APPRAISAL OF EARLY CHILDREN  EDUCATION  PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION IN ENUGU STATE

ABSTRACT

The study sought to appraise the level of implementation  of early childhood  education programme  in Enugu State.  To carry out the study,  five research questions were posed while three null hypotheses were formulated. The study adopted a survey research design. The study was done in Enugu State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised of all the teachers in early childhood care education schools in Enugu state. The population size of the teachers is 617 in the 2012/2013  school session.  The sample size of the study was all the 617 early childhood  education programme  teachers  in all the public  ECCE  in Enugu  State.  The  instruments  for  data  collection  in  this  study  were  checklist  and structured  questionnaire  titled an Appraisal  of Early  Childhood  Education  Programme Implementation    Questionnaire   (AECEPIQ).   Data   collected   were   analyzed   using percentage,  mean,  standard  deviation  and  independent  samples  t-test.  The  research questions  were  answered  using  percentage  for research  questions  1    and 2,  mean  and standard  deviation  for research  questions  3, 4 and 5.  The three null  hypotheses  were tested at 0.05 level of significance using independent samples t-test. Findings of the study revealed that; Majority of the ECCE teachers in both rural and urban schools are teachers that have NCE certificate; The number of established ECCE programme in rural primary schools in Enugu state is small compared to the primary schools in urban area; there is a significant  difference  in  the  mean  ratings  of teachers  on  the  extent  of provision  of infrastructure and equipment in ECCE programmes  in early childcare education schools in Enugu state in favour of the teachers in urban schools; there is no significant difference in the mean ratings  of teachers  on the extent of availability  of standard curriculum  in ECCE  programmes  in  early  childcare  education  schools  in  Enugu  State;  there  is  no significant  difference  in the  mean ratings  of teachers  on the  extent  of supervision  of ECCE programme  in early childcare education.  Among the implications  of findings is that the establishment of ECCE programme in rural primary schools which was found to be to a low extent implies that the Federal Government intension of education for all by year  2015  will  not  be  feasible.  It  was recommended  among  others  that  government should  ensure  adequate  establishment  of ECCE  programme  in  both  urban  and rural pnmary                schools                 especially                 in                  rural                 area.

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CHAPTER  ONE INTRODUCTION

Background  of the Study

Early childhood  education encompasses  all forms of education that pertains  to learning  of children  between  ages  zero  to  five  years  (0-5years).  In  other  words,  it involves  schooling  for young children beginning  at age zero who intended  to prepare them for primary school (Caldwell,  1999). Universally, there is no one definition of early childhood education.  Early childhood  education is more of a social intervention,  where the children learn how to interact with their peer and learn from each other. It therefore follows that all societies have specific aims about raising and educating their children. In effect,  most societies care about early childhood education.  However,  every society has its individual arrangements  for such childcare and education that tend to be culturally, historically specific and varied.  It is in the light of this that coined the term educare to help widen the scope.  Educare is  a quality early childhood  education that combine the best of childcare, preschool and family supports to help low-income children ages birth to five grow up eager to learn and ready for school (Bowman,  Donor and Burn,  2001 ).   It aims  to  take  the  best  early  childhood  study  from the  lab to  the  classroom  through development of a network of excellence.  The new expansion of childhood education now includes the child minding centers for infants, nursery schools and kindergarten. Internationally,  educare or childcare in a group setting could be offered in a cr~che,  day care, or childcare centers, nursery and kindergarten schools.

