ANALYSIS OF THE EXECUTION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE GROWTH EDUCATION IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

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ANALYSIS OF THE EXECUTION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE GROWTH EDUCATION IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the implementation of Early Childhood Care Development Education in Plateau State, Nigeria. The study was carried out with four objectives among which are to: determine the instructional materials available for the implementation of early childhood care development education in Plateau state, Nigeria; and assess the extent to which the content of early childhood care development education is being implemented in Early Childhood Care Development Education Centres in Plateau state. Likewise, four corresponding research questions were raised and answered while four null hypotheses were formulated and tested in the study. The study employed survey research design. The population of the study comprised the total of 81 head teachers and 853 teachers which dives the total population of 934 in all the public early childhood education centres in Jos South. The sample size of the study was 278 comprising of 20 head teachers and 258 teachers from 20 public early childhood education centres in Jos South, selected using random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire titled

‗Assessment of the Implementation of Early Childhood Care Development Education

Questionnaire (AIECCDEQ)‘ was used to collect data in the study. The instrument was validated by Experts in curriculum, measurement and evaluation, English and Statistics departments and later subjected to pilot test which showed the reliability of 0.79 using Cronbach alpha technique. Data collected through the administration of questionnaire was used to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses stated. The frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation was used at descriptive level, while Chi-square was used at inferential level to test the null hypotheses at 5% alpha level of significance. Findings revealed among others that instructional materials like charts, television, computer, toys, and story books among others are not available for the implementation of early childhood care development education in Plateau state. In addition, to a great extent the content of early childhood care development education is being implemented in early childhood care development education centres in Plateau state. In view of the finding from this study, recommendations were made among others that Plateau state government should ensure that appropriate instructional materials like charts, television, computer, toys, story books among others are adequately provided for the implementation of early childhood care development education in Plateau state. Also, workshops and seminars should be organized for the teachers on the effective coverage of the content of early childhood care development education in Plateau State.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1        Background to the Study

Education is the vital instrument for social and economic mobility at the personal level and an instrument for transformation of society at the national level. Nigeria considers education as an instrument per excellence for effective national development. This belief is incorporated into the philosophy of education, which is reflected and emphasized in the objectives at each level of the Nigerian educational system. Early childhood care development education is the first level of education a child attends before the primary school level. It is the first step of introducing the child to formal education apart from the home being the first agent of socialization and is very vital in moulding the character of an individual. The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in their lives to influence learning.

Educating a child is very important. It is very important to recognize that high quality education early in life gives children the best start. For young children, care and education cannot be separated. Young children learn through play and learn best when receiving quality care. MacEwan (2013), opined that a child who develops well physically, mentally, socially and emotionally during early years will be more likely to be a good and productive member of the society. The National Policy on Education (2013) section two recognizes the fact that formal education of a child apparently starts from about the age of 3 years, hence the prescriptions on pre- primary education as contained in the policy document. The official recognition given to pre-primary education in the national policy on education is based on sound philosophies, goals, quality education, effective curriculum as well as conducive learning environment. This improvement with increasing exposure to Global International Organisations and contact with United Nations International Children‘s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization(UNESCO). The United Nations declaration on human rights broadens the perception of Nigerians about children education and their needs. These contacts resulted in a new and improved realization of the relevance of early childhood care development education as the potential need for societal development. Nigeria intervention in early years learning and development is firmly rooted in the national philosophy on education which is premised on the development of the individual into a sound and effective citizen as well as the need for educational opportunities to all Nigerian children irrespective of their background. Between the ages of 3-5 years a child forms important concepts about himself, the people around him the world. This is a critical stage in a child‘s life because early concepts have very strong influence all through later life. Therefore, many pre-primary schools aim at helping the children developed physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially.

Pre-primary education has become a popular and acceptable means of supplementing a child‘s home education and offering alternative child care arrangements for working parents. Early childhood care development education has been understood by educationist to be of tremendous importance to early childhood years, in laying foundation for subsequent learning MacEwan (2013). It is important as future learning depends on the satisfaction and successes achieved in these early years. These early years of children are rapid period of development in cognitive, affective and psychomotor, therefore these years must be well moulded to challenge the years ahead. Pre-primary institutions are places where children are first introduced to formal education and experiences which are quite different from the ones acquired at their various homes, as a result of the nursery centres with broader and more complex environment comprising of wider range of adults, peer groups and school facilities.

