THE INFLUENCE OF THE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME (UBE) ON NIGERIAN CHILDREN
CHAPTER ONE
THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION
The National Policy on Education was created in order to eliminate illiteracy at all levels of human existence and to provide affordable education to all Nigerians, regardless of class, religion, ethnic origin, or physical appearance. The policy was motivated by a desire to eradicate poverty, raise national policy indices, raise political consciousness, and promote issues of national interpretation. These policy’s fundamental goals have not been met.
In order to achieve the aforementioned national policy objectives, the federal government, through the federal ministry of education, has introduced various educational reform programs from time to time. One such educational reform program is universal basic education (UBE).
According to Yoloye (2004), the concept of basic education is not a new one in the Nigerian educational system. It has taken on a global significance in the last decade, and its meaning has expanded. UBE’s broader vision includes universalizing access and promoting equity, focusing on learning and improving the learning environment, and strengthening partnerships.
The UBE of 2004 was a significant educational reform that addressed the shortcomings and loopholes of the UPE. The UBE was designed to serve as the foundation for lifelong learning, influencing reading, writing, and the acquisition of other necessary skills for survival and development. This education includes both formal and informal learning of fundamental skills.
However, the (UPE) program was hampered by a number of foreseen difficulties, rendering it virtually unimplemented. For starters, the 1980s’ large population meant that there were suddenly a large number of primary school children who could not be easily accommodated in the existing schools. Second, there was a scarcity of trained and qualified teachers, which was exacerbated by the country’s political instability at the time.
On September 30, 1999, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, launched the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program in Sokoto. The first batch of primary one students for the program was enrolled across the country in the 2000/2001 academic year.
The following are the goals of the UBE program:
Creating a strong awareness of the importance of education and a strong commitment to its vigorous promotion among all citizens.
The UBE program provides free, universal, and compulsory education to all Nigerian children of school-going age.
reducing the rate of dropout from the formal school system dramatically (through improved relevance quality and efficiency).
Catering for the learning needs of young people who have had to interrupt their schooling for one reason or another through appropriate forms of complementary approaches to the provision and promotion of basic education; and ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, manipulative, communicative, and life skills, as well as the ethnical, moral, and civil values required for laying a solid foundation for life long learning.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Over time, the country’s educational system has failed to meet the Nigerian people’s longings and aspirations. This necessitated system changes on a regular basis. Making basic education compulsory for the populace is necessary for any nation to reduce illiteracy, ignorance, and poverty while also stimulating and accelerating the pace of national development, political consciousness, and national integration.
Recognizing this fact, Nigeria implemented universal primary education about nine years ago. As a result, the study looked into the perceived contribution of universal basic education to national development in Nigeria.
QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
1. Do primary school students have access to free education?
2. Do students in junior secondary schools have access to free books?
3. Are teachers highly motivated to teach?
4. Is there an adequate supply of teaching materials and equipment?
STUDY PURPOSE
The goal of this study is to examine the objectives and problems associated with the implementation of universal basic education and to propose potential solutions to help the program overcome the challenges it faces.
THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
The study’s findings will be extremely useful in the educational sector.
a) It would raise public awareness about the importance of the program to the educational system.
b) It would provide information to practitioners, such as teachers, planners, and other stakeholders in the child’s education.
c) The study will allow planners to identify the issues that hampered the UPE program in order to avoid them in the UBE program.
TERMS DEFINITION
Education is the process of imparting knowledge and skills through training to enable a child or individual to develop a positive attitude in order to adapt to the society to which he or she belongs.
Basic education is the type of education provided to a child in the first year of school to help them develop skills and a practical orientation.
In Nigeria, primary education is the first level of education organized in the formal school system and is provided to children aged 6 to 11 years.
Secondary education is the type of education provided in a school for children aged 12-14 for junior secondary schools and 15-18 for senior secondary schools.
An experienced teacher is one who has taught a specific subject in his or her area of specialization in a school continuously over a period of time.
Informal education, both free and compulsory, is education provided to children of school-going age from primary to junior secondary levels.
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THE INFLUENCE OF THE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME (UBE) ON NIGERIAN CHILDREN