CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Education is a process of acquiring skills, obtaining relevant knowledge and aptitudes

in order to survive in this world. It is the process whereby individuals are provided with the means, tools and knowledge for understanding their society and its structures. Hence, education encompasses the social life that helps people create a meaningful environment as well as being able to influence their environment positively. Education could be seen as an activity which goes on in the society in which it takes place. Such activities may include any purposeful human endeavor that is capable of providing learning experiences. Education in a broader sense could be seen as a process of sociali ation. It constitutes all the processes through which individuals are trained in the social norms and values of their immediate society, so as not to become a misfit of that society. !he overall philosophy of "igerian education according to the "ational #olicy on Education $%&&' revised( is based on the development of the individual into a sound and effective citi en) the full integration of the individual into the community) and the provision of equal access to educational opportunities for all citi ens of the country at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels both inside and outside the formal school system. !he goals of education as stated in the "ational #olicy on Education $%&&' revised( are therefore*
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$a( !he inculcation of national consciousness and national unity) $b( !he inculcation of the right type of values and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the "igerian society) $c( !he training of the mind in the understanding of the world around) and $d( !he acquisition of appropriate skills and the development of mental, physical and social abilities and competencies as equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the development of the society. #rimary education serves as the foundation in the formal process of ensuring changes in the behavior of the growing members of the society. !he success of any subsequent level depends, to a great extent on the effectiveness of the foundation. Hence, the primary formal education occupies a natural prime of place in any nation,s educational system. In light of this, -tibe $%&&+( described primary education as the keystone of the whole educational structure. .s a foundation, it invariably determines what the outlook of subsequent higher levels of formal education will be. #rimary education deals with young children coming fresh from their homes without any exposure at all to the outside world. !his level exposes the child to become an integral part of the society. It exposes the child to adapt to situations out of the home environment. He/she begins to associate with peer groups out of the family setting. !he ob0ectives of the primary education in "igeria as spelt out in the "ational #olicy on Education $%&&', revised( states*
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$a( !he inculcation of permanent literacy and numeracy and ability to communicate effectively) $b( !he laying of a sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking) $c( 1iti enship education as a basis for effective participation in and contribution to the life of the society) $d( 1haracter and moral training and the development of sound attitudes) $e( 2iving the child opportunities for developing manipulative skills that will enable him to function effectively in the society within the limits of his capacity) $f( 3eveloping in the child the ability to adapt to his changing environment) $g( #roviding basic tools for further educational advancement, including preparation for trades and crafts of the locality. -niversal 4asic education on the other hand, is a new innovative trend in the "igerian education industry particularly as it is programmed to be for 5 years. !hat is, it is designed to cater for a child,s education from primary school to the end of the 0unior secondary school. -niversal 4asic Education is broader than -niversal #rimary Education, which focused on providing educational opportunities for primary school age children. -niversal 4asic Education stresses the inclusion of girls and women and a number of non6 privilege groups* the poor, street and working children, rural and remote populations, nomads, migrant workers, indigenous people, minorities, refugees and the disabled. It also extends to the first level of secondary
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education $8SS 7(. 9n the launch of the universal basic education, the mission statement of the -4E scheme stated thus* .t the end of 5 year of continuous education, every child through the system should have acquired appropriate level of literacy, numeracy, communication, manipulative and life skills and be employable, useful to himself and the society at large by possessing relevant ethical, normal and civic skills: It stated further that, -niversal 4asic Education shall* Serve as a prime energi er of a national movement for the actuali ation of the nations -niversal 4asic Education vision working in contact with all stakeholders thus, mobili ing the nation,s creative energies to ensure that, Education ;or .ll $E;.( becomes the responsibility for all. <oreover, the ob0ectives of the -niversal 4asic Education $-4E( stated in the implementation guidelines are as follows* $i( !o develop in the entire citi enry a strong commitment to its vigorous promotion) $ii( #rovide free, compulsory universal basic education for all the "igeria child of school going age) $iii( !o reduce drastically drop6out rate from the formal school system through improved relevance and efficiency) $iv( !o cater for drop6out and out6of6school children or adolescents through various forms of complementary approaches to the provisions and promotion of basic education)

