ABSTRACT
The study investigated the factors affecting the implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) and the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in Nigeria and Ghana. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The area of the study was Abuja in Nigeria and Greater Accra in Ghana while the population of the study was 6336 teachers and head teachers from Nigeria and Ghana respectively. The sample for the study consisted of 560 teachers and 260 head teachers from twelve primary schools in Abuja in Nigeria and Accra in Ghana respectively in the 2015/2016 session. 280 teachers and 130 head teachers were purposively sampled out of a population of 3544 in Nigeria while 280 teachers and 130 head teachers were purposively sampled out of 2192 in Ghana. Two instruments were used for data collection. They were a researcher developed questionnaire titled “Factors Affecting Basic Education Questionnaire”(FABEQ) and observation checklist. The instruments were face validated by three experts-two from the Department of Arts Education and one from Science Education (Measurement and Evaluation), all from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The overall reliability index of 0.92 determined through Cronbach Alpha was obtained for the reliability of the instrument Four research questions and four null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance were used for the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test statistic was used to test the hypotheses. Results of the study revealed that the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) and the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) to a low extent provide infrastructural facilities to Nigeria and Ghana public primary schools; SUBEB and NIB to a low extent carry out supervisory functions with respect to implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in primary schools in Nigeria and Ghana; Primary school teachers to a low extent are motivated to carry out their duties and fund to a low extent is provided for the implementation of UBE and FCUBE programmes in Nigeria and Ghana. Based on the results of the findings, recommendations were made which include among others, that SUBEB, NIB and other stakeholders in education should endeavour to improve upon the provision of infrastructural facilities including modern technological tools to enhance the implementation of basic education in Nigeria and Ghana; Government should organize seminars and workshops on regular basis for head teachers and education supervisors to acquaint them with better strategies they should employ to ensure effective supervision and monitoring of teachers at the basic education level; Government should as a matter of urgency increase the salary of basic education teachers and, provide them with adequate incentives and enabling environment which would motivate them to carry out their duties with ease.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Education has been regarded in all societies and throughout human history both as an end in itself and as a means for the individual and society to grow. According to Uchem and Ngwa (2014:92) ,“As a critical tool for the attainment of the development agenda of any nation and the world at large, education inspires people and fortifies nations. It is indeed a powerful counterbalance offering opportunities for individuals to graduate themselves out of poverty”. This implies that the progress of an individual in particular and the nation in general is dependent on education. In line with the important role of education in nation building, Ajuzie (2012) asserts that education is central to development and remains a powerful instrument for both all round development of an individual and that of individual’s participation in social life and the society at large.
Observation has shown that every society or individual no matter the status wants to make progress. According to Oluwagbohunmi (2013:9) “Education plays a significant role in the lives of individuals and in national development. Education is the acquisition of knowledge, the aggregate of all the processes through which a person develops ability, attitude and other forms of
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behaviour with positive values in the society”. The implication here is that education is a worthwhile activity, it is significant, it is of value and every human being is expected to have access to it. Education can therefore be defined as an indispensable means of adding value to individuals for the purpose of transforming the individuals in particular and the society as a whole.
Every society or individual requires education for development. Ezeali (2004) posits that education is a fundamental requirement of progress because on it depends the training of our people to take over all the tasks in public, commercial and technical fields. It is not only the key to sustainable development, but also a fundamental human right (World Bank, 2003). As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty, and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities. None of the civil, political, economic and social rights can be fully exercised in a well-informed manner by individuals unless they have received a certain minimum education (UNESCO, 2000).
Based on this recognition that education is a right and empowerment process, nations of the world have launched a campaign for universal education. In 1990, the world congregated at Jomtien, Thailand to launch an Education for All (EFA) initiative to galvanize support for a global drive for education. The
conference brought together delegates from 154 countries and over 150 organizations seeking to universalize primary education and massively reduce illiteracy before the end of the decade (World Bank, 2003). The Jomtien declaration is not the first time the world has underscored the value of education. In fact, Education for All dates back to 1948 with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which held among its clauses that education is a basic human right (Maduabuchi,2008). As a result, various efforts including the introduction of Universal Basic Education have been made towards achieving Education for All goals.
Universal Basic Education (UBE) is a programme aimed at addressing problems of access, quality and equity in primary and upper basic schools. While it is called Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Nigeria, it is known as Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in Ghana. It is a nine
-year educational programme of six years duration for the primary segment and three years of upper basic schools (Nakpodia, 2011). These two levels of basic education are universal, free and compulsory for all Nigerian children aged 6 to
15. The Universal Basic Education programme also stimulates learning from the early years of 3 to 5 and above which is called Early Child Care Development and Education (ECCDE) (Universal Basic Education Training Manual, 2000).
