CHAPTER 1: Introduction
Education is an inevitable tool
for sustainable development and a vehicle for advancing the frontier of
knowledge (Abdul-Kareem, 2001). In this regard, education is severally
conceived and inculcated by people of varying backgrounds, ages, needs and
aspirations for sustainable development. The potency of education is more
evident in its globalization trends imbued with instrumental values of nurturing
productive citizens for sustainable development and democracy. Education has
been recognized as a process of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes to
the learners. Teachers’ influence is always felt in every aspect of the
society. The effectiveness of any educational system depends greatly on the
educational attainment of teachers because no system of education can be
qualitatively higher than the quality and commitment of its teachers. According
to (Ukeje, 1988 in Wanekezi, Okoli and Mezieobi, 2011), pointed out that
education unlocks the door to modernization and sustainable development but
that, it is the teacher that holds the key to the door. Thus, the teacher has
the responsibility of translating educational policies into practice and programmes
into action. It is clear from the foregoing that the role of the teacher in
sustainable development cannot be quantified, especially in training personnel
in various areas of the workforce. For national development and peaceful
co-existence to be attained, there is need to give priority to investment in
human capital through teacher education and training. The Nigerian educational
system needs to be responsive to the technological social and economic needs of
the society and provide the type of human resources needed in the industrial
and economic sector. Herein comes the role of effective teacher education
programme to translate the needed skills, knowledge and attitudes to meet their
needs and the societal ones.
1.1 Background of the Study
The
quality or standard of education in Nigeria has reduced in recent years because
of, among other factors, the brain drain phenomenon, (i.e., the drift of many
brilliant, intelligent and more experienced teachers and university lecturers
to countries where they were offered better remunerations and conditions of
service). This syndrome is, to a large extent, attributable to inadequate
incentives, poorly equipped education system in an increasingly hostile working
environments, inadequate social recognition, delay in payment (and sometimes
denial) of teachers’ salaries, among others. The reliance on inexperienced, and
in some cases unqualified teachers and lecturers in the various educational
fields and institutions in the country definitely affects the quality of
students’ work, and of graduates who are eventually employed to service the
educational manpower needs, as well as the economy. This vicious circle
contributes to the lowering status of education in the universities, colleges
of education as well as secondary and primary schools (Osokoya, 2012), even as
the trend impacts on the economy negatively.
Many
teachers in Nigeria have not measured up to the minimum international standard.
This is because a large number of untrained and half-baked personnel are still
retained in the system, leading to a scenario in which career in teaching is
not yet professionalized. Many unqualified teachers are still in the employment
of some States Teaching Service Boards, while most higher education lecturers
are yet to undergo training in education. Until government makes this training
mandatory and pursues the policy vigorously, teaching will continue to be open
to anyone and this situation holds the potentials of further eroding
professionalism in teaching profession (Osokoya, 2012). Certainly, this has
other wider socio-political and economic implications given the fact that
education remains a very essential component that produces a healthy and
prosperous nation. The research
seeks to investigate the plight of Education and status of teachers in Nigeria.
Issues and challenges.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Education is an inevitable tool for
sustainable development and a vehicle for advancing the frontier of knowledge
(Abdul-Kareem, 2001). In this regard, education is severally conceived and
inculcated by people of varying backgrounds, ages, needs and aspirations for
sustainable development. The potency of education is more evident in its
globalization trends imbued with instrumental values of nurturing productive
citizens for sustainable development and democracy. Education has been
recognized as a process of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes to the
learners. Teachers’ influence is always felt in every aspect of the society.
The effectiveness of any educational system depends greatly on the educational
attainment of teachers because no system of education can be qualitatively
higher than the quality and commitment of its teachers.
In Nigeria,
teachers' conditions of service do not hold enough incentives to attract and
retain the best brains in Nigerian schools (Osokoya, 2012). As a result of the
weakening attraction to the teaching profession, and by extension the resultant
dwindling enrolment in the teacher education programs, those who remain in the
profession maintain relatively low social status with accompanying
psychological problems. Consequently, within the remaining pool, some teachers
either seek opportunities in other sectors (within the economy) with better
service incentives or even migrate to other countries where teachers’
conditions of service are much better, in search of greener pastures. The problem confronting this research
therefore is to investigate the plight of Education and status of teachers in
Nigeria. Issues and challenges.