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$v( !o ensure the acquisition of the appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy manipulative and life skills as well as the ethical, moral and civics( needed for laying the foundation for life6long learning .$-4E, %&&&(. However, it is important to note that some of the problems that led to the failure of -niversal #rimary Education $-#E( which was launched in +5=> still manifest in the implementation of -niversal 4asic Education #rogramme among which are* poor infrastructure, inadequate supervision and monitoring, shortage of teachers, inadequate funding among others. Statement of the Prob em "igeria,s educational system has witnessed a catalogue of changes in educational policies and programmes. Some of the changes have appeared to a number of people desirable while others have not been able to meet the desired target. <any of the changes in educational policies in "igeria have been a product of inadequate planning. !here is therefore, a high level of uncertainty which is bedeviling the implementation of these programmes in "igeria schools. !his situation call for much concern as the young ones is the future leaders of this country. !his study aims at carrying out a research on the evaluation of performance level and factors militating against the effective implementation of the universal basic Education $-4E( scheme in local communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district. It therefore, sought to answer this question.

!o what extent has the ob0ectives of the universal basic education been achieved in 3elta "orth senatorial district@ Re!earch "ue!t#on! !he following are the research questions raised for the study. +. Is there a relationship between the ratios of teachers to pupil and performance level of the -4E scheme@ %. Is there any difference on the performance level of the -4E scheme in urban and rural communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district@ 7. Is there any difference on the factors militating against the effective implementation of the -4E scheme in urban and rural communities of 3elta north senatorial districts@ Re!earch Hy$othe!e! !he following null hypotheses were hypothesi ed for the study. +. !here is no significant relationship between the ratios of teachers to pupils and the performance level of the universal basic education scheme. %. !here is no significant difference on the performance level of the universal basic education scheme in urban and rural communities of 3elta north senatorial district. 7. !here is no significant difference on the factors militating against the effective implementation of the universal basic education scheme in urban and rural communities of 3elta north senatorial districts.

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Pur$o!e of the Study !he purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which the ob0ectives of the universal basic education have been actuali ed in local communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district. Summarily, they are outlined as follows. +. !o find out the relationship between the ratios of teachers to pupils and performance level of the universal basic education scheme. %. !o find out if there is difference on the performance level of universal basic education scheme in urban and rural communities of delta "orth senatorial district. 7. !o find out if there is difference on the factors militating against effective implementation of the universal basic education scheme in rural and urban communities of delta "orth senatorial district. S#gn#f#cance of the Study !his study will be of great importance because it will examine the performance level and identify the challenges associated with the implementation of -niversal 4asic Education in primary schools. !he study will also provide valuable strategies of curbing these problems while contributing to the pool of knowledge and literatures on the implementation of the universal basic education scheme.

Sco$e and de #m#tat#on of the Study !he ma0or focus of this study is the evaluation of performance level of the -4E scheme and the identification of factors militating against the effective implementation of the scheme. !he study therefore is delimited to selected primary schools in local communities of 3elta north senatorial district of 3elta state. Def#n#t#on of Term! !he following are defined as the operational definition of terms to be used throughout the study. Un#%er!a Ba!#c Educat#on &UBE'( . 5 year educational programme starting from primary to 0unior secondary level in "igeria. Un#%er!a Pr#mary Educat#on &UPE'( .n educational programme made compulsory by the ;ederal 2overnment for all children in the states of the federation in +5=>. Urban Area) a geographical area constituting a city or town. Rura Area) is a geographic area that is located outside cities and towns Performance *e%e ) this is the extent to which the stated ob0ectives of the -4E implementation guidelines have been attained/achieved in 3elta "orth senatorial district. Pr#mary Educat#on( !he lowest level of formal education.

CHAPTER T+O *ITERATURE RE,IE+ !his section discusses the theoretical framework and a review of the ma0or literatures in universal basic education as follows) 1onceptual and !heoretical ;rame Bork of the Study. #ublic #olicy Implementation) . 1onceptual <odel <anagement of -niversal #rimary Education) an 9verview !he "eed for the -niversal 4asic Education Scheme -niversal 4asic Education !he teacher and the Implementation of -niversal 4asic Education $-4E( Cocation as a ;actor in -4E Implementation 1hallenges to Effective Implementation of -niversal 4asic Education ;actors !hat <ay Enhance #erformance in -4E .ppraisal of Deview Conce$tua and Theoret#ca -rame +ork of the Study. . framework has been defined as a real or conceptual structure intended to serve as a support or guide for the building of something that expands the structure into something useful. !his section therefore, will deal with various theories and concepts on which the effective implementation of

