THE IMPACT OF UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME UBE ON THE NIGERIAN CHILD: A CASE STUDY OF NEW ERA JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN UPPER MISSION AREA, BENIN CITY.

CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

INTRODUCTION

The National Policy on Education was developed to eradicate illiteracy at all levels of human existence and provide affordable education for all Nigerians irrespective of class, religion, ethnic origin of physical appearance. The policy was driven by a desire to eradicate poverty, increase indices of national policy, increase political consciousness and encourage issues of national interpretation. These basic objectives of the policy have not been realized. In pursuance of the aforementioned objectives of the national policy, the federal government under the federal ministry of education have from time to time introduced different educational reform programmes with the hope of realizing its objectives. One of such programmes for educational reform is the universal basic education (UBE). Yoloye (2004) opined that the concept of basic education is not a relatively new concept to the Nigerian educational system. Within the last decade, it has assumed a global significance and its meaning has assumed a wider dimension. The expanded vision of UBE comprises the universalizing of access and promotion of equity, focusing on learning and enhancing the environment of learning and strengthening partnerships. The UBE of 2004 represents a significant educational reform which addressed the lapses and loop holes of the UPE. The UBE was formulated to be the bed rock of a life long learning that will impact reading, writing and the acquisition of the other relevant skills for sustenance and development.

This education comprises of formal and non formal acquisition of basic skills. The (UPE) programme was however hampered by a number of foreseen diiculties, which rendered it virtually unimplemented. First of all, the large population of the 1980s meant that there were suddenly a large number of the primary school children who could not readily be accommodated with in the existing schools. Secondly, there was scarcity and trained and qualified teachers coupled with the political instability in the country at the time. The former president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo launched the universal basic education (UBE) programme, on 30th September 1999 in Sokoto.

The first batch of primary one pupils for the programme were enrolled nation wide in the 2000/2001 academic. The objectives of UBE programme are as follows · Developing in the entire citizenry a strong consciousness for education and a strong commitment to its vigorous promotion. · The UBE programme is free, universal and compulsory education for every Nigerian child for school going age. · Reducing drastically the incidence of drop-out from the formal school system (through improved relevance quality and efficiency). · Catering for the learning needs of young persons who for one reason or another, have had to interrupt their schooling through appropriate forms of complementary approaches to the provision and promotion of basic education; and ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, manipulative, communicative and life skills, as well as the ethical, moral and civil values needed for laying a solid foundation for life long learning