Early childhood is a period ofrapid growth which Obiweluozo (2012),  defined as foundation  period   of life,   a  period  that  holds  the  key  to  the  overall  maximum development  of a child.  Therefore,  early childhood  stage is the foundation for a better

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future.  Early childhood education is a period characterized by different  forms of activities by children  such as playing  with toys,  running  around,  jumping  up and down,  walking, catching,  kicking,  curious and explorative  in nature,  they learn very easily through play (Maduike,  Maduike  and Ekeh,  2013).  Similarly,  Papalia  and Feldman  (2011) noted that the early childhood children are full of questions such as; who filled the river with water? Do smalls come from inside  my nose? Why do people have too eyes? among others.  In other  to  give  reasonable  answer  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  and  to  give  proper  care  and education   to  the  children,   there   is  need   for  early  childhood   education,   where  the professional takes care of the children and give room for exploration of the environment to discover things on their own.    According to the Nigerian National Policy on Education (NPE)  (FRN,  2004)  early childhood  education  is the education  given  in  an educational institution   to   children  prior   to  their   entering  the  primary   school.   Early   childhood education   includes   the   cr~che,   the   nursery   and   kindergarten.   National   Policy   on Education   (NPE),   outlines  the  objectives   of  early   childhood   education   to   include: effecting a smooth transmission  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,  inculcating  social norms,  inculcating  in the child the spirit of enquiry  and creativity through  the exploration  of nature,  the environment,  art,  music and playing  with toys,  developing  a sense of co-operation  and team spirit,  and teaching the  child  the rudiments  of numbers,  letters,  colors,  shapes,  forms through  play  (FRN,

2004:  3).  The  objectives  of early  childhood  education  reflect  the  philosophy,  which specifies that early childcare environment has a tremendous influence on children’s development.  As  explained  by Ibiam  (2011),  the  education  of young  children  must  be

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organized and vigorously pursued  through well-articulated  programmes.  This,  according to Ibiam (2011)  is because  the nature  of the education  a child receives  in the  first five years of life is crucial for his/her overall development  and later life chances. Maduewesi (2005) postulates  that the care and support received  by a child in terms  of good  health, nutrition   and  psychological   care   and  protection   are   crucial   in   the   formation   and development of personality and social behaviour.

Similarly,  good care during the early years is emphasized  because  children who receive  good  care during childhood  age are more  likely to benefit  from  later education and  other  social  services  (United  Nations  International   Children’s  Emergency   Fund UNICEF,  1999). To actualize the objectives  of childhood  education as stipulated  in the N.P.E,  there should be provision of qualified childhood  education schoolteachers that are also adequate  in number.  In childhood  education  schools  in some states  in Nigeria, the availability  and  adequacy  of teachers  in  number  and quality  deserves  investigation,  as casual observation  seems to suggest that there is gross inadequacy  of teaching personnel both in quantity and in quality.

The National  Policy  on  Education  also  provides  that  childhood  schools  should operate with a suitable curriculum. Curriculum is the totality of the environment  in which education  takes  place,  that  is,  the  learner,  the  teachers,  the  content,  the  method,  the physical  and psychological  environment  (Anwuka,  2005).  It  could also refer to all the

experiences  a learner passes  through  in  a learning  situation  and  these  many  include

individual outdoor activities,  written,  verbal physical  and mental activities (Maduewesi,

2003).  Curriculum is the document plan or blue print  for instructional  guide,  which is

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used  for teaching  and  learning  to  bring  about  positive  and  desirable  learner behaviour change (Offorma,  2009).

The early childhood school curriculum consists of the plan for the overall learning programme  for children below primary  school age. It articulates learning activities to be emphasized  and  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  learning  process  of the  child. Effective operation of the early childhood school curriculum requires trained teachers in childhood education learning methods based on a sound formation of child development and  psychology   as  well  as  the  global  information  and  communication   technology (Anwuka, 2005).