the -4E scheme is built upon. It will also discuss the theoretical basis on which the factors militating against the effective implementation of the -be scheme will lead to poor performance in 3elta "orth senatorial district. .depo0u and ;abiyi according to 9biunu, $%&++( adopted a system theory for analy ing the mechanism of the educational system. In their opinion, every organi ation has an input and output process. !he quality of the input determines the nature of the outcome. !he system theory states that there are different parts in any organi ation playing different functions. !hese different parts interact with each other and are independent on each other. !hey see the educational system as functioning according to the system theory. !here are 7 basic processes in the system theory. !hese are the input, conversion and output. !he input is what comes in from the outside) the conversion is the processes of internali ation while the output is the effect of the input and the conversion process on the system. !he output is observable from the relationship between the system and the environment in which the system exists. ;or the present study which is evaluating the performance level and the factors militating against the effective implementation of the -4E scheme therefore, the input will be the level of teacher quality and infrastructure available for effective implementation of the -4E scheme. !his teacher,s experiences are influenced by a number of factors. !hese factors include
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teacher,s disposition towards their role as teachers and facilitators in the -4E, availability of infrastructural and instructional materials, qualification, prompt payment of salaries, level of community awareness and participation in the educational process, etc. !hese have the capacity of influencing and determining the nature of the input in within the system. !he conversion is the interaction of the teachers with the -4E program. !he level of teacher,s participation in and implementation of the ob0ectives of the -4E which is a determinant of the input) the conversion process also involves the interaction of the teacher with the pupils the recipients and beneficiaries of the -4E scheme. !he teacher,s interaction with the -4E program and the teacher,s interaction with the pupil in the learning situation will determine output. !he output for the present study will be the visible level of -4E implementation in the local communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district which may have been hampered by the poor input $1hallenges to Effective Implementation(. !his output however, will be determined by the general interaction that will occur between the input and conversion process. 4ased on this therefore, this study will be hinged on the systems theory. "wankwo $+5A'( Eelvys $%&&'( describe a system as series of interrelated and interdependent parts such that the interaction of any part affects the whole system. Pub #c Po #cy Im$ ementat#on) a Conce$tua /ode

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#ublic policy can be simply seen as the tangible manifestation of the output of government. #ublic policy has been defined as Fwhatever governments choose to do or not to do: $3ye, +5=%(. .nderson $+5=?( states that public policy is what government actually do, not what they intend to do or say they are going to do. !he term public policy, according to "aidu $%&&?(, refers to policies made and implemented by government with a view to achieve certain goals) public policies are thus concerned with government,s behaviour. In the same vein, 1ochran and <alone $+555( define public policy as the study of government decisions and actions designed to deal with a matter of public concern. #ublic policy therefore refers to the course of action selected and pursued by government with a view to accomplishing specified ob0ective$s(. . policy is different from a programme. Bhile a policy is a statement of action and intentions, a programme is the means designed to achieve the action and intentions. . programme is the set of strategies or activities meant to attain the intended ob0ectives of particular policy. #olicy implementation, according to Henry $%&&>(, Fis the execution and delivery of public policies by organi ations or arrangements among organi ations:. #ressman and Bildasky $+5=5( see it as the process of translating policy mandates into actions) prescriptions into results) and goals into reality. In the words of van Horn and van meter Fimplementation focuses on the processes and activities involved in the application, effectuation and administering of a policy:. In
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specific terms, Fit is the actions taken to carry out, accomplish and fulfill the intents, ob0ectives and expected outcomes of public policies: $Horn and <eter, +5=?(. 3isparity between targeted policy/programme ob0ectives and outputs / achievements is known as implementation gap. !he conceptual model for policy implementation formulated by Horn and <eter $+5=?( guides this study. !he model identified six variables that are interrelated in influencing the policy implementation process and to that extent in determining the success or failure of policies) as these variables provide actual linkage between policy intentions and performance. !hese variables are*6 #olicy standards and ob0ectives( If the standards and ob0ectives of a policy are well stated in clear and measurable terms, implementers would be able to know what is expected of them and the extent of discretion open to them. #olicies which have acceptable ob0ective usually elicit positive responses from the implementers as well as the public. !he reverse is the case when the ob0ectives of a policy are not acceptable to the implementers and populace. #olicy resources( !his refers to resources such as fund, facilities, authority which are essential to the policy implementation process. Inadequacy of policy resources is often responsible for policy failure in many developing countries.