Early childhood care development education according to the National Policy on Education (2013), is the education provided in an educational institution to children prior to their entering the primary school which includes the crèche, nursery and kindergarten. The responsibilities of the government in pre- primary education shall be to promote the training of qualified teachers in adequate numbers, contribute to the development of suitable curriculum, quality assurance and control quality of its teachers and the improvement of early childhood care development education centres. This is because the early years of a child are the most crucial and basic to any other educational systems. They influence how the rest of childhood and adolescence unfold. The National Policy on Education(2013) recognized early childhood care development education as the instrument geared towards self-realization, better human relationship, individual and national efficiency, national consciousness, national unity as well as towards social, cultural, economic and technological progress.

Education in Nigeria is generally facing problems that cut across all aspects of its realization in which early childhood care development education is not an exception. Hence, Dare, (2006), stated that; early childhood care development education in Nigeria is saddled with numerous problems, which includes; inadequate quality assurance, inadequate funding, inadequate teaching and learning facilities. It is noted with dismay that while the National Policy on Education (2013) specified the guidelines for operating pre-primary education in Nigeria, it did not state the care and support requirements for children aged 0-2 years. This is a gap that has left the operation of early childhood care development education more in the hands of private operators without adequate guidelines or standard.

Education is an indisputable requisite for improving the social and economic conditions and early childhood care development education plays a crucial role in this context. As such, the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognized the importance of early childhood care development education in Nigeria, National Policy on Education (2013), spelt out the following objectives of early childhood care development education as follows; effect a smooth transition from home to the school, prepare the child for the primary education, provide adequate care and supervision for the children while their parents are at work, inculcate in the child the spirit of inquiry and creativity through the exploration of nature, the environment ,art, music and playing with toys, develop a sense of co-operation and team-spirit, learn good habits, especially good health habits and teach the rudiments of numbers, letters, colours, shapes, forms through play. To realize these lofty objectives, Okewole, Iluezi and Osinowo (2015), noted that early childhood care development education curriculum was designed along the aforementioned objectives by Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) and recommended for use for all early childhood centres. However, it should be noted that private individuals and private organizations have been officially licensed to provide early childhood control and assurance in the system. recent, government especially at the state level has embarked on establishing early childhood care development education centres in every public school, not much had been known about this gesture (Olaleye, Florence & Omatayo, 2009). Early childhood education has been suffering in the hands of unqualified and inexperience teachers resulting to children receiving ineffective education and adequate care, which is bound to affect their eventual growth and intellectual development.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Early childhood care development education is an asset of great value and has been designed to enhance the quality of children live globally. As part of the efforts towards improving the quality of life of the Nigerian children, besides incorporating early childhood care development education in the FRN (2013), a comprehensive early childhood care development education curriculum was designed for implementation to equip the children with the desired skills needed for effective primary education and social life.

Early childhood care development education is the foundation for other educational levels in Nigeria, but seemsneglected especially in the area of qualified manpower, instructional materials, creating a warm and nurturing environment in the early childhood care and development education centres, provide a supportive classroom climate and so forth. This negligence seems to be costly to theeffective implementation of Early Childhood Care Development Education programme.

There is no doubt that the implementation of Early Childhood Care Development Education requires the collaborative effort of all stakeholders, including the government, parents/guardians, and school authorities. While the government is expected to provide necessary teaching and learning resources, the availability of relevant age-grade involvement in pre-school education in the country.

Considering the volatility of Early Childhood Care Development Education, knowing that the products of the educational system of the country is largely tied to the effectiveness of pre-school education, the need for more coordination cannot be emphasized. The National Policy on Education (FRN, 2013), document defined the roles of all stakeholders to ensure hitch-free implementation of Early Childhood Care Development Education.

It is saddening to note that since the production, approval and launching of National Policy on Education for Early Childhood Care Development Education in 2007, no noticeable intervention has been recorded. The impact of national, state, and local consultative and coordinating committees as spelt out in the policy is yet to be felt. This is because one of the key initiatives spelt out in the report of the education sector of the National Technical working group for Nigerian vision 20:20:20 programme for achieving the objectives of Early Childhood Care

Development Education is the training of teachers and care-givers which are not even aware of Early Childhood Care Development Education programme in Nigerian colleges of Education (Usman, 2009).

However, studies have shown that head-teachers, teachers and care-givers have not been properly and adequately trained on the implementation of the curriculum and most of the available care-givers are not even qualified to be so called as they are improvised from clerks and cleaners. This among other problems prompted the present study which attempted to assess the implementation of Early Childhood Care Development Education in Plateau State, Nigeria.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The study sought to:

  1. determine the instructional materials available for the implementation of early childhood care development education in plateau state, Nigeria;
  2. assess the extent to which the content of early childhood care development education is being implemented in Early Childhood Care Development Education Centres in plateau

state;

  1. ascertain the level of teaching staff recruited for the implementation of early childhood care development education in Plateau state; and
  2. identify the techniques used for the implementation of curriculum in achieving the goals of early childhood care development education in Plateau state.

