SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL POLICIES IN NIGERIA AND THE UNITED STATES: THE BENEFITS OF COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES
Sadiq A. Abdullahi, Ed. D.
Social Studies, Global Education, and School Improvement.
HomesteadSenior High School
2351 SE 12th Avenue, Homestead, Fl 33035
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A paper presented at the 10th Annual AfriCANDO 2007 Hemispheric Summit on African Cultures and Development of the Foundation for Democracy in Africa, Miami, FL, September 19 -22, 2007.
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss secondary education policies in Nigeria within the context of school reform initiatives in America. The paper usesthe Public-Private Partnership (PPP) reform plan in Nigeriaand the No Child Left Behind Actin Americaas frameworks for the comparative discussion.
Introduction
For almost 50 years of self-rule, through the process of nation-building, the transition to democracy, and several educational policies, Nigeria continues to struggle to improve education in spite of the technical and financial assistance given by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Bank (WB). In Nigeria and theUnited States,the federal governments continue to be involved in education through the education departments and other educational agencies. Two significant reform plans are addressed in this paper: the Public Private Partnership (Federal Ministry of education, 2006) andtheNo Child Left Behind Act(United States Department of Education, 2001)America. The Miami-DadeCountyPublic School’s Secondary School Reform planoffers examples of how state constitutional provisions and federal mandates are implemented at the school site.The local school boards have the primary responsibility for overseing the formulation, writing, and dissemination of educational policies. The local teacher union plays a significant role in the process.
Nigerian Education System
The Nigerian education establishment has failed to meet its state constitutional obligations and the goals in the National Development Plan (NDP) of the 1970s. The objectives of the NDP are to build(1) a free and democratic society,(2) a just and egalitarian society, (3) a united, strong and self reliant nation, (4) a great and dynamic economy, (5) a land of bright and full opportunity for all citizens(Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1981). This reform plan of the 1970s has guided the nation’s educational policies through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s with little or no tangible results. This has made education observers of Nigerian education to conclude that the major problem facing primary and education in Nigeria is not the absence of informed, rational,and thoughtful reform plan, but the lack of willingness on the part of policy makers charged with the responsibility of implementing educational policies.Others have questioned the cimmitment of state and local governments officials running Nigerian schools.
For example, in 2006, the Federal Ministry of Education released a major report on education. The report,Education Reform and Intervention -Vision 2020: The Role of the Nigerian Education Sector,lays out the rationale and agenda for the promotion and the implementation of thePrivate Public Partnership (PPP). The PPP allows the federal government to restructure the 105 federal secondary schools across the nation. But it allows the system to retain some of the vestiges of colonial education policies (Abdullahi, 2007). Professor Aluko (2007) believes that the “present PPP reform program violates both the economic and educational objectives of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State policy enshrined in our present Constitution.”
The federal government also issued another significant reform initiative called the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). This reform plan hasimplications for education. The goal is tomobilize the resources of Nigeria to make afundamental break with the failures of the past. The aim is to create a new Nigeriancitizen who values hard work and who realizes thatone cannot have something for nothing. It is expected that the economic anddevelopment agenda under NEEDS is complemented by other reform agendas, particularly the education agenda.
As a result of these initiatives, the role of the federal government in education has drastically changed. For example, the federal government has moved from the management of education to an enabler and facilitator of the education system (Federal Ministry of Education, 2006). This means more federal government involvement in education. With a new Presidentand more money from the federal government for education and the state government’s increasing the education budget, the enforcement and implementation of educational reform and policies can given top priority. In many respects, the Nigerian education system now mirrors the American education system, a gradual shift from the British colonial education system. (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2006).
American Education System
Traditionally, public elementary and secondary education has been the responsibility of the state government in America. The state government delegates authority to the local school districts through the school board. The federal government has always had an interest in education because of national security and economic development interests. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the federal government has exerted more influence in education throughexecutive directives and legislative mandates. These directives and mandates from state and federal governments haveinfluenced educational policies at the state and local levels.
For example, between 1950 and 1980, there hasbeen a series of major influential reports released by professional associations and organizations. Some of the reports where sponsored by the American national government. One of such report is A Nation at Risk. The authorsmadeseveral recommendations, one of whichwas to establish a common core curriculum and academic standards. Others includestandardization of subject and content areas and school district reform agenda. States and school districts that comply are deemed eligible for financial support. Sanctions are also levied when states and schools districts failed to meet the objectives.
In 1994, Congress, working with President W. J. Clinton,reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). This Act gave the guidelines for implementing curriculum and performance standards, aligning standards to assessment and setting accountability systems. Shortly after,Goals 2000: Educate America Act was passed. The Act aimed at ensuring that all states have the tools to aid all students to reach their full potential. The Actalso gave the local school districts the authority to establish performance and content standards in orderto ensure the increase in student achievement.
