CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Education is seen as an important instrument in the development of any nation. Government’s objective on issues concerning education is to ensure that the needs and aspirations of individual as well as the society are met. Steps have been taken at various times in Nigeria to ensure that both human and material resources are put together in order to ensure that the benefits of education spread across every level and segment of the society and at the same time ensure improvement in the quality of education offer their citizens.
A step forward aimed at improving the quality of education was the introduction of Universal BasicEducation (UBE) programme. Commenting on the Universal Basic Education, argued that UBE is an aspect of modern education that focuses on the fundamental level of human being. It consists of every form of instruction of training given at the elementary level on which further learning can be built. includes the development of a basic ability in reading, writing and numeric skills: the inculcation of elementary knowledge of scientific ideas as well as the possession of certain practical skills necessary to help in developing a means of livelihood. The objectives also include provision of basic ideas and values as well as the development of personal attributes and potentials that will help individuals to think critically and serve as an encouragement towards contributing to the development of their societies. (Afobi, 2001).
Education is a fundamental right of every child irrespective of whether the child is able or disabled (UNESCO, 2005). The child’s socio-, economic background as well as gender should not be prerequisites for accessing basic education. Every child must be given the opportunity to learn to the extent of their ability so as to function effectively in the society where they live. Basic education is crucial to the self awareness which is an important requisite towards the agitation and enforcement of the fundamental right of an individual. Thus, basic education is important in attaining fundamental right of every citizen. Further, there are international human right instruments that provide for education as a fundamental human right at the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education 1960, Social and Cultural Rights 1966, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 1986, the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, and A Human Rights-Based Approach to Education for All UNICEF/UNESCO 2007 (UNICEF &UNESCO, 2007). These instruments accord all children access to free and compulsory basic education. Schooling brings about empowerment and increases productivity, thus, social vices such as child labour, and stealing are reduced in the society. This is why there has been a lot of emphasis most especially on access to basic education. Access to basic education has been upheld internationally and nationally. The World Conference on Education for All, Jomtein in 1990 and World Education Forum, The Dakar Framework for Action, EFA, 2000, and the Millennium Development Goals second sub-heading 2000; aims to achieve UBE by year 2015 all regard basic education as a necessity. Nigeria as a Country also aims at achieving the objectives of MDGs of which Basic education plays an essential role on the citizens’ level of literacy in the Country.
In Nigeria, the idea of Universal Basic Education(UBE) was initiated by the Federal government while the scheme was launched on 30 of October, 1999 in Sokototh State, Nigeria. Its framework seeks to promote compulsory free Universal Basic Education for all children of primary and Junior Secondary school age. Its function seeks to provide punishment for parents who refuse to comply with its provisions. Since the first 9 years schooling is made free and compulsory, one would expect increase in enrolment of pupils. It might however betempting to assume that the Universal Basic Educationthat the classroom should be properly lighted, ventilatedprogramme would lead to an en-mass enrolment of pupils in schools. (Abdullahi, 2006).
In Sokoto State, Nigeria, the Universal Basic Education (UBE) is a welcome development. As education is the only viable industry in the State, the State government has made all efforts to ensure that school age pupils are in schools. This is important in the sense that the Universal Basic Education programme would enable pupils who would otherwise not have been able to benefit from education to been in school. The initiation of the UBE in Sokoto State, Nigeria therefore has led to a considerable expansion of the school system. (Muazu, 2012).
Physical facilities play important role in pupils’ learning. Thus, as the enrolment of primary schools in UBE increase, it is necessary for school facilities to increase correspondingly. It seems however, that this is not the case in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Common observation in the schools system show that, physical facilities in many schools are in the State of disrepair. Many classrooms are dilapidated. Many equipment and furniture are lacking. One might therefore ask whether the Universal Basic Education as catered for the provision of physical facilities in schools to commensurate with pupils’ enrollment, stressed that the availability of adequate school building, classrooms, chairs and other facilities are necessary for the attainment of educational objectives. Other researchers stressed that educational facilities are the main contributors to students learning outcomes in the school system. These facilities include school buildings, classrooms, furniture, libraries, recreational equipment, apparatus and other instructional materials. In another dimension, revealed that absence of playing ground and surrounding series of aesthetic appearance could contribute to poor academic attainment. Hence, there is need for them to be adequately provided. (Adams, 2011).