1.4        Research Questions

The following questions were put forward to guide the conduct of the study:

  1. to what extent are the instructional materials available for the implementation of early childhood care development education in plateau state?
  2. in which way is the content of early childhood care development education being implemented in early childhood care development education centres in Plateau state?
  3. what is the level of teaching staff recruitment in the implementation of early childhood care development education in plateau state?
  4. what are the techniques used for the implementation of curriculum in achieving the goals of early childhood care development education in Plateau state?

1.5        Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested in this study:

H01:There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondents on theinstructional materials available for early childhood care development education implementation in Plateau state.

H02: There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondents on the extent to which the content of early childhood care development education is being implemented in Early Childhood Care Development Education Centres in plateau state.

H03: There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondents on level of recruitment of teaching staff in the implementation of early childhood care development education in

Plateau state.

Ho4 There is no significant difference in the opinions of respondents on the techniques used

for      the      implementation     of      curriculum      in      achieving     the      goals     of

earlychildhoodcaredevelopment education in Plateau state.

1.6        Basic Assumptions

The study is based on the following assumptions:

  1. If adequate instructional materials are available for the implementation of early childhood care development education, it will enhance teaching and learning in plateau

state.

  1. Teachers will be guided if the content of early childhood care development education are implemented.
  2. The level of staff recruitment will encourage subject specialization in early childhood care development education centres and it will improve functional educational system.
  3. It is assumed that if steps for the establishment of early childhood care development education are strictly adhered to, the standard of Early Childhood Care Development

Education would be achieved.

1.7       Significance of the Study

The study is expected to assess the implementation of early childhood care development education in plateau state, Nigeria. The research was carried out to provide data and information that will be useful to Curriculum planners, ministry of education and inspectorate division, government, pre-primary school teachers and future researchers.

This will help the curriculum planners in planning effective educational activities that will assist in promoting early childhood care development education. It will also enhance provisions in teacher education programmes for specialization in early childhood care development education.

The study will provide valid research-based data that will bring about improvement and innovation into the programme. It is difficult to assert that a programme is doing what it is supposed to do when it has not been formally evaluated. This study will determine if early childhood care development education curriculum is adequately implemented to achieve the desired objectives under the existing situation in Nigeria.

Also, findings from this study will be of immense benefit to policymakers and curriculum developers. They will find the result of this study as a useful tool in the future development of early childhood care development education curriculum and make policies that are beneficiary to students the schools, teachers and the entire society.The study will reveal the need fora variety of curriculum materials necessary for effective implementationof the early childhood care development education curriculum. It will also reveal the need forschool curricular to be constantly reformed and developed to meetsocietal needs and values.

The ministry of education and inspectorate division will greatly benefit from this study when the findings reveal their influence of quality assurance and inspection in achieving the goals of early childhood care development education with emphasis on the quality of teachers and teaching materials to be used. Similarly, findings from this study will go a long way in facilitating creativity and identification of effective strategies, as well as, apt application of relevant pedagogical and instructional materials needed in solving any identified obstacles (if any) in the implementation of early childhood care development education curriculum.

The government; this research study is very relevant to the government of Nigeria and that of plateau state in particular as it will bring to the notice of the government the necessity of investing in early childhood care development education on its citizen. The study will also encourage government responsibility to promote the training of qualified pre-primary school teachers in adequate number, and also contribute to the development of suitable curriculum, and establish pre-primary sections in all existing public schools.

It would bring to limelight, the effect of nursery education on the academic performance of learners in the normal educational setting leading the educators to follow the most beneficial ways of schooling and also educating the parents on the benefit of sending their wards to schools. The intricacies of learning would also be made known. In addition, the research would assist the ministry of education in the state and nation at large to realize the importance of preprimary institution and inculcate it in the academic calendar of the ministry.

In addition, the finding of the study would benefit other researchers when communicated through workshops, conferences and seminars. The data generated from the research would serve as a baseline for future researchers to explore other areas in early childhood education.

1.8       Scope of the Study

The study is on the assessment of the implementation of early childhood care development education in Plateau State. The study is limited to all Early childhood care development education institutions in Jos south. The study is with the aim to assess the implementation issues for curriculum delivery, instructional materials needs for the early childhood care development education, teacher as important personnel in curriculum delivery of the early childhood care development education, and identify the techniques used for the implementation of curriculum in achieving the goals of ECCDE in Plateau State.

ANALYSIS OF THE EXECUTION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE GROWTH EDUCATION IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

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