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 Inter6governmental communications and enforcement* !his variable is influential in policy delivery. Bell channeled communication enhances effectiveness and efficiency in policy management as it eliminates policy ambiguities. Enforcement helps to achieve compliance among policy implementers through sanctions, incentives, moral6suasion, persuasion or direct intimidation if the need arises. 1haracteristics of implementing agencies* !he nature of

implementing agencies is equally crucial in policy implementation. !he organi ational viability, quality of the human resource in these agencies, their knowledge, power, and understanding of what the policy is all about would to a large extent affect policy delivery. Economic, social and political conditions* !he economic, social and political conditions of the society in which a policy is situated could either alter policy intentions or blur them. .s such, policy environment is an important factor in policy implementation particularly in developing countries with unstable and uncertain policy environment. !he disposition of policy implementers* !he attitude or behaviour of implementers could have a negative or positive effect on policy delivery. If they are negatively disposed to a policy then there will be a lack of commitment to the implementation of the policy in question. /anagement of Un#%er!a Pr#mary Educat#on) an O%er%#e0
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!he management of primary education in "igeria passed through different stages and different authorities exercised its control from time to time. .b initio, the church missionaries who introduced Bestern or ;ormal Education to "igeria in +A'% handled the management of primary education system. .fter much criticism from different quarters about the crude and lack of proper coordination of the system by these missionaries, the 4ritish government intervened through establishment of various Education 9rdinances and 1odes. It is worth mentioning that the colonial government in Cagos made intermittent attempts to assist some of the missions in the management of schools between +A=& and +A=>. Bhile a bill was passed as an ordinance $first of its kind( for the promotion and assistance of education and it covered the Best .frican territories of Cagos, 2ambia, 2old coast and Sierra Ceone. In +AA=, there was the enactment of the first purely "igerian education ordinance as a result of separation of Cagos from 2old 1oast in which it became the 1olony and #rotectorate of Cagos. !his ordinance was promulgated to increase the betterment of education administration. In one word, the 4ritish government had no clearly defined policy on education for its .frican colonies during this time till +5%?. It was #helps6Strokes, report that forced the 4ritish 1olonial 2overnment to demonstrate its interest in .frican education. So, the principles in which the educational systems of the coloni ed countries should be based set out by the +5%? <emorandum on education. .s from +5'>,
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"igerians were deeply involved in the administration of their educational system as a result of .rthur Dichard,s 1onstitution, which created Degional 2overnment 6 "orthern, Eastern, and Bestern regions. It must be stated that during this era, the colonial overlords were still supervising "igeria,s educational affair and partly funding it. !he missionaries and voluntary agencies were also with the control of staff recruitment, supervision of staff, and the funding of their own schools only with grant6in6aid as subvention from the government. Some years prior "igeria,s independent, the primary education started developing at different rates in different parts of "igeria. !he -niversal #rimary Education $-#E( was introduced as first of its kind in 8anuary +5?? at the then Bestern Degion followed by Eastern Degion in +5?> and later by ;ederal 2overnment in September +5=>. !his programme indicated the government dynamic policy to favour the education of the masses on the basis that every "igeria child has an inalienable right to a minimum of six years of education if he is to function effectively as a citi en of "igeria that is free and democratic, 0ust and egalitarian, united and self6reliant, with full opportunities $;afunwa, +5='(. .fter "igeria has gotten independence in +5>&, there was increased clamour for government take6over of schools from the missionaries and voluntary agencies, at least, to be able to reverse the old system and to tailor it to meet the needs of the new nation. .desina $+5==( reported that it was contended that absolute take6over of schools would improve their curriculum, teacher quality and centrali ed
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provision of instructional resources, minimi e inequalities and provide a dynamic center of leadership for educational innovation. So, there was government take6over of schools in +5=&. .t the end of the "igerian 1ivil Bar in +5=&, a new dimension in public administration and funding of education emerged. !hat was the government take6 over of primary and secondary schools from the voluntary agencies. !he trend was started by the then East 1entral State in +5=+ and by the end of that decade most states of the federation especially the Southern states had followed suit. !his greatly increased the government burden in education finance. !he government was able to expand its activities in education sector during +5=&s due to increased revenue from oil. Bith this, the government felt capable of embarking on the -niversal #rimary Education $-#E( in +5=>. .t that time, the government assumed full financial responsibility of the scheme. !his scheme radically expanded public involvement in education financing and administration. Bith the inception of the second republic in +5=5, the ;ederal government withdrew its direct subsidy for primary education and transferred the responsibility to local governments. !his effectively marked the end of -niversal #rimary Education $-#E( in most states of the federation. 3uring this period, most states quickly introduced fees and levies at all levels of education. !he military take6over in +5A' helped make this state of affairs nationwide. !he states out of party policy doggedly struck to -#E albeit in the name of feeling free to introduce fees. In
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+5A>, the ;ederal 2overnment again abolished tuition fees in primary schools nationwide. .s a result of this, it started making direct grants to local government for primary education. In +5A5, this grant included funds for part payment of salaries for primary school teachers. In +5=>, the management of primary was taken over by the ;ederal 2overnment while the administration and funding was transferred to the state and Cocal 2overnments in +5=5. .s a result, different management and funding arrangements were made by different states during this period. In +5AA, the "ational #rimary Education 1ommission $"#E1( was established with 3ecree 7+ of ;ederal Depublic of "igeria +5AA to manage the affair of primary education. It was later scrapped by the ;ederal 2overnment under the provision of 3ecrees % and 7 of +55+, which vested the full responsibility of the administration of primary education in the hand of Cocal 2overnment. Bith the 3ecree "o. 5> of %?th .ugust +557, the "ational #rimary Education 1ommission was re6 established with State #rimary Education 4oard $S#E4( and Cocal 2overnment Education .uthority $C2E.( and they were once again in control of primary education in "igeria. !he Cocal 2overnment Education .uthority $C2E.( was assigned to day6to6day administration of primary schools in its area of 0urisdiction. Bhile, the State #rimary Education 4oard $S#E4( was charged with administration of primary schools in the state. !he Cocal 2overnment 1ouncils appointed Education Secretaries who then report