Inline with the purpose  of the ECCE, Universal  Basic Education  UBE  (2004) states that the implementation of UBE program  is expected  to integrate the ECCE  in public  primary   school.  Such  schools  are  non-fee  paying   and  are  supported  with instructional materials  and facilities, thereby  making preschool  affordable  and open to more children.  ECCE provides  an important foundation for later learning and it  is an integral part of lifelong learning. It serves as a preparatory ground for elementary level of education.  However,  Ibiam (2012) observed that in spite of all the laudable goals and of NPE, UBE and Integrated  Early Childhood  Development  in Nigeria  (IECD), the early child hood education of children leaves more to be desired than observed.  Thus,  a large proportion of Nigerian children still lack access to or participates in ECCE programmes, particularly  in  Enugu  State.  Noting  the  effort  of the  government  of Nigeria  in  the facilitation  of the  achievement  of objectives  of the ECCE  programme,  Ugwu  (2012) stated  that  the  only  effective  measure  taken  by  the  government   to  facilitate  the achievement  of the objectives  of the programme,  is  the grating of permission  for the

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private  efforts  in the provision  of the ECCE.  The author went further by saying that the significant  provision  is yet to be  made  in  many  public  ECCE  schools.  In view  of this problem,  the challenges  of ECCE programme  in Nigeria  seem enormous.  This calls for the need  for the  assessment  of the  extent  of implementation of ECCE  programmes  in Public schools in Enugu state.

Assessment  is a process that involves the collection,  processing and interpretation of the result  from measurement  of various  aspects  of educational  objectives  in other to value,  level or worth  of progress  made by  or challenges  observed  in  individuals  or an establishment  (Joshua,  2005).  Assessment  entails an intrinsic  and wholesome  integration of data from formal and informal  measurement  procedure  of the cognitive,  affective and psychomotor  attribute of a child (Erne,  2012).  Assessment  in this study means the ability to collect,  analyse and interpret  data about the implementation  of the ECCE programe  in public schools in Enugu State.  Implementation  is a tool or means to make something that has officially  decide to  start to happen  or to be used.  It means putting  into  practice  or using the policies that have been made by the government  or an organization.  Therefore, it  is the ability to put laws or policies  into  practice.  In this way,  it  means the extent to which the policies  on ECCE  have been put  into practice  in the public  schools  in ECCE centres in Enugu state.

In  other  to  achieve  the  purpose  of the  ECCE  programme,  it  is  necessary  to examine the minimum standard ofECCE  as it has been set up by the government to guide the  activities   of  the  ECCE   centres   in  Nigeria.   The  minimum   standards   of  ECCE programme  by the Nigeria  Education  Research  and Development  Council (NERDC),  in conjunction   with   United   Nation    Education    Scientific   and   Cultural   Organisation

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(UNESCO)  and other  development  partners,  addressing  the  gap  in  ECCE  programme, stated  that  there  is  need  to  develop National  Minimum  standard     to  guide the ECCE programme  in Nigeria.  The prescribed  minimum standard includes  the type of the ECCE centres,   the   location,   ownership,   provision   of  qualified   and   experienced   teacher, provision  of infrastructures and equipments, provision  of standard curriculum  and monitoring,  supervision  of the  ECCE  programme  in  Nigeria.  Thus,  adherence  to  this minimum standard will enhance uniformity and promote learning out come in ECCE programme.

From observations and comments from teachers and parents whose children are in the schools,  there  seems to be no  approved  curriculum  in use.  In addition,  the teacher personnel are both  inadequate  in number  and quality.  This is because the system is very new in the Nigerian  education system. Enough work forces have not been trained for this system of education.  The physical  environments  of some of the early childhood  schools do not seem to provide for good learning  environments.  Moreover,  the health standard of the pupils  seems  very poor  (UNICEF,  2009).  Towards  ensuring  high  standard  in  early childhood  education,  UNICEF  (2009)  had  provided  a  blueprint   for  use  by  all  early childhood schools in Nigeria. The blueprint is clearly outlined in the child friendly school (CFS)  initiatives,  which  ensuring  having proper  teachers  prepared  to  meet their needs; ensuring  that  health  and  well-being  of children  are  addressed  as  an  integral  part  of promoting  learning;  ensuring  safe  the  schools  are  as places  for  learning;  providing  an overall gender sensitive environment that is conducive to learning; respect by schools and teachers to the rights of children;  use of child-centred  teaching methods as good practice and  standard  methodology  by  teachers  and  the  school;   ensuring  adequate  classroom

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interaction as well as in the broader  operation  and management  of the school; ensuring availability  of adequate  environmentally  sustainable  facilities, services and supplies that support the needs of the whole child and also of all children;  The use of pedagogy  that challenges    and   dismantles    discrimination    based    on   gender,    ethnicity    or   social background.  Proponents  of Child  Friendly  School  maintain  that  all  of these  factors, interacting  in a dynamic  and organic manner,  constitute the ‘packaged  solution that can be confidently described as a ‘child-friendly school’.