Universal Basic Education means that access to education is open to all, irrespective of gender, social, physical or economic condition. In the view of Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC,2008), UBE as a nine-year school system of continuous schooling is divided into three component parts which include; Lower Basic, Middle Basic and Upper Basic. The Lower Basic Education starts from primary one and ends in primary three(Primary1-3),the Middle Basic Education starts from primary four and ends in primary six(Primary4-6) while the Upper Basic Education starts from Junior Secondary School one and ends in Junior Secondary School three(JSS1-JSS3). According to Adunola (2011:19),”The Universal Basic Education programme is designed to cater for a child’s education from primary school to the end of the junior secondary school.”
UBE is an ambitious education programme launched to eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and poverty as well as stimulate and accelerate national development, political consciousness and national integration. The effort of UBE programme was to ensure that access to basic education opportunity was granted to every Nigerian child of school age. The Objectives of the Scheme as outlined in the UBE Act 2004 include:
Developing in its entire citizenry, a strong consciousness for education and a strong commitment to its various promotions, the drastic reduction of the incidence of
dropouts from formal school system(through improved relevance, quality and efficiency), catering for young persons, who for one reason or another, have had to interrupt their schooling through appropriate forms of complementary approaches to provision and promotion of basic education and ensuring the acquisition of appropriate level of literacy, numeracy, manipulation and life-long learning(P.16).
The UBE has a wide scope and inclusive of persons with diverse physical, spatial, socio-economic and psychological needs. It provides for the following:
a. Programmes and initiatives for early childhood education and development,
b. Programmes and initiatives for the acquisition of functional literacy, numeracy and life skills, especially, for adults, persons aged 15 and above;
c. Special programmes for nomadic populations;
d. Out-of-school children, non-formal programmes for updating the knowledge and skills of persons who left before acquiring the basics needed for life-long learning;
e. Non-formal skills and apprenticeship training for adolescents and youths who have not had the benefit of formal education; and
f. The formal school system from the beginning of primary education to the end of the junior secondary school (UBEC,2001).
In Ghana, the Universal Basic Education programme is known as Free and
Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE). Article 38 of the 1992
Constitution of Ghana requires Government to provide access to Free Compulsory Universal Education, and depending on resource availability, to Senior Secondary, Technical and Tertiary education and life-long learning. In recent times, the government’s commitment towards achieving her educational goals has been expressed in the following policy frameworks and reports:
1. Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy 2002-2004 (GPRS 1,February
2002)
2. Education Sector Policy Review Report (ESPRR, August 2002)
3. Education Sector Review (ESR, October 2002) and the Government’s
White Paper on the report (2004).
4. Meeting the Challenges of Education in the 21st Century.(The Report of the President’s Commission on Review of Education Reforms in Ghana, ERRC, October 2002).
5. Education for All (EFA,UNESCO,Dakar,2000)-International Paper
6. The Education Strategic Plan (ESP) covering 2003-2015 (Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, Ghana, “Linking ESP and the White Paper Reform”, 2005).
In 2004 the Government of Ghana came out with a White Paper on Education Reform. The White Paper Reform outlines a portfolio of reforms and objectives spanning the entire education sector, which are to be implemented from 2007 and have major targets identified for 2015 and 2020. The key objectives of the White Paper Reform are twofold. First and foremost, to build upon the ESP commitments and ensure that second cycle education is more inclusive and appropriate to the needs of young people and the demands in the Ghanaian economy.
Unlike what obtains in Nigerian UBE, with the reform in the Ghanaian education sector, basic education will be expanded to include 2 years of Kindergarten as well as the existing 6 years of primary and 3 years of Junior High Schools (JHS). The entire basic cycle will be free and compulsory and will receive the highest priority of all sub-sectors. According to UNICEF (2007), Ghana has since 1951, and especially after independence in 1957, made significant strides in its education system. Some of them include the Accelerated Development Plan for Education which was launched by the first nationalist government in 1951 to universalize primary education to meet the high demand
for education. The manner this initiative was carried out however created some problems in the education sector especially in the area of implementation. According to Foster in Djangmah (2011), without much preparation and adequate number of trained teachers, hurriedly trained teachers and untrained school leavers taught in the newly established schools. Educational standards appear to have declined as expansion overstretched capacity and resources. Since then, untrained teachers, referred to as pupil teachers have been a continuing feature of basic education in Ghana with negative consequences for quality (Akyeampong,2009).