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directly to the S#E4s. !hese arrangements have roles played by the S#E4,s and the Cocal 2overnment 1ouncils $C21,s(. !here are also areas of overlap in the functions of different levels of management, which need to be addressed. !he "ational #rimary Education 1ommission was the overseer to the State #rimary Education 4oard $S#E4( of all the states of the ;ederation. 4ut the ;ederal 2overnment supervised this commission. ;rom this arrangement, it is obvious that the management of primary education is no more one government affair) it involves all tiers of government. .ccording to the provision of this decree, Fthe "ational #rimary Education 1ommission receives the "ational #rimary Education ;und as established by this decree from the #rimary Education 4oard of each state and the ;ederal 1apital 2overnment Sponsored Special #rimary Education #ro0ects in accordance with the formula prescribed in this decree as the !ransitional 1ouncil, from time6to6time prescribe:. !his was the condition of primary education funding and administration since +557 to the time when the newly democratic government came into power in <ay %5, +555. The Need for the Un#%er!a Ba!#c Educat#on Scheme !he training of children and adolescents in the norms and aspirations of the nation is a very veritable instrument for national integration and development. It was expected that educational reforms or re6organi ation would be carried out to enable "igeria,s education cater for the future professional needs $.yeni, %&&&(. !he restructuring is important, if we are to
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expect optimal result from our envisaged ob0ectives of education. !he ;ederal 2overnment,s involvement in the organi ation of -4E scheme was therefore necessary if the integration of the nationals was to be achieved. !he scheme was also desirable to enable the ;ederal 2overnment ensure that children are taught the culture of the society. !he desire to inculcate in children the knowledge of literacy, numeracy and the ability to communicate made the -4E scheme worthwhile. .part from the above, there is the need to lay a sound foundation for scientific and reflective thinking, character and moral training and the development of sound attitude, and above all, develop in the child the ability to adapt to his changing environment $;ederal 2overnment of "igeria, +5A+(. If we reflect on our earlier definition of education as an instrument for conserving, transmitting and renewing culture, it will clearly become obvious that the school system occupies a very important position if the ob0ectives for the primary and secondary education as stated by the ;ederal 2overnment will be reali ed. !his therefore, necessitated the launching of the -niversal 4asic Education Scheme in "ovember, $+555(. Un#%er!a Ba!#c Educat#on !he "ational #olicy on Education made recommendations for a system of education that segmented the system into > years of primary education. !he six years of primary education are part of the >67676' educational system. !he system was designed to allow an exit point after nine years of schooling
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to continue careers through apprenticeships or other vocational training programmes. !he ob0ectives for primary education as earlier stated puts emphasis on a balance between physical and intellectual development. !he primary school certificate examination has been abolished in preference for continuous assessment. !he completion rates are generally very low. !he recorded average completion rates are >%G for girls and ?5G for boys. !he average completion rate at the end of primary education as a percentage of enrollments in grade + are on average reported to be ??G, with a transition rate of ?&.7G to secondary school $!oboho, %&&&(. -nder the present arrangement however, the universal basic education bridges this gap of transmission from primary to secondary education since the six years primary education and the three years of 8uniour secondary schooling has been merged. The teacher and the Im$ ementat#on of Un#%er!a Ba!#c Educat#on &UBE' !he importance of teachers in any educational programme cannot be over stressed, especially in the implementation of the -niversal 4asic Education programme. !he success or failure of it will depend upon the teachers because of the nature of the programme. !he number and quality must be meticulously planned to ensure adequacy of the teachers quantitatively and qualitatively. .ghenta $%&&&( further stressed that as a result of the comprehensive -4E programme the usual one teacher for a class/arm will not be enough. .damaechi and Domaine $%&&&( are of the