1.3 Objective of the Study
1 To determine
the nature of the plight of education and status of teachers in Nigeria
2 To determine
the issues and challenges of the plight of education and status of teachers
1.4 Research Questions
1 What is the
nature of the plight of Education and status of Teachers in Nigeria?
2 What are the
issues and the challenges of the plight of education and status of teachers?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The study is
particularly important at such a time when many observations and criticism have
been levied on the dwindling and fallen standard of education across the
various level of Education so as to instigate the rapid reformation of policies
and strategies of educational development in Nigeria.
The study shall
also serve as a reference point of information on issues regarding the plight
of education and status of teachers in Nigeria.
1.6 Statement of Hypothesis
1 Ho The plight of Education and
status Teachers in Nigeria is low
Hi The plight of Education and
status Teachers in Nigeria is high
2 Ho The issues and challenges of the
plight of Education and status of Teachers is low
Hi The issues and challenges of
the plight of Education and status of Teachers is high
3 Ho The effect of the plight of
Education and status of Teachers is low
Hi The effect of the plight of Education and status of Teachers is high
1.7 Scope
of the Study
The study focuses
on the appraisal of the plight of Education and status of Teachers in Nigeria;
Issues and challenges
1.8 Definition of Terms
EDUCATION DEFINED
Education
has been recognized as a process of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes
to the learners.
TEACHER
EDUCATION DEFINED
Teacher
education refers to professional education of teachers towards attainment of
attitudes, skills and knowledge considered desirable so as to make them
efficient and effective in their work, in accordance with the need of a given
society at any point in time. It includes training and or education occurring
before commencement of service (pre-service) and during service (in-service or
on-the-job).
TEACHER
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE DEFINED
Teacher’s
professional and academic competencies are seen in their ability to make use of
the learning opportunities available in the environment. This means their
willingness to take active part to analyze changes in the environment with
other members of the work community to see these changes in relation to
teachers and the school possibilities to determine which changes and outcomes
that are of the greatest relevant to the socio-economic and political
development of the community’s need.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
1. Introduction
Teacher education refers to professional
education of teachers towards attainment of attitudes, skills and knowledge
considered desirable so as to make them efficient and effective in their work,
in accordance with the need of a given society at any point in time. It
includes training and or education occurring before commencement of service
(pre-service) and during service (in-service or on-the-job). Every society
requires adequate human and material resources to improve its social
organization, preserve the culture, enhance economic development and reform the
political structures. Education is often seen as a prerequisite for quality
manpower development and creation of wealth, a sure path to success in life and
service to humanity. Thus, teachers have important role to play to adequately
prepare the young for their roles in the society in order to achieve the set
national objectives.
Education is an inevitable tool for
sustainable development and a vehicle for advancing the frontier of knowledge
(Abdul-Kareem, 2001). In this regard, education is severally conceived and
inculcated by people of varying backgrounds, ages, needs and aspirations for
sustainable development. The potency of education is more evident in its
globalization trends imbued with instrumental values of nurturing productive
citizens for sustainable development and democracy. Education has been
recognized as a process of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes to the
learners. Teachers’ influence is always felt in every aspect of the society.
The effectiveness of any educational system depends greatly on the educational
attainment of teachers because no system of education can be qualitatively
higher than the quality and commitment of its teachers.
The fact remains that teaching and learning
depend on teachers for there can be no meaningful socio-economic and political
development in any country without teachers. It is on teachers’ numbers,
quality and devotion that rest the effectiveness of all educational
arrangements, development and growth. Even the educational planners may have
the best educational policies and designs, the government may vote the largest
sum of its revenue to education, but the ultimate realization of any set of
aims for education depends on the teacher. It is the teacher who will
ultimately be responsible for translating policy into action and principles
into practice in their interactions with their students. (Ukeje, 1996)
supported this fact when he stated that education unlocks the door to
modernization, and added that it is the teachers who hold the key to that door.
(Afe, 1992), states that the realization of the educational objectives depends
on the quality and quantity of the available teaching manpower. This can be
influence by the availability of adequate training and retraining programmes
for those about to teach and those already teaching respectively. Hence, the
efficiency of teacher training should be the main determining factor in the
success or failure of education to meet the country’s needs. The training is
the policies and procedures designed to equip prospective teachers with the
knowledge, attitudes and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively
in the classroom, school and wider community. Education is the most powerful
instrument for social and economic progress. It is the greatest power get known
to man for hisher own improvements. Teachers are the heart and soul of the educational
enterprises, indeed, the life of the school system depends on them.