It could therefore be argued that physical facilities are very important in Education. School facilities are the material resources that facilitate effective teaching and learning in the school. The importance of the provision of the school buildings in the educational system cannot be overemphasized. Good buildings are required within the school system in the achievement of educational goals. Apart from protecting pupils from the sun, the rain, heat and so on, argued that the school building represents a learning environment, which has a lot of impacts on the comfort, safety and performance of pupils. Hence the need for good classroom situation is essential with furnished with suitable desks and seats.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The Education for All (EFA) Assessment (UNESCO, 2000) shows that providing ‘Education for All’ is a realistic and achievable goal. However, progress has been reported to be uneven and far too slow as statistics show that of the more than 800 million children under six years of age, fewer than a third of the population benefit from any form of early childhood education. More pathetically,113 million children, 60% of whom are girls, have no access to lower basic schooling and at least 880 million adults are illiterate, of whom the majority are women. These figures represent an affront to human dignity, a denial of the right to education and they stand as major barriers to eliminating poverty and attaining sustainable development. EFA Monitoring Team based on Nigeria report (UNESCO, 2010) revealed that an estimated 61 million children of primary school age do not have access to education globally with Nigeria having an estimate of 10.5 million outof-school children; in essence 17.21% of out-of-school children in the world are Nigerians. With the North-Western part of Nigeria constituting 9.5 million of this total (World Bank, 2012). World Bank (2013) reported Sokoto State amounting to 65.3% in 2011.
Sokoto State is one of the seven states in the North-Western region, which is the Federal Government of Nigeria to lunched Universal Free Primary Education (UPE) in 1976 that was performed in Sokoto State. There was low rate of enrolment among other challenges and there was the need for expansion when not much success was recorded. Statistics available shows that there was significant difference between the projected enrolment figure of school age children in the basic school and the actual figure after over 20 years of the implementation of Universal Free Primary Education (UNESCO, 1998).
This and many other factors prompted the federal government into expanding its scope of access through ‘Education for All’ programme which gave birth to the UBE. This is to allow school age children to access basic education free for the first nine years, and the programme UBE was re-lunched in Sokoto State in 1999 that was 23 years after UPE. However, the inevitable question is: How accessible has the programme been to primary schools for basic education in Sokoto State, Nigeria?
However, the increasing enrolment of primary schools in UBEprogram in Sokoto State, Nigeria and its attendant problems have been a matter of concern to educationist. These problems seem to include the lack of facilities. Common observation in the school system shows teachers managing overcrowded classes of pupils. The question is that are facilities not enough in the schools to match the increasing enrolment of primary schools? This is in the sense that no matter how laudable an educational programme may be, if the number of facilities needed to carry out the programmes is inadequate, the programme will not be as good as expected. The problem of this study therefore is to determine whether or not the availability of physical facilities matches the increase in primary schools’ enrolment in UBA program in Sokoto state, Nigeria.
1.3 Research Objective
The general objective of the study focus on critical assessment of the state primary school enrollment in sokoto State of universal basic education programmed in sokoto state. A study of wammakko local government area 2010-2020.
The specific objective of the study is to:
- What is the enrolment growth rate in primary schools for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Sokoto State, Nigeria?
- What is the average class size in Primary Schools in the State?
- What is the progression rate for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in the schools.
- What is the adequate numbers of physical facilities for the UBE programme in primary schools in the State?
1.4 Research Question
- Assess the enrolment growth rate in primary schools for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Sokoto State, Nigeria.
- Find out the average class size in Primary Schools in the State.
- Assess the progression rate for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in the schools.
- Assess the adequate numbers of physical facilities for the UBE programme in primaryschools in the State.
1.5 Research hypotheses
- The enrolment of primary schools in sokoto State of universal basic education programmed has positive impact on the development of pupils’ knowledge.
- The enrolment of primary schools in sokoto State of universal basic education programmed has no positive impact on the development of pupils’ knowledge.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The findings of this study would be beneficial to the following stakeholders:
Government
This study will help the government in understanding the factors that influence the enrollment, attrition and dropout patterns in primary schools. This will enable the government to make informed decisions and design its UBE policy implementation to effectively address the bottlenecks within the community for improved completion rates.
Local Communities leaders
The study also generate new information about the causes of low completion rates among school going children as well as emphasize the importance of completing the school cycle for children.
This help to shape people‟s attitudes towards the completion of school among their children.
Teachers/Parents
The study help the teacher to have knowledge and skills to ameliorate the problem of low completion rate and put extra effort to ensure that low completion rate turn to minimal through guidance and counselling by the teachers/parents.
Academicians
Also, the study contribute to the available knowledge as well as act as a basis for further research on the same subject, and benefit the researcher by helping her acquire practical research skills and also serve as a partial requirement for the award of a degree; Master of Educational management and administration of Kampala International University.
1.7 Scope of the Research
The study will criticallyassessing the state primary school enrollment in sokoto State of universal basic education programmed in sokoto state. A study of wammakko local government area 2010-2020. This study will cover some selected primary schools at Sokoto metropolis.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
Universal Basic Education (UBE): means nine years free and compulsory qualitative basic education for children of school age in Nigeria. The stipulated school age for UBE is within 4-15yrs. For this study, implementation of UBE was measured with respect to upper basic education which includes JSS I to JSSIII. The level of implementation of UBE programme was measured with; • enrollment into JSS1 students who have completed the junior secondary school courses and successful in the Joint Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE).
Primary school: a school for children between the ages of about five and eleven.