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view that the short supply of teachers led to the employment of Fmarket women: half balked individuals. !his view reinforced by E eocha $%&&5( as reported in the work of 9do $%&+&( noted that the crash programmes of the -#E attracted the wrong caliber of people into the teaching profession, people who neither had the makeup nor commitment to do the 0ob. "evertheless, in spite of such crash programmes and subsequent recruitment of mediocre sub6standard teachers, teachers were still grossly inadequate. 3areng and .ttah $%&&&( quoting $Cassa, +55>( said teachers are nation builders and as such their training will equip them for laying a solid educational foundation right from the primary level. Bithout professionally trained and competent teachers, any education programme for which the teacher is meant to serve, fumbles. !he teacher is the bedrock/cornerstone of any educational programme and hence, an anchor that translates the policy statements into actions. !he -4E is still in its teething and crawling stage because of paucity of qualified teachers. !o tackle the problem, the government using "!I, introduced the #ivotal !eachers, !raining #rogramme $#!!#( which is equivalent to the crash programme that led to the collapse of -#E in +5=>. !he entry qualification for the aspirant teacher is three passes at 21E/9,level or senior secondary certificate. !his waters down the programme and it is already a threat to standard and quality assurance in education. .braham and 9basi $%&&'( pointed out that, the mistake of the -#E is being repeated with the
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introduction of #!!#, that the #!!# never needed to be introduced and that its products will finally kill and bury education in "igeria. 4isong $+55%( remarked that, the business of education demands professionally trained teachers and that should hold for all levels. "akpodia $%&++( pointed out certain factors for teachers in implementing the universal basic education which includes) 1. *ack of Recru#tment and Tra#n#ng of Ne0 Teacher!( !he successful implementation of the universal basic education in 3elta State at the primary school level will require the recruitment of additional =,+&5 teachers to the existing +&,?%&. !he former figure of =,+&5 was obtained based on pro0ected figure of '& pupils to classroom tied to the %A',77% expected enrolments. !he figure of seven thousand, one hundred and nine teachers is quite an enormous one to locate at a stretch. Hence, the present effort of massive training of the would6be teachers through the "ational !eachers Institute specially designed for this scheme appears to be a viable means of addressing this problem. !o actuali e this dream, .khaine $%&&+( reported that the federal government has mandated the "ational !eachers, Institute $"!I( to produce 7&,&&& teachers yearly for the scheme of which 3elta State will be a benefactor. 1aution should however be exercised as to the quality of the teachers being selected to participate in the programme. !his advice is intended to avert incompetence in service delivery.
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Briting in support of this view, Harbison $+5=7( opined that those working in occupation which does not Hfit, their qualification are Hmal6 employed,, and therefore show incompetence at work. In another vein, the organi ers of the programme should ensure that only competent hands are recruited to teach the would6be teachers. !his is intended to alley the fear expressed by 1hapman $+55'( that poorly prepared teachers find it difficult to face the challenges of the classroom content, maintain classroom discipline and manages flow of class activities. 2. Retra#n#ng of E3#!t#ng Teacher!( !he new scheme will entail retraining of existing teachers to acquaint them or create awareness at a general level and to highlight new additions to the various sub0ect areas. 9n the whole, this programme of action can be attained through frequent seminars, workshops and professional contacts with other educators. !his will reduce teachers, sense of isolation and build high professional morale. !hrowing more light on this, 4eaty and Schneller $+5==(, 1asio $+5=A( observed that training and development activities were planned programmes of organi ational improvement undertaken to bring about a relatively permanent change in an employee,s knowledge skills, attitude or social behaviour. It is one method of improving performance and stability at the workplace for teachers implementation of the -4E scheme.

