The four runners education teachers and the curriculum
COURSE TITLE: CURRRCULUM CHALLENGES 7PE598
ASSESSMENT TITLE: THE 6-3-3-4 and 9-3-4 EDUCATION POLICY AND CURRICULUM IN NIGERIA
Does Curriculum if not well developed and implemented affects national development?
What are the main substances to be considered in Curriculum development?
Curriculum started tracing back from the “Greece, it was literally a course. In Latin Curriculum was a racing chariot; currere was to run. Kotinsky, R. (2020). What is Curriculum? Exploring theory and practice. Available from https://infed.org/mobi/curriculum-theory-and-practice, https://es.scribd.com
Curriculum is the learning and teaching which is designed and manage by the school, whether it is implemented collectively or by each individual within or outside the school (John Kerr and taken up by Vicky Kelly:(quoted in kelly 1983: 10; see also, Kelly 1999). Kotinsky, R. (2020). What is Curriculum? Exploring theory and practice. Available from https://infed.org/mobi/curriculum-theory-and-practice
Explore: Can the students explore with the content of the developed curriculum? Are there adequate skills and critical thinking building activities?
Implement or Use: Can they use the knowledge in their everyday lifestyle? What kind of skills can they exhibit after the taught level?
The 6:3:3:4 education in Nigeria came into establishment in 1983 after the 6:5:2:3 British Educational Policy and Curriculum our Colonia Masters left in the hands of the Government known as Missionary schools after Nigeria’s Independence. Yahaya, A.(2019). 6-3-3-4 & 9-3-4 System of Education in Nigeria. Available from https://nigerianinfopedia@gmail.com , https://globaledunet.org
The 6:5:3:2 encounter a lot of criticisms and rejection as a result of the different Ethnic and religious beliefs, political and opposition party differences in Nigeria.
The first three years for Junior Secondary, (3)
Then the second three years for Senior Secondary, (3)
If Yes, Why do we still have education decadent in Nigeria?
If No, Where do we need real and total educational reform in Nigeria?
The essence of establishing 6-3-3-4 education in Nigeria was to, make every child in Nigeria have access to free education, empower and equipped students/youths from this programme with vocational skills that they can do with their heads, hands and heart that will lead to entrepreneurship which will bring about national development in Nigeria.
Oyelere, R. U.(2015). A Flop or a Success: An Evaluation of the Welfare Impacts of the 6:3:3:4 Education System. Yahaya, .A. (2019). 6-3-3-4 & 9-3-4 System of Education in Nigeria. Available from https://papers.ssrn.com/so13/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2655080, https://nigeriainfopedia.com.ng , https://evans.uw.edu
The curriculum, school and education sector can’t be successful in any nation without the full involvement of teachers’ in developing or designing and implementing the curriculum.
Adequate training before the implementation stage and continuous professional development should be given to teachers.
Iyanuokuwa, F. (2021). Why Nigeria’s Education System is in Crisis. Available from https://schoolscompass.com.ng/blog/2021 & https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles.
Efosa , A. (2018). Education System in Nigeria, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Available from https://infoguidenigeria.com/education-system-nigeria
| 6:3:3:4: | 9-3-4 |
|---|---|
| No combination of subjects | It has twenty subjects that are combined or embedded within other subjects. |
| Information Technology was not included in the old curriculum. | Information Technology was included in this new curriculum. However, IT is just on the curriculum paper work theoretically but not been taught or used to equip the students in practical. |
UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
U.S Education Policy is the same as Nigeria Education Policy and the policy is working smoothly in that country. Why is there a major problem in Nigeria with the same policy? Let’s have a peek and see why they are recording successes with the same Policy.
External and Internal Influence does not have a large say on the curriculum.
The Government has better condition of service for teachers’ needs and welfare.
This same education policy that has failed woefully in our system in Nigeria, have made Japanese people to be the most unique, smart and intelligent in this modern world. Education in Nigeria. (2017). Available from https://wenr.wes.org/ 2017/03/education. www.eresearchjournal.com
REASONS FOR THEIR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION
The children are given equal opportunities irrespective of their parents’ status in the society. Oomen, E.J. (2020). 10 Facts about Education in Japan. Available from https://borgenproject.org/education-in-Japan
PROPOSED SMALL SCALE CURRICULUM
To start with my small scale curriculum proposal, we need to ask ourselves some questions and consider our environment.
QUESTIONS
Who are those vital people that should be involved in the curriculum development?
What are the important things to take into consideration when developing a well rounded Curriculum that will lead to Nation development?
Another aspect of my Proposed Small Scale Curriculum in connection with our current education policy and curriculum in Nigeria is the number of subjects that each level offers in all our schools from Primary to higher education. The subjects are a lot and add no skill acquisition as well as critical thinking skills at the end.
I want to propose reduction in the number of subjects that should be taken at each level in our schools rather than the twenty subjects (20).
Reading and looking at the several written literature about the challenges facing our education system both external and internal challenges that hampers the success of a smooth running of the curriculum we operate. An organised society and country can be achieved only through an organised Government that knows her country’s priority and equipped youths through a formidable education.
I completely agree with some of the literature reviews that our major external challenge in Nigeria regarding education is the “Government”. When the government does not give priority to education, the four runners of education (teachers) and the Curriculum, everything will go wrong in the education sector.
These are the major challenges we have presently in Nigeria decaying education system at the moment.
Who we deliver the next generation from the knowledge and inadequate skills building education and educational malnourishment in Nigeria?
Okoroma, N.S. (2006). Educational Policies and Problems of Implementation in Nigeria. Port Harcourt. Institute of Education Rivers State University of Science and Technology. Available from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ797605 , www.scribd.com , http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1957 , www.tandfonline.com
Oomen, E.J. (2020). 10 Facts about Education in Japan. Available from https://borgenproject.org/education-in-Japan
Education in Nigeria. (2021)- Flashlearners. Available from https://flashlearners.com/system-of-education-in-nigeria-934.
Fafunwa, A.B. (2018). History of Education in Nigeria. Routledge. London
Ogar, E.O., Effiong, Aniefiok, A. (2012). The Challenges of Curriculum Implementation in Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice, ISSN 2222-1735(paper) ISSN 2222-288X(online) Volume 3, No 15 2012