CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background to the study
Education is tool for the acquisition of skills, relevant knowledge and habits for surviving in the changing world. As such in every society, the education sector stands as a medium through which positive transformation could be achieved, Adeposu (2007). The place of education in national development cannot be over-stressed. Its importance is stressed in the opening statement of the national policy of education (2004) where it is maintained that “education in Nigeria is an instrument ‘par excellence’ for effecting national development” In other words, education is not just a medium of knowledge and skill acquisition, it is also a tool for nation building. In the views of Oscar (2007) education is a universal phenomenon necessary for man’s survival. It takes place at all states of human development. Though very crucial, it has never been an easy task. It often involves investment of the scarce resources, including time, of its success. Most societies invest their scarce resources in education as the only means of making their “world” a better place. Education therefore helps to shape the destiny of individuals and societies in all spheres of their development. It has also been described as the society’s cultural reproduction system. Historically, forward education in Nigeria can be traced to the advent and activities of European missionaries and colonialists. However, the scope of education in Nigeria during this era was not only narrow; it also located a properly defined focus. To make education have a definable focus, a national policy on education became even more pressing following the national curriculum conference in 1969. The important features of Nigerian’s education policy as at 1998 are its outline of a philosophy for the country’s education, promotion of the teaching of Nigerian languages, introduction of guideline and counseling in schools diversified curriculum with prevocational and vocational technical subjects (vanguard, May 25, 2006).
This particular policy was also characterized by a 6-3-3-4 educational structure which required than an average Nigerian child would spend a minimum of 6 years in primary school, 3 years in junior secondary school, 3 years in senior secondary school and minimum of 4 years of university education. In 2004, the National Policy on Education was revisited and revised. Although, this latest policy incorporated the features of the new additions, most outstanding being the 9-3-4 education structure, backed up by the universal basic education. The 9-3-4 structure requires 9 years of basic education (which combines 6 years) of university education in all the human existence, no matter the location or period, and even in different stages of development, people have always cared for the survival of the young child. This effort has always involved ensuring the young ones all round development and their harmonious fitting into wider society (Obanya, 2007).
According to Mishra (2008), Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) refers to a wider range of programs, all aimed at the children before they enter primary school – theoretically from birth to about 7 to 8. From the above statement, it is clear that Nigeria has accepted to contribute to good child development outcomes set the foundation for life-long learning and to equally help in the monitoring of health and nutrition status of the child during this critical period of development.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The problem of poor performance of pupils in both internal and external examinations has attracted serious criticism. But poor academic performance is a multi-faceted problem caused by many and varied factors. Some see the poor performance by pupils as a reflection of perceived falling standard of education in our society. While others attribute it to neglect of early childhood care and education due to improper implementation, contents of the national policy on education. Researcher is interested in investigating national policy on education and the relevance of early childhood care and education in Ini Local Government Area.