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4. E!tab #!hment of Ne0 Schoo !( !he present A+= public primary school spread in %? local governments in 3elta State is considerable inadequate to cope with the existing number of pupils in the primary schools. It is in reali ation of this that the committee set up by the 3elta State 2overnment on school system data collection/collation $%&&&( recommended the establishment of additional '5? primary schools at the rate of 7&& pupils per school. !hese pro0ected schools, if established will go a long way in addressing the problems of school mapping. 1urrently, the existence primary schools for -4E implementation in the state are not evenly distributed and the number of pupils admitted in these schools outweighs the carrying capacities and services of the teachers in the field of implementation. *ocat#on a! a -actor #n UBE Im$ ementat#on .nyaegbu $%&&'( opined that rural education is the key to rural development and an essential building block of national development) that poverty cannot be eradicated without eliminating illiteracy among the rural populace and raise their level of knowledge. .bidogun $%&&>( emphasi ed rural areas as having greater challenges concerning educational development than the urban centers, due to the peculiar socioeconomic and institutional structures of the rural areas. Some of these challenges according to .nyaegbu $%&&7( are*

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+. Cack of eal and interest by teachers due to poor and delayed salaries and poor condition of work. %. ;requent strike actions by the teachers. 4ased on these, .bidogun $%&&>( reported that many teachers therefore re0ect posting into the rural areas while those that do, treat their presence in such areas as part time assignment. Edho $%&&5( said that some of the constraints that affect the success rates of the -4E programme in the rural communities are teachers, inadequacy and their unwillingness to be posted to rural communities. .rubayi $%&&?( complains also about the walking distance of pupils to school, that affects their performance and overall success of the -4E in the state. He added that the distance travelled has some relationship to school attendance, punctuality and absenteeism to school and that some schools in the state are located so far from pupils as they travel more than ?km to get to school. 1ertain factors affect the distribution of teachers in schools, these include* gender, social status, qualification, area of speciali ation, government policy, cultural and religious belief $Edho, %&&5(. It is a common practice that married female teachers serve in their husband,s stations and these affect even distribution of teachers) this factor therefore has led to the high concentration of -4E implementers in the urban area compared to the rural areas. #arents also complain of poor quality of instruction especially in rural schools thus qualitative instruction resulting

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into qualitative education can only be achieved through even distribution of available teachers $Ikoya, %&&A(. Cha enge! to Effect#%e Im$ ementat#on of Un#%er!a Ba!#c Educat#on ;actors that may lead to the failure of the -4E programme in "igeria shall be examined within the framework of the conceptual model of implementation propounded by Horn and <eter $+5=?(* #olicy standards and ob0ectives) policy resources) inter6governmental communications and enforcement, characteristics of implementing agencies) economic, social and political conditions) and disposition of policy implementers. Po #cy Standard! and Ob5ect#%e! . general policy problem in "igeria is that of inadequate and poor data which poses planning difficulties and invariably implementation challenges. -nreliable data makes it difficult to make adequate pro0ections in terms of expected enrolment, required teachers, infrastructural needs and equipment. .ccurate and reliable data are needed for evidence based planning and budgeting for basic education. 4ut such data rarely exist. . diagnostic report $-"ES19 institute of statistics, %&&?( had pointed out the lack of accurate school based statistics in "igeria. .lso instructive is the fact that many states are lagging behind in articulating and submitting their action plans to -4E1. .n action plan, which is one of the conditions that the -4E1 requires each state government to fulfill prior to accessing available -4E intervention funds $-4E6I;(, is a list of pro0ects $infrastructure, instructional materials
%=

and professional development( proposed for implementation to achieve the ob0ectives of the -4E programme for a given period. <oreover, it was reported that a ma0or crisis of confidence is brewing among states over the modalities for implementing the proposed 56year basic education by the federal government as it involves the disarticulation of 0unior secondary schools from senior secondary schools. "o sooner had the disarticulation begun, and then confusion erupted about the philosophy and context of the policy $!he "ation ;riday, ;ebruary %=, %&&5(. Po #cy Re!ource! Inadequacy of policy resources tends to undermine the successful implementation of the -4E programme. .n official documentary $%&&5( entitled 1apacity for -niversal 4asic Education in "igeria which was sponsored by the -nited Iingdom department for international development and the ;ederal 2overnment of "igeria puts the number of unqualified teachers in the nation,s primary school system at over ?& per cent. !his documentary also revealed overcrowding and shortage of classrooms, sanitation facilities and teaching equipments as other problems militating against effective teaching and learning in the schools. !eachers remain a significant factor in the quality and standard of education at all levels. 4ut the basic education level in the country is plagued by acute shortage of professionally qualified teachers.