Teachers belong to the profession which has
the only potential of determining the social, economic, political and moral
destiny of every Nigerian citizen. This fact underscores the necessity for
teacher education to be perceived as a sacred duty that must never be toyed
with if teaching must fulfill its divine professional mandate of cultivating
generations of highly responsible disciplined and useful Nigerians. However,
teacher education should be regarded as the bedrock for national development.
(Talabi, 1985) (Bofarin, 1986) (Afe, 1995) the major problem facing the nation
has been that of getting teachers of quality. For teacher quality to rise above
the educational system, a strong teacher education programme is required. This
paper talks about the need for teacher education, the ideal teacher education,
teacher education and national development, reviews the historical development
of teacher education in Nigeria, and further examines teacher education reforms
as undertaken by Phelp-Stokes and Ashby commissions, Nigeria regional
governments, as well as the post-independence efforts. Subsequently, the paper
identifies and discusses the challenges facing teacher education in the country
and give suggestions towards improving the system.
1.1. The Need for Teacher Education
Teacher education is policies and procedures
designed to equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitude, behaviors
and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom,
school, the church/mosque and the local and wider society. Although, ideally it
should be conceived of and organized as a seamless continuum, teacher education
is often divided into three stages:
· Initial teacher training
(teacher candidates)
· Induction (the process of
providing training and support during the first few year of teaching or the
first year in a particular school).
· Teacher development or
continuing professional development (CPD) (an intensive process for practicing
teachers).
2.2 Conceptual Framework
Teacher Education in Contemporary Nigeria:
Trends, Challenges and Prospects
The issues of teacher preparation, supply,
status enhancement, motivation and retention as well as continuous training and
retraining are at the heart of education reform at all levels. The overarching
goal of human capacity development for the efficient and effective delivery of
the Universal Basic Education (UBE), Education for All (EFA), and related
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is that by 2015 Nigeria will have human resources base to manage and implement
the UBE scheme (National Action Plan [NAP] 2006: 53). Thus, through
strategic actions that include the following, the objectives seemed realizable:
· continued expansion of
teacher training opportunities;
· continuous programme of
enhanced status and professionalism for teachers through training and
retraining, reviews of current remuneration packages, and enhanced career
opportunities;
· Programs designed to
address the capacity needs of schools and educational management;
· building the capacity of
the inspectorate services to improve quality;
· engaging civil society
partners in the roles of quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment
work at all levels.
The need and critical role of
professionalizing the teaching profession, vested in the Teachers
Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), by
virtue of the Teachers Registration Council Act, began in
2007 with the mandatory registration of all professionally qualified teachers.
This action is equally matched with comprehensive training and in-service
training seminars and workshops in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. More
importantly, the TRCN has begun implementation of the NPE provision that all teachers in education institutions
including universities shall be professionally trained [NPE Section 8(b)
paragraph 72, 2004]. This was in a bid to ensure adequate supply of manpower in
Nigerian schools in conformity with the goals of teacher education as specified
in Section 8(b) of the (NPE, 2004), paragraph 70-79, the (NAP,2006) and the 10
Year Strategic Plan, among others. While the goal of the Strategic Plan is to
design a teacher education framework, based on what teachers should know and do
relative to Nigeria’s new vision and mission, the (National Policy on
Education, 2004 in Makoju, G.A.E. et al 2005p.166);highlights the thrust of the
ongoing reform noting that it aims to:
1. Produce highly motivated, conscientious
and efficient classroom teachers for all levels of our educational system;
2. Encourage further the spirit of
enquiry and creativity in teachers;
3. Help teachers to fit into the social
life of the community and the society at large and enhance their commitment to
national goals;
4. Enhance teachers’ commitment to the
teaching profession; and
5. Provide teachers with the
intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment and make
them adaptable to changing situations.