Other initiatives were the Education Act of 1961 which provided for compulsory primary education and educational reforms in 1974 which introduced the idea of thirteen years of pre-tertiary education which consisted of six years primary school, three years Junior Secondary School (JSS), and four years senior secondary school (SSS). It also mooted the idea of pre-technical and pre-vocational subjects an attempt to make the JSS curriculum comprehensive and thus cater for all talents and provide them with practical skills. Unfortunately, the implementation of the 1974 educational reforms in its pilot form coincided with the decline of the Ghanaian economy in the 1970s. By
1983, access to basic education and other levels of education were at their lowest (World Bank, 2004).
In her bid to make education accessible to all, and to get more children into school, the Government of Ghana re-launched the policy of free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in 1995 which was originally launched in 1987 supported by the World Bank Primary School Development Project (PSDP). As a cost-sharing scheme, the FCUBE was designed to cover non-tuition fees. Parents were expected to bear limited educational expenses. More importantly, no child was to be turned away from school for non-payment of fees. Tagoe (2011) stated that the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) reform was introduced to overcome the weaknesses observed in the 1987 reforms. According to Sackey (2008), the main policy objective of FCUBE programme is to improve teaching processes and learning outcomes, build capacity to manage the basic education, particularly for girls and the poor in society as well as other vulnerable groups.
However, in spite of Nigeria and Ghana’s determined efforts to join this global push for basic education, the above mentioned noble objectives appear not to be realized in both West African countries. The reason for this may be because of inadequate infrastructural facilities to implement the programme. Infrastructural facilities according to Abdul (2001) include all facilities that make learning environment suitable for effective teaching and learning in schools such as classrooms buildings, laboratories, workshops, libraries, toilets,
desks, chairs, tables, etc. Abdul stressed that these facilities are very vital for learning to take place in schools successfully. This implies that for any education programme to be achieved, adequate availability of learning facilities is of paramount importance. These infrastructural facilities may be referred to as curriculum materials (Gbamanja,2002). They may be called instructional resources (Agbi,2004).They may also be known as instructional media. Just as they carry different names, they are also defined differently. Agbi (2004) defines them as all those facilities, materials and equipment used by the teachers to illustrate, explain and emphasize a lesson in order to make it clearer to the learners. In other words, they are the devices which can be used to make learning experiences more realistic, dynamic and rewarding. In their own definition, Surma and Doggoh (2007) refer to the learning facilities as materials that teachers employ or make use of in the course of their teaching so as to ensure that learning experiences appeal to more than one sense organ of their learners in order to enhance effective learning and long lasting impact. On the other hand, Ada and Odey (2003) define infrastructural facilities as the materials which can help to extend the range of various experiences of learners in any teaching/learning situation. Infrastructural facilities can therefore be defined as those learning resources needed in the school environment for the purpose of making the enhancement of teaching and learning possible. According to
Doggoh (2014), infrastructural facilities and teaching materials make tremendous enhancement of lesson impact when used appropriately. Doggoh stresses that these facilities enrich the store of concrete sensory experiences of learners which they require to learn effectively. This implies that these facilities are needed in every school environment in order to facilitate the teaching and learning process. This study, therefore, seeks to find out if there are adequate provision of infrastructural facilities for the implementation of UBE programme in Nigeria and Ghana.
Apart from infrastructural facilities, another factor that may hinder the implementation of UBE programme is poor supervision of the programme. The importance of supervision of educational programmes cannot be overemphasized. Even if there is adequate provision of infrastructural facilities and enough well-trained teaching staff, the realization of the objectives of UBE will remain a dream if proper school supervision is not ensured. According to Egbe and Eze (2009):
People’s attitude to work and to public property is so poor that they only look out for opportunities to enrich themselves at the state’s corporate interest. Common destructive practices that go against all that EFA stands for such as extortion, misappropriation of school fund, diversion of school facilities, stealing of school property, absenteeism, haphazard teaching, teach-what-you-like
syndrome, etc, can only be addressed through regular and thorough supervision(p.98).
The above assertion implies that a lot of things may go wrong in the school system if proper supervision is not put in place. According to Igwe (2001),to supervise means to direct, oversee, guide or to make sure that expected standards are met. In other words, supervision in a school implies the process of ensuring that principles, rules, regulations and methods prescribed for purposes of implementing and achieving the objectives of education are effectively carried out. Enaigbe (2009) asserts that supervision involves the use of expert knowledge and experiences to oversee, evaluate, and coordinate the process of improving teaching and learning activities in schools. This implies that supervision involves all aspects of education.