(UNICEF,  2009:  23).

Another  effort  toward  actualizing the objectives  of early childhood  education  in Nigeria is the provision  of quality supervision and control mechanism  of early childhood institutions  in  existing  public  schools.  The  effort  remains  a  mirage,  as the  monitoring mechanism  of government  for early childhood  education  schools  seems  inadequate  and ill prepared.  According  to  Maduewesi  (2005),  most  problem  of pre-primary  education curriculum   implementation   hinge   around  policy,   quality   control   and   funding.   The National Policy on Education,  NPE  (FRN,  2004) recomm ends specialization  of teachers in pre-primary  education  and training  of qualified  pre-primary  school teachers.  This  is because,  according  to  Ibiam  (2005),  the  teacher  influences  the  quality  of pre-primary education. Therefore, for the teacher to be effective, he/she must be empowered  through adequate  learning.  Unfortunately,  the  extent  to  which  quality  teachers  are  found  in childhood schools is not certain and deserves investigation.

Effective  implementation  of the  goals  of early  childhood  education  demands adequate  provision  of necessary  facilities.  For  Offorma  (2006),  children  at  the  early childhood education level love to explore their environment and there should be adequate

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provision  of facilities  to  make  the  environment  conducive  for  learning  and  stimulate mental  development.  Also,  a child,  during  the  early  childhood  years,  requires  enough stimulating  environment  where  he/she  has freedom  to  explore and manipulate  different materials  and  situations.  Varieties  of activities  which  enable  the  child  to  choose  from place  for  movement  and  play  are  further  necessities  of early  childhood  education  to arouse  and  sustain  the  child’s  curiosity.  As  highlighted  by  UNICEF  (2009),  a  young child’s learning gets enhanced when the child engages in interactive processes in the environment. In the pre-primary  schools in Nigeria,  there is still doubt on the availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment for children’s  interactive  learning  activities.

Another  area  of concern  in  the  actualization  of the  goals  of early  childhood education  is  the  utilization  of information  and  communication  technologies  (ICT)  in teaching  and learning. ICT has the potentials  of increasing access to and improving the relevance and quality of education especially in a developing country like Nigeria.  This is because it facilitates the acquisition of knowledge  and offers opportunities to enhance the educational  system  including  early  childhood  education.  The  possession   of adequate knowledge  of computer  literacy skills,  according to Offorma  (2008),  opens a wide range of opportunities and possibilities  for both the teacher and the learners.  It can therefore be seen  that  ICT   facilities  are  very  useful  tools   in  equipping   teachers   with  desirable techniques  for  effective  teaching.  It  constitutes  variety  to  the  resources  and  style  in handling instruction thereby making it fun and exciting for the learners.

The  objectives  of childhood  education  have  implications  for  mental,  physical, social,  and  moral  development   of  the  child  and  these  can  be  achieved  through   a conducive   and   peaceful   learning   environment.   According   to   Gorba   (2012),   early

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childhood  education  is  characterized  by  self regulation,  moral  development,  physical growth, personality development  and gender socialization. Therefore, a child at the early childhood  years needs a climate  of security and acceptance  to go through  the educative process  central  to  early  childhood  care  and  education.  There  should  be  belief in  and respect  for the rights of the individual  child because every child has a unique pattern  of development.  Enueme  (2004)  highlights  some  of the  child’s  rights  as  entitlement  to quality  life,  to respect  and to the  child’s  wellbeing  and  further  states that  such child’s rights   should   be   provided   by   caregivers,    comm unities,    schools   and   government. However,  in  early  childhood  schools  in Nigeria,  the  extent  to  which  child’s rights  are guaranteed  needs  to  be  investigated  towards  the  actualization   of the  goals  of  early childhood education.

