CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Â BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In Nigeria, education is one of the most important instruments used by the political elite to increase their legitimacy and control government and administrative apparatus. A comprehensive examination of the organization and administration of education in any particular country reveals that it is inextricably linked to its political regime or ideology. Uchendu (2000) claims that the educational system and politics are inextricably connected. Educational systems are built on and promote national ideas. Similarly, there is no such thing as abstract education that does not suit the politics of a certain tribe today. The formal education system has become a critical component in the political elite’s attempt to instill its ideology in the youth. According to the FRN (2004) National Policy on Education, education in Nigeria is a tool for development. As a result, it aspires to fulfill the government’s declared responsibility for the benefit of all citizens in the country. Educational objectives must be clearly defined in terms of their relevance to individual and societal requirements, taking into account the reality of our environment and the current world. Countries define the philosophy and aims that underpin their investment in education, which is often influenced by the country’s political ideology (Ifeanyi, 2000). Successive administrations in the country have emphasized the need of education for all citizens so that they can participate meaningfully to the realization of democratic ideals. Authors have defined education in a variety of ways to suit their own views of what education accomplishes or the benefits of education. Anuna (1996) described education as the systematic socialization of society’s younger members into learning about religion, morals, beliefs, nationalistic sentiments, and collective opinion of many types. It includes not only the planned and purposeful processes of school and colleges, but also the unintentional life experiences. Many authors have attempted to define politics in various ways. Politics, according to Okunamiri (2005), is “an uncontrolled battle for dominance among individuals or organizations.” “Politics,” according to Dyke (1966), “consists of battle among players pursuing opposing interests on public problems.” According to these definitions, politics is a fight for power that results in unhealthy rivalry among individuals or organizations. Clump described politics as a science and art of ensuring and increasing the temporal welfare of a society organized as a state, according to Uchendu (2000). As a result, the business of politics entails both the formulation of basic ideas and their application to specific circumstances (Naderi, 2001). Politics is concerned with the community’s overall temporal well-being. To put it another way, politics is concerned with the relationships between individuals of a community and the things of the world. It is once again about citizens’ rights and responsibilities to one another and to the state. The primary goal of community development is thus to increase involvement and interaction between politics and education in the life of any nation. Technology (no matter how basic) does not fix issues or even make friends on its own (Aizan, 2000). People are becoming increasingly aware that they are more essential than procedures. People should be able to participate in and comprehend what is going on. This is the foundation of global mutual benefit. People charting their graph, the direction of their values, discovering ways to catch up with the graph so projected, and working carefully towards the achievement of established goals and objectives, as previously suggested, represent the symbiotic link between politics and education (Rohani, 2002). This indicates that a symbiotic link between politics and education necessitates citizens’ participation in government-led initiatives to better their economic, social, and cultural circumstances. It is focused with the overall lives and requirements of the community. It should include participation from the entire community in decision-making. In another level, Obanya (2002) saw politics and education as full-fledged interaction for the stimulation of the desire for better things and the drive to achieve those better things. According to her, the mutual interaction of politics and education aims to educate and encourage people to self-help in order to establish responsible local leadership and instill a feeling of citizenship and civic consciousness in them. Furthermore, fresh ideas, research, and methodologies must be infused into the education system to ensure a long-term mutual interaction between politics and education. For example, according to Akintoye (2004), most studies on educational reform have focused on the acceptance of specific educational innovations. They’ve been carried out in areas where study has mostly concentrated on the diffusion notion, or the spread or permeation of an invention from one system to the next or from one school to the next. In recent years, it has been common knowledge that the success or failure of any educational system is determined by the political structure of the region in question. Because education is a part of the society’s political requirements, it cannot be divorced from politics. In Nigeria, education is a critical tool for national unity and cohesion. That is one of the reasons why the Nigerian federal government is active in education at all levels, including elementary, secondary, and university. Even during the time of Socrates and Plato, the political system had an impact on the educational system. “Educational plans are political in origin and impact,” Rowley (1971) stated. “There is scarcely any issue coupling politics with education,” Adesina (1884) said. He went on to say that when it comes to politics, the national goal of providing education to every kid, as well as the notion of utilizing education to eradicate hunger, illiteracy, ignorance, and illnesses, are all less educational than political. Nigerian education, like that of any other country, was shaped by government policies and, as a result, was an essential function of politics. According to Uchendu (2000), no matter what educational system a country adopts, the likely solutions to problems that may arise from governmental attempts to regulate citizens’ aspirations are related to politics, because politics determines the type of education to be adopted, so while education can be separated from politics, politics cannot be separated from education. All political regimes, according to Almond (1960), tend to maintain their culture, ideas, and structure. And this is something that education may help with. As a result, the Nigerian ruling elite is interested in education.
1.2Â Â STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The government’s involvement in education has ramifications for educational planning and education. It is organized and managed in opposition to the current governmental system (Sharir, 1999). Any educational system’s success or failure is determined by the political structure in place at the moment. Equal opportunity is a political issue that has influenced education in Nigeria, and according to the 1979 constitution, equal opportunity means: the availability of places for students in the educational system, social institutional support for attendance, and individuals’ economic ability to pursue their education. (1989, Aizan). The political leadership is dedicated to guaranteeing all Nigerians’ fundamental right to equal opportunity. That is why the government has launched a number of programs aimed at achieving this educational education. The Universal Primary Education (UPE) initiative aims to guarantee that every Nigerian child, regardless of their historical, political, cultural, or socioeconomic background, has free access to education. There are also plans, particularly with the recent implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Nigeria, to ensure that all states have access to fee-free junior secondary education. Special education institutions for handicapped and impaired children and adults are springing up all across the country. Adult and non-formal education programs for fisheries communities have also been created in several sections of the nation. All of this is geared at ensuring that even those who did not have the opportunity to attend formal school when they were younger have access to education (Naderi, 2002). This piqued the researcher’s curiosity, prompting him to explore the impact of politics on the Nigerian education system.