Stressing the importance of supervision, Maru (2011) noted that supervision ensures that the infrastructures provided are not diverted but are properly used for the scheme. Maru added that these infrastructures include the buildings, teaching equipment, furniture and in some cases funds. All these contributions from various authors point to the fact that supervision is an integral part of the education process that should not be ignored. In other words, a very important education programme such as the Universal Basic Education requires proper supervision. If this is not ensured, the goal of the programme
may not be realized. This study, therefore seeks to determine the extent to which the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Nigeria and the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) in Ghana carry out their supervisory functions with respect to the implementation of UBE programmes in Nigeria and Ghana.
Another factor that may constitute a hindrance to the implementation of UBE in Nigeria and Ghana is motivation of teachers. The importance of teachers’ motivation stems from the fact that no educational programme can record huge success without the contribution of teachers. According to Ofojebe and Ezugoh(2010:400),”Teachers’ motivation is a key to guaranteed quality education, as such influences quality assurance in the educational system. Without efficient and effective teachers in the education industry, qualitative learning outcomes cannot be achieved”. Peretomode (1991) defines motivation as the process of influencing or stimulating a person to take action that will accomplish desired goals. This implies that motivation is a way of encouraging people to do what is expected of them. Motivation can apply in various forms of human endeavour.
Motivation in this study has to do with the overall welfare of the teachers whose duties in ensuring the implementation of Universal Basic Education programme are indispensable. Motivation in this context can therefore be
defined as the process of providing an enabling environment aimed at encouraging the teachers to carry out their duties effectively for quality instructional delivery in the educational system. In other words, teachers may perform their duties more effectively if they are motivated but may not take their duties seriously if they are not motivated. This study also seeks to find out the extent to which primary school teachers are motivated to carry out their duties effectively.
Another factor that may affect the implementation of UBE in Nigeria and Ghana is poor funding. As an intervention scheme, Universal Basic Education programme requires adequate funding for proper implementation. According to Amuchie, Asotibe and Audu (2013),funding is central to the overall development of education in general and technical education in particular. According to Olaitan in Amuchie,Asotibe and Audu (2013),no educational programme can be successful in the face of inadequate funding. Olaitan noted with displeasure that educational funding in Nigeria has been dwindling in the recent times. Similarly, Akyeampong, Djangmah, Oduro, Seidu and Hunt (2007) noted that the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education(FCUBE) in Ghana also faced challenges which have to do with how to sustain the programme and universalise basic education. It is therefore pertinent to find out the extent to
which the funding of UBE by the Governments of Nigeria and Ghana affects the implementation of the programme in the two countries.
Worthy of note is that even though UBE in Nigeria and the FCUBE in Ghana are both geared towards making education free for all children in the lower and upper basic levels of education in both countries, their policy objectives are not the same. Moreover, despite various efforts made by the Ghanaian government to ensure that there is improvement in the education sector, it appears that the goals of FCUBE are yet to be realized. A persistent
40% of children between 6 and 11 years of age in Ghana remained out of school as of 2003 (UNICEF, 2007).This implies that the objectives of UBE in Nigeria and FCUBE in Ghana have not been realized. It is against this background that the researcher decided to embark on this study to compare the factors affecting the implementation of Universal Basic Education in the two West African countries. .
Statement of the Problem
Different nations of the world have launched a campaign for universal education based on the recognition that education is a right and empowerment process. The main result of this recognition of the need for education for all is the introduction of Universal Basic Education among very many different
countries of the world. In Nigeria, the programme is known as Universal Basic Education (UBE) while in Ghana, it is called Free Universal Basic Education (FCUBE). No matter the name given to it, the main aim of this programme is to universalize primary education and massively reduce illiteracy among various countries of the world. UBE or FCUBE is aimed at addressing problems of access, quality and equity in primary and junior secondary schools. It is a nine- year educational programme of six years duration for the primary segment and three years of junior secondary. These two levels of basic education are universal, free and compulsory for all the children aged 6 to 15 in these countries.
However, in spite of various efforts made by the governments and all stakeholders in education in Nigeria and Ghana towards making this noble programme a reality, it has been observed that the objectives of the programme in these two countries have not been realized. This may be due to some problems which include; lack of infrastructural facilities such as classroom blocks, libraries, laboratories and workshops; poor funding and supervision; poor motivation of teachers, among others. There is the need to ascertain the extent to which these problems affect the implementation of UBE programme in Nigeria and Ghana. The problem of this study, therefore put in question form is:
What are the factors affecting the implementation of UBE and FCUBE in
Nigeria and Ghana respectively?