It is significant and noteworthy that these
approaches contributed immensely towards addressing teacher education
challenges through training and retraining, instructional material development
and availability, periodic renewal of teacher licenses, capacity building for
reformed inspectorate service, support to the TRCN’s mandate and enhancement of
teachers’ status and incentives. Today, teacher education is much improved than
it was before and a few decades after independence. The NPE, released in 1977
and revised in 1981, 1998 and 2004 clearly articulates the importance attached
to teacher education and affirms that no
education system can rise above the quality of its teachers. The policy
makes it mandatory for all teachers in Nigeria to be trained and stipulates NCE
as the minimum qualification for the profession. It also provides that teacher education shall continue to take
cognizance of changes in methodology and in the curriculum, even as it
underscores the need for teachers to be regularly exposed to innovations in
their profession. It further recognizes the need for in-service training as an integral part of continuing teacher
education. Today, the statutory responsibility for teacher education in
Nigeria is vested in Colleges of Education, Institutes of Education,
Polytechnics, National Teachers Institute (NTI) and Nigerian Universities’
Faculties of Education. Nigerian Polytechnics and Colleges of Education award
the NCE which is a sub-degree but professional teachers are expected to at
least, have diplomas obtainable after three years of full-time study. The
admission requirement for the NCE programme is Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) or its equivalent
with passes in five subjects including English language, and the curriculum for
NCE teachers is designed to produce teachers exposed to a range of courses
covering all that is required to make them competent professionals. New courses
such as Computer Education, Mathematics and general English have been made
compulsory for all NCE students. Also, relevant themes such as Nigerian
constitution, environment/conservation education, population and family life
education, HIV/AIDS education, drug abuse and women's education have recently
been integrated into the curriculum. On its part, the NTI was established in
1976 by decree No. 7 of 1976 to offer upgrading programmes for teachers through
distance learning. Over the years NTI has been providing in-service training
for teachers during school holidays and weekends leading to the award of NCE,
B.Ed. and Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) certificates. Similarly,
Institutes of Education in the various universities have also been involved
through distance learning and offer of part-time courses for the training of
teachers who earn NCE, B.Ed., and PGDE certificates on successful completion of
studies. On the other hand, faculties of education prepare pre-service teachers
for B.Ed., B.A. (Ed.), M.Ed., and PhD degrees. There are four major components
of the degree program in the Nigerian universities namely, General Studies Educational
studies, Studies related to the students’ intended field of teaching and
teaching practice.
1.10. Challenges Facing Teacher Education in
Nigeria
In spite of the various recommendations and
reforms that targeted repositioning teacher education in the country for
optimal performance, the challenges facing teacher education in Nigeria are
still numerous. While some of these emerged with the changing socio-economic
and political condition of the time, others evolved as a result of government
neglect of the education sector especially as it concerns keeping pace with
emerging realities, such as, servicing Nigeria’s growing population, education
demand and needs with matching supply of education services and facilities.
Some of these challenges are specifically examined as follows;
1.10.1. Poor Policy Implementation
Poor policy implementation is a challenge to
quality delivery of teachers’ education. The poor quality delivery is
responsible for the abysmal low performance of teachers’ graduates from the
institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. (Anyakoha, 1994) argued that our
policies are written by knowledgeable writers who have foresight and believe
strongly in what they write for the future but the problem comes when it comes
to translating theory into practice by implementers. However, several factors
could be adduced as inhibitors to smooth implementation of educational policies
and thereby resulting to poor quality delivery. Such as government underfunding
of education and injudicious utilization of available funds by implementation
agencies: vice chancellors, rectors, provosts, deans of faculties, heads of
department etc. when funds meant to deliver quality education is
misappropriated or embezzled, the education which learners receive becomes
worthless.
1.10.2. Poor Conditions of Service and Brain Drain
Syndrome
In Nigeria, teachers' conditions of service
do not hold enough incentives to attract and retain the best brains in Nigerian
schools (Osokoya, 2012). As a result of the weakening attraction to the
teaching profession, and by extension the resultant dwindling enrolment in the
teacher education programs, those who remain in the profession maintain
relatively low social status with accompanying psychological problems. Consequently,
within the remaining pool, some teachers either seek opportunities in other
sectors (within the economy) with better service incentives or even migrate to
other countries where teachers’ conditions of service are much better, in
search of greener pastures.
The quality or standard of education in
Nigeria has reduced in recent years because of, among other factors, the brain
drain phenomenon, (i.e., the drift of many brilliant, intelligent and more
experienced teachers and university lecturers to countries where they were
offered better remunerations and conditions of service). This syndrome is, to a
large extent, attributable to inadequate incentives, poorly equipped education
system in an increasingly hostile working environments, inadequate social recognition,
delay in payment (and sometimes denial) of teachers’ salaries, among others.