Another   factor  worth  consideration   in  the  effective   implementation  of early childhood   education   is  the  health  and  safety  status  of  the  child.  UNICEF   (2009), explained  that  pupils  imbibe  the  habits  of good  hygiene,  especially  when  the  school environment   offers   the  opportunity.   Therefore,   early  childhood   care  and  education schools  should  provide  a  safe  and  healthy  environment  for  the  child’s  learning.  The approach  to  health  and  safety  education  should  focus  on  the  development  of relevant knowledge,  attitudes,  values and life skills.  Similarly,  in seeking to achieve the goals of early childhood  education,  adequate  funding  is imperative.  Federal Republic  of Nigeria (FRN,  2004)  states that the  success  of any  system  of education  is hinged  on  adequate funding.  Funding  for early childhood  education  implies  mobilization  of sufficient  funds for  the  magnitudes  of activities  needed  for  the  realization   of the  objectives  of the programme.   According  to  Enueme  (2000),   funding  leads  to  improved   infrastructural

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facilities,  payment   of teachers   salaries,  and  provision   of instructional  and  learning materials  for  the  target  population.  At  present,  the  extent  to  which  funding  of early childhood education is done is not very certain and deserves attention and investigation.

Finally,  the  role  of  supervision   in  the  realization   of the  objectives   of early childhood  education  is paramount.  Alamaechi  and Nomaine  (2000)  defined supervision as  a  process   of  exercising   authority,  responsibility   for  planning,   controlling   work, overseeing   subordinates,   by   close   contacts,   providing   guidance   and   leadership   to workers.  Supervisors,  according  to  the  authors,  should  be  leaders  who  are  skilled  in human relation group processes, personnel  administration  and evaluative supervisions  of early childhood  education schools should be the responsibility  of ministries of education or  any  agency  that   is   bestowed   with  the  responsibility   and  should  be  done   in   a professional way.  The extent of supervision of early childhood  education in states seems ineffective and inadequate and this further calls for investigation.

For  the  successful  implementation  of early  childhood  educational  policies  and programmes  in Nigerian  schools,  it will undoubtedly  begin with the question of teachers possessing the basic skills that can empower them to demonstrate required competence  in instructional  delivery.  To  enhance  effective  delivery  of instruction  in  early  childhood, there is need to identify  some factors that influence teachers’  skills in the implementation of the  curriculum.  Such  information  is necessary  for enhancing  effective  teaching  and learning  in the schools.  It  is believed,  that  a number  of factors  determines  the  level of competencies  among  teachers  in  Nigerian  schools.  Such  factors  include  qualification, age,  school  location,  teaching  experience  and  gender  (Umo,  2010).  Uzoagulu  (1992) while   discussing   attributes   that   affect   students’   performance   noted   that   teacher’s

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qualification is a factor of students’  level of achievement in school subject. Inyang (2008) observed  that  students  taught  by  qualified  teachers  perform  better  in  examination  than students taught by less-qualified teachers. Federal Republic ofNigeria (2004) stated that Nigeria  Certificate  in Education  (NCE)  is the minimum  qualification  for entry into  the teaching profession. Any teacher with NCE  is qualified  to teach and so teachers  with  a minimum qualification ofNCE  are considered qualified for the purpose of this study.

Qualification  of a teacher has a direct bearing on his /her mastery of content and hence ability to effectively impart knowledge  to the learners. In the same line, Eshiwani (2008)  found out that  teachers  qualification  has  a bearing  on  learners’  performance  in examinations.  Kathuri (2006) noted that qualified teachers were an asset to their schools if they were  committed  to academic achievement.  Similarly,  Maundu  (2006)  in a study on  student’s  achievement   found  that  teacher   qualification   has  significant   effect   on learners’   performance.   From   the   literature   review,   it   is   imperative   that   teacher’s qualification is a critical ingredient  in the provision of quality education.  These assertions will  be  subject  to  verification   following  the  implementation  of the  early  childhood education curriculum in Enugu State.

