitation of infrastructures, mobilization for community participation and the provision of teaching and learning material (Maduewesi, 2009). The launching of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) by the former Head of State Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at Sototo state on 3oth September, 2011 is a clear testimony of the fact that the civilian administration is also very much concerned about the general improvement of primary and junior secondary education which is the bedrock of future educational endeavors (Nwagwu, 2011). However, in order to ensure the success of the programme, adequate measures should be taken to avoid the past mistakes of the U.P.E. thus, aspects of sta welfare, provision of infrastructure, teacher training and retraining, proper utilization of curriculum as well as management and funding should be given top priority (Obanya, 2008).

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Education has been a tool for development in all nations of the world including Nigeria. Therefore, Nigerian government under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo decided to introduce the Universal Basic Education [UBE] programme to rectify the existing distortions in the Basic Education sub-sector of the Educational system. The level of illiteracy is increasing among the populations that are supposed to be the target of UBE. The rate of school dropout is increasing daily. Level of skills acquisition does not seem to be materializing for graduates of UBE. In view of the objectives of the Universal Basic Education programme, these primary constraints to education are supposed to be addressed by Universal Basic Education. Why then do they still exist especially in my study area? The decision of the Federal and State Governments to leave the responsibility of managing primary education to the local government council brought about the down turn of the standard and quality of primary education as classrooms built for the UPE intake began to collapse, and could not be rehabilitated.

The pupils’ enrollment and attendance started to decline. Instructional materials and equipment became scarce in the schools. In the same vein, teachers’ salaries and allowances were not paid for several months. The whole system witnessed an unprecedented deterioration, when it was under the supervision of the Local Government councils, WHICH echoed in every part of the country manifesting itself in the form of poor funding and gross mismanagement. Therefore, this study was designed to find out these problems, why they are not being tackled especially in the study area, Obio/Akpor L.G.A, Rivers state.