In 2001, Congress passed NCLB Act under President George W. Bush. The Act reauthorized and amended federal education programs. The purpose of NCLB legislationis to eliminate the achievement gap that exists between groups of students within our nation’s schools (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). The intent is to bridge the barriers of ethnicity, wealth, religion, and race. It supports the theories of standards-based education and the scientifically based research. The goals are that (1) all students, including those with limited English proficiency, willreach high standards by 2014, (2) all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers by 2006, (3) all students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug-free, and conducive to learning, and (4) all students will graduate from high school.
The NCLB legislation has four main provisions: (1) Stronger accountability for results by increasing school accountability through testing. States will be required to implement a system of accountability in all schools. Districts and schools will show annual progress and make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP measures the progress of individual states toward the 100 percent goal of students achieving academic standards. (2) Teacher quality- states have to guarantee that all teachers of core-subjects are highly qualified by 2006. (3) Parental choice. (4) Increased flexibility for states, school district, and schools to. States have the authority to design and implement programs and use up to 50 percent of the funds in areas of teacher quality, technology, safety and drug-free environments, and promoting Title 1 program.
Furthermore, Congress has supported the creationof Small Learning Communities (SLC) reform initiatives. Building on the Department of Education Smaller learning Communities recommendations and the reauthorization of SLC program, Congress has allowed school districts to use the SLC funds to (1) study the feasibility of creating smaller learning communities, (2) research, develop, and implement strategies for creating smaller learning communities, (3) provide professional development for schools staff in the teaching methods that would be used in the smaller learning communities, and (4) develop and implement strategies to include parents, business representatives, community-based organizations, and other community members in the activities of smaller learning communities (United States Department of Education, 2007).
Secondary School Reform Plan in Miami-Dade County Schools(M-DCPS)
The Superintendent of MDCPS, Rudolph Crew (2007), writes that “a large urban district like Miami-Dade faces a flat world…poverty and limited language skills conspire against many of our students. As educators and as a community, we have to lean hard against the trends of the flat world for our students to make any progress at all in being prepared to flourish in that world. The goal is a simple one – to ensure that our middle schools and high schools deliver an education that will assure our students graduate, ready for college and the careers of a global economy.”The M-DCPSreform effort involves organizing secondary schools into smaller learning entities called “learning communities” or “learning academies.” The goal is to fundamentally restructure secondary schools to more effectively meet the needs of all students (M-DCPS, 2007; UTD contract, 2006-2009).
The plan is aimed at engaging and restructuring middle and senior high school to include career academies or small learning communities in order to prepare students for the workforce. More parental and business community involvement is expected. There are six core principles guiding the plan: (1) personalized learning environment, (2) academic engagement of all students, (3) empowered educators, (4)accountable leaders, (5) engaged community and youth, and (6) integrated system of high standards, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and support.For example, the 9th grade academy helps students transition into high school. More honors and advanced placement courses are offered. Senior either work in an internship provided by a local business or enroll in college courses (MDCPS, 2007).
The MDCPS Implementation Plan:In Year 1- 2006-2007, eleven senior high schools were initiated in the new reform plan. In Year 2, it is that all senior high schools will be given the option to implement the reform plan for the subsequent school year.Once 80 percent of all high schools have elected to implement the reform plan, the plan will be the school model for the District in subsequent years (UTD contract, 2006-2009).
Conclusion
There is data from other nations supporting sound educational policy decisions. In order to support primary and secondary school operations, the school site principal or supervising administrator has been given the authority by the school board to enforce and implement programs consistent with state board of education policy, federal mandates, and the states statues. This is consistent with school operational procedures in Nigeria. The secondary educationcurriculum and administrative policy agenda should be aligned with the goals of NEEDS and the constitutional provisions in order to ensure human-capital, economic,and political development. Thiswill enable the new education President to strenghten the role of the federal government, and this generation and future generations of Nigerians todemonstrate a commitment to the fundamentalprinciplesof democracy and tothe political and economic goals.
References
Abdullahi, S.A.(2004). Teacher’s knowledge, awareness, and pedagogy of global education in secondary schools. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, FloridaInternationalUniversity, Miami, FL.
Adaraledge, A. (1972). A philosophy of Nigerian education: Report of the National CurriculumConference, September 8-12, 1969. Ibadan, Nigeria: Heineman
FederalRepublic of Nigeria (1981). National policy of education. Lagos, Nigeria: Federal Ministry of Information.
Osokoya, O.I. (1994). 6-3-3-4 education in Nigeria: History, strategies, issues, and problems. Laurel Educational Publishers, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Spring, J. (2004). How Educational Ideologies Are Shaping Global Society: Intergovernmental Organizations, NGOs, and the Decline of the Nation-State. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Mahwah, NJ
U.S. Department of Education (2002). Meeting the highly qualified teacher challenge: The secretary’s annual report in teacher quality. Available :
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