In appraisal of the early childhood  education,  the issue of school location  may be considered relevant.  Location,  according to Ovute (2012)  is adjudged  by the availability of  basic   facilities   like  accessible   roads,   electricity,  water   and  other  social  welfare attributes   in   an  environment.   Schools  that   are  situated   in   an  environment,   which possesses  features  of modern  amenities,  are considered  to be of urban  location.  On the other hand,  schools that  are located  in remote  parts  of geographical  terrain, which  lack many or all the modern development attributes are considered as rural schools.  Such rural

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schools  are distant  from modem  visibility.  In this  study,  the concept  of school  location will  be  taken  to  mean  schools  that  are  within  the  developed/developing   town  or  in  a village setting. Location could influence skills possessed by teachers for effective implementation  of early  childhood   education  programmes   in  Enugu   State.  A  school cannot usually  change  its  location, yet location conceivably  may have consequences  for how   well   teachers   are   exposed   to   innovative   teaching   strategies   and   instructional materials.  Studies  have been  conducted  on rural  gaps and teacher  effectiveness,  Emeke and Odetoyinbo  (2003) and in cross-national  comparison  (Williams,  2004).  In the USA, rural education  is associated  with disadvantage  in the public discourse.  Studies by Onah (2011)   and   Owoeye,   (2002)   indicate   that   teachers   in   urban   school   had   higher competences  in teaching than their counterpart  in the rural schools.  Onimisi (2006) found a significant effect  of school location  in favour of urban teachers on competences  needed for teaching agriculture  than their rural counterparts.  Given the nature of early childhood education,  it  can be said that teachers  in the rural  areas may be more advantaged  in the use  of instructional  materials  because  of the  abundance  of rich  and  untapped  natural resources  deposit  in the rural  environment.  Contrary  to the above  assertion,  teachers  in the urban areas may have a better  advantage  owing to the level  of infrastructural  supply in the urban school by both government  and non-governmental  organizations. Therefore, based on these assertions and controversies,  this study will find out if school location  on skills possessed  by teachers  for effective implementation  of early childhood  education  in schools.

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Statement of the Problem

In spite of the well-articulated  goals and objectives of early childhood education as specified in the National Policy on Education,  the actualization of these goals of early childhood  education programme  does not  seem successful.  Also,  notwithstanding  the UNICEF’s   provision   guidelines   on   the   operation   of  early   childhood   education programme  in Nigeria  and  other  developing  countries,  the  goals  of early  childhood education is yet to be actualized.  For any educational programme such as early childhood education to achieve its goals, some factors should be adequately addressed. Such factors include  qualified  teachers,  appropriate  funding,  provision  of infrastructural  facilities, adequate   supervision,   among   others.   Presently,   the   level   of  provision   of  these requirements seems uncertain.

The gaps that currently exist between the specification  and actualization  of the goals  of early  childhood  education  may suggest  that there  are some obstacles  in the implementation process.  If the goals of early childhood  education programme  are to be actualized, there is the need to identify and address the obstacles that militate against effective actualization of the goals. Therefore, the problem of this study is, to appraise the extent of implementation of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme in Enugu State.  This study will also look into the influences of location and teachers qualification on skills possessed by teachers for effective implementation of early childhood education in schools

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of the study was to appraise the implementation of early childhood education programme in Enugu State.  Specifically, the study sought to:

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1.    Determine the extent to which qualified teachers are provided for ECCE

programme in early childcare education schools in Enugu State

2.   Determine the extent to which ECCE programme are established in rural and urban in early childcare education schools in Enugu State