The reliance on inexperienced, and in some cases unqualified teachers and
lecturers in the various educational fields and institutions in the country
definitely affects the quality of students’ work, and of graduates who are
eventually employed to service the educational manpower needs, as well as the
economy. This vicious circle contributes to the lowering status of education in
the universities, colleges of education as well as secondary and primary
schools (Osokoya, 2012), even as the trend impacts on the economy negatively.
1.10.3. Quality Assurance and Internal Efficiency
Issues
The academic and emotional qualities of
intending candidates for teacher education are critical for quality assurance
and internal efficiency in teaching professions. In Nigerian tertiary schools,
a trend has been evolving to the effect that candidates who apply to higher
institutions for teacher education are those who have either been denied
admission in their choice areas of study, or are basically unqualified for
admission into such popular professional courses as medicine, law, engineering,
architecture etc. The usual shortage of applicants seeking admission into
programs that would prepare them as teachers in universities and colleges is a
pointer to why admission and placement in education programs is not as rigorous
as it is in other programs earlier named. This is mostly opposed to the
international standards for teacher selection. For example, the International
Labor Organization (ILO) recommends that teachers should be selected on the
basis of moral, intellectual and physical qualities. Also, in more developed
climes like the United Kingdom, applicants are compulsorily expected to possess
certain intellectual qualities and personal characteristics before they are
admitted for training (Lassa, 1998). In contrast, the Nigerian Universities,
College of Education and Polytechnics conduct students’ admissions based
primarily on obtaining the minimum academic requirements while other
internationally recognized pre-requisites such as emotional stability, physical
fitness or qualities, moral uprightness and communication proficiencies are
hardly given considerations.
In addition to the above, the low quality of
teachers produced through in-service training by NTI is a serious challenge to
teacher education in the country. Some Nigerian scholars have noted that most
of the teachers upgraded to Teachers Grade II by NTI were very deficient not only
in the academic subjects they teach, but also in techniques of teaching
(Obanya, 2008), (Enukora et al,
2003). Perhaps, the most unpleasant challenge is one posed by the ongoing
Pivotal Teacher Training Program (PTTP) which is currently being executed by the
NTI. The PTTP is an intensive program of the federal government designed to
raise teachers to implement the UBE program. Introduced to address the gross
shortage of qualified teachers at the inception of UBE in 1999, it was
apparently in search of cost effective alternatives towards bridging the
shortage gaps in the system (FGN, 2003). Structured as a 15 month course
including 12 weeks school experience and three-month internship in a primary
school, the PTTP’s mode of teaching combines face-to-face contact at
weekends/holidays with self-instruction course materials and school teaching
experience, after which the candidates are certified and deemed qualified to
teach. Critics of the program have, however, condemned the program’s low
academic quality, its products and more fundamentally the poor standards of
admission requirements into it (Enukora et
al, 2003), (Osokoya, 2012). The weight of these quality assurance issues
is concomitantly brought to bear on the internal efficiency of Nigeria’s
education system, hence deepening the crisis in the sector.
1.10.4. Insufficient Knowledge and Use of
Information Communication Technology (ICT)
Another major challenge to teacher education
in Nigeria is that of insufficient knowledge and use of ICT in a globalizing world.
The knowledge, and use, of computer technology as well as the internet is a
necessity for all teachers to guarantee the relevance of the system and its
products in the 21st century. Many schools in Nigeria still operate
the traditional education system with little or no adaptation to ICT. To
benefit from the ubiquity of information and to facilitate communication among
professional networks, school teachers need, not only be trained and re-trained
in ICTs, but facilities must be provided by government to enable teacher and
their students access to these remain uninterrupted, more so that the world is
gradually becoming a global village. For our future teachers to be able to
operate effectively and efficiently, they must imbibe the new technologies and methodologies
of the modern times (Osokoya, 2012).
1.10.5. Non-Professionalization of Teaching
Many teachers in Nigeria have not measured up
to the minimum international standard. This is because a large number of
untrained and half-baked personnel are still retained in the system, leading to
a scenario in which career in teaching is not yet professionalized. Many
unqualified teachers are still in the employment of some States Teaching
Service Boards, while most higher education lecturers are yet to undergo
training in education. Until government makes this training mandatory and
pursues the policy vigorously, teaching will continue to be open to anyone and
this situation holds the potentials of further eroding professionalism in
teaching profession (Osokoya, 2012). Certainly, this has other wider
socio-political and economic implications given the fact that education remains
a very essential component that produces a healthy and prosperous nation.