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of the study is to compare the factors affecting implementation of Universal Basic Education programme in Nigeria and Ghana. Specifically, the study seeks to determine the extent to which:
1. Infrastructural facilities are provided for public primary schools by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Nigeria and the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) in Ghana.
2. SUBEB and NIB carry out their supervisory functions with respect to the implementation of UBE programme in Nigeria and Ghana.
3. Primary school teachers are motivated to carry out their duties effectively.
4. Fund is provided for the implementation of UBE and FCUBE
programmes in Nigeria and Ghana.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will be significant in several ways. Theoretically, Piaget and Vygotsky’s constructivist theory in line with this study emphasizes the use of modern technological tools in learning. This theory is used to buttress the need to provide pupils in the basic schools with the basic
learning tools for the enhancement of learning at that important stage in education. Also, Maslow’s needs reduction theory which emphasizes the importance of providing the teachers and the learners with their various needs before embarking on teaching and learning is also used in this study. This theory is used in this study to provide the base line to show the government and all stakeholders in education the need to provide adequate infrastructural facilities and conducive learning environment for effective teaching to take place especially at the Universal Basic Education level.
Practically, the findings of this study will be of immense benefit to the government, parents, teachers, pupils, the society as a whole and future researchers . It is hoped that the findings of this study will help the governments of Nigeria and Ghana to know the extent to which the basic education programme in each of the countries is implemented. This will help the governments to know the aspects of the programme where they have done well and the aspects where improvement is needed for appropriate remedial action.
The findings of this study will be of immense help to parents. This is because the improvement that will be made in the UBE programme following the suggestions in this study will not only make their children to be in school during school hours but will also protect their image and integrity as parents. This is because parents whose children roam the streets or hawk during school
hours are usually seen as irresponsible parents. Besides, parents will be relieved of the burden of paying school fees at the lower basic, middle basic and upper basic levels of education if the aim of the basic education programme which is provision of free and compulsory basic education for all the children is implemented.
Also, teachers will find the results of this study useful especially in the area of instructional delivery. This is because the teachers will be made to know the importance of upgrading their pedagogical status and embracing modern teaching strategies especially in the area of using technological tools which the UBE programme emphasizes. This will help in enhancing teaching and learning in the basic schools.
The pupils will also benefit from the findings of this study because they will record positive academic achievement when their teachers are more committed to teach them especially when the learning environment is conducive for them and their teachers.
Furthermore, the society as a whole will benefit from the findings of this study because the pupils who are going to be the products of effective implementation of the basic education programme will eventually enter the labour market to contribute to the development of the society. Besides, when basic education is given the needed attention by all stakeholders, the society will
be rid of little children who are usually found hawking along the streets and constitute all sorts of social problems to the society.
Finally, future researchers will find the results of this study very useful. This is because findings of this study will serve as available data for their future researches and investigations into the problems confronting the implementation of Universal Basic Education or other areas related to the present study in Nigeria, Ghana and other countries of the world.
Scope of the Study
The scope of this study will be delimited to UBE in Nigeria and Ghana involving head teachers and classroom teachers from six Area Councils in Abuja, Nigeria and six Educational Districts in Greater Accra in Ghana. The choice of Abuja and Greater Accra is because both of them are metropolitan states with multicultural features. This study will focus mainly on the lower and middle basic schools. The content scope of this study will address the area of infrastructural facilities, supervision, motivation of teachers, and funding of UBE programme in Nigeria and Ghana.
Research Questions
The following research questions will guide this study.
1. To what extent do the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) and the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) provide infrastructural facilities to Nigeria and Ghana public primary schools?
2. To what extent do SUBEB and NIB carry out their supervisory functions with respect to the implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Nigeria and Ghana?
3. To what extent are primary school teachers motivated to carry out their duties?
4. To what extent is fund provided for the implementation of UBE and
FCUBE programmes in Nigeria and Ghana?
Hypotheses
This study will be guided by four null hypotheses which were formulated by the researcher. The hypotheses will be tested at 0.05 level of significance.
Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of teachers and head teachers on the extent to which the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) provide infrastructural facilities in the primary schools in Nigeria and Ghana.
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of teachers and head teachers on the extent to which SUBEB and NIB carry out their supervisory functions in primary schools in Nigeria and Ghana.
Ho3: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of teachers and head teachers on the extent to which primary school teachers are motivated to carry out their duties effectively.
Ho4: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of teachers and head teachers on the extent to which fund is provided for the implementation of UBE and FCUBE programmes in Nigeria and Ghana.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION (UBE) PROGRAMME IN NIGERIA AND GHANA
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