3.   Determine the extent to which equipments are provided for ECCE

programme in early childcare education schools in Enugu State

4.   Determine the extent to which standard curriculum is available for ECCE

programme in early childcare education schools in Enugu State

5.   Determine the extent to which supervisions are carried out in ECCE centers in early childcare education schools in Enugu State

Significance of the Study

This study has both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, Albert Bandura hinges the study on social learning theory. Bandura propounded the social learning theory in  1977,  which  opines  that  a person’s  environment  affects  his/her  learning  and  that observational learning can occur in relation to three model;  the first is the life model in which the actual person is demonstrating the desired bahaviour. The second is the verbal instruction in which an individual describes in detail the desired bahaviour and lastly the symbolic in which modeling occurs by means of the media,  including  television,  radio, internet and movies.  This theory is related to the present study because it sees education as social system of which early childhood  education is a subordinate.  This theory also sees the early childhood schools as supplement to nature, the home and establishes good habits,  shapes good citizens and provides  moral instruction.   Practically,  the finding of

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the study is expected  to be beneficial  to early childhood  education teachers  and pupils, parents, the government,  curriculum planners,  future researchers.

The finding of the study,  when communicated  to early childhood teachers through organized  conferences  and  seminars,  would  help  them  to  become  more  aware  of the major  roles  expected  of them  in  handling  the pupils.  This  is because  the  findings  will highlight  areas  the  teachers  are  lagging  behind  in  the  performance  of their  duties  as teachers in early childhood education programmes.

The finding of this study would help the children to enjoy quality education if the government  implements  them,  by  providing  quality  instructional  materials  /equipment and qualified teachers

The findings of this study when presented  in Parent Teachers Association  (PTA) meeting to parents would create awareness of the care,  safety and supervision to be given to the  children,  so that  parents  would  know  the nature  of education  their  children  are exposed to.

In addition, the government  would benefit  from the findings of the study when communicated   through   workshops,   conferences,   and  seminars.   The   government   is expected  to  benefit  by  taking  note  of the  loopholes  in  the  early  childhood  education programmes with respect to funding, supervision and monitoring of the programme.  This would   help   government   to   find  ways   of  strengthening   early   childhood   education programmes.

The findings of the study are also expected to be useful to curriculum planners,  as it would provide necessary information on ways of planning and enriching the curriculum of early childhood  education.  Future researchers  in the same or related  fields would also

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find the results  of this  study useful.  The  data  generated  would  serve  as baseline  from which future researchers would draw reference.

Scope of the Study

The  geographical  scope  of this  study  is Enugu  state.  This  study  involved the appraisal  of the  implementation  of early  childhood  education  programmes  in  Enugu State.  Specifically,  the  study  assessed  the  extent  of implementation  of the  ECCE programme  in  Early  child  care  education  schools  in  Enugu  state  in  respect  to  the provision   of  qualified   teachers,   provision   of  equipment,   availability   of  standard curriculum and extent of supervision of ECCE programmes in Enugu State.

Research Questions

To guide the study, the following research questions were posed.

1.   To what extent are qualified teachers provided for ECCE programme in Early child care education schools in Enugu state?

2.   To what extent are ECCE programme established in rural and urban in Early child care education schools in Enugu state?

3.   To what extent are equipment provided for ECCE programme in Early child care education schools in Enugu State?

4.   To what extent is standard curriculum available for ECCE programme in

Early child care education schools in Enugu state?

5.   To what extent are ECCE programmes supervised in Early child care education schools in Enugu state?

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Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at

0.05 level of significance.

Hal:  There is no significant  difference  in the mean rating of teachers on the extent of provision of infrastructures and equipment in ECCE programmes in early childcare education schools in Enugu state

Ho2:  There is  no significant  difference  in the mean rating  of teacher  on the extent of availability   of standard  curriculum   in  ECCE  programmes   in  early  childcare education schools in Enugu State.

Ho3:  There is no significant  difference  in the mean rating of teachers on the extent of supervision  of ECCE  programme  in early childcare  education  schools  in Enugu State.

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