%A

In addition, many primary and 0unior secondary schools across the country lack adequate physical facilities and instructional materials which are considered essential tools in the teaching and learning process. Infrastructures in public schools around the country remain in shambles. .n investigation conducted by Ikoya and 9noyase $%&&A( revealed that inadequate

infrastructure in schools is impeding effective -4E implementation. School infrastructure and maintenance Deview carried out in %&&5 by the Education Sector Support programme in "igeria $ESS#I"( showed that the condition of the 4asic Education Infrastructure Stock in the country is still very poor. .ccording to this review, the condition of the school infrastructure in the 7 states $Iano, 8igawa and Iaduna( visited is very poor and the impression gained is that across board approximately =?G of the infrastructure is in very poor condition $ESS#I", %&&5(. In the -4E guidelines, every primary or 0unior secondary school in "igeria is expected to have one general science laboratory, one ventilated improved toilet for a maximum of ' pupils or students per toilet, and, one teacher to handle only '& pupils or students in a class $"igeria, %&&&(. In some primary schools, the pupils that constitute a class sit on the bare floor in a classroom with no single chair or table $9kecha, %&&A(. .nother study $9mokhodion, %&&A( has indicated that shortage of equipment, infrastructure, textbooks and instructional materials are undermining the successful implementation of the -4E programme. Bithout the provision of adequate
%5

textbooks and instructional materials, it will be difficult to implement the school curriculum. Inter6go%ernmenta Commun#cat#on! and Enforcement Jarious government agencies at the three levels of governance in "igeria) federal, state and local government are involved in the implementation of the -4E programme. !hese include the -niversal 4asic Education 1ommission $-4E1( at the federal level, the State -niversal 4asic Education 4oard $S-4E4s( in the 7> states as well as the ;ederal 1apital !erritory, .bu0a and the Cocal 2overnment Education .uthorities $C2E.s( in the ==' local government areas of the country. It has been observed that the many agencies / parastatals involved in the -4E implementation have brought fragmentation and conflict of roles / responsibilities $"igeria, %&&A(. !he large number of government agencies participating in the

implementation of the -4E programme nation6wide is bound to create co6 ordination and communication problems. !he -4E1 has been rather ineffective in terms of co6ordination and ensuring compliance of implementing agencies to -4E guidelines. .n example is the refusal of states to meet conditions that would allow them draw counterpart funds provided by the federal government for the -4E programme. <any states have not even accessed the funds up to %&&>/%&&= matching grant. !he -4E intervention fund is meant for the provision of additional classrooms, teaching and

7&

learning materials as well as the training and retraining of teachers $compass Bednesday, ;ebruary 7, %&+&(. The Character#!t#c! of Im$ ement#ng Agenc#e! #ublic policy or programme implementation is a function of government bureaucracies. !he effectiveness of policy/programme

implementation is largely determined by the efficiency and competence of governmental implementing agencies. "igeria cannot be said to possess the required executive capacity to effectively implement the -4E programme on a national scale, as there is dearth of high quality personnel in the implementing agencies especially at the state and local government levels. In evaluating the -4E, Santcross.,Hinchliffe.,Billiams., and 9nibon $%&&5( reports that the "igerian education sector suffer from weak capacity at the institutional, organi ational and individual level. !hey observed that a weak institutional framework with multiple agencies with overlapping roles and responsibilities remains unreformed. !hey further stated that the quality of individual managers, education officials and teachers is generally agreed to be poor, with many -n6 or under6qualified for their roles with the result that basic education services are of low quality and learning outcomes unsatisfactory. The Econom#c7 Soc#a and Po #t#ca Cond#t#on! #olicy environment is a critical factor in policy implementation. 1rude oil which accounts for over 5&G of total exports and yields about A?G of
7+

government,s revenue is unstable in the international market. 3windling economic fortune occasioned by the global economic meltdown and poor management of the economy is likely to worsen the problem of underfunding of the programme. Bith children under +? years of age accounting for about '?G of the country,s population) the burden on education and other sectors has become overwhelming $-nicef6"igeria, %&+&(. Hidden cost of education is also negatively affecting the achievement of the -4E ob0ectives* hidden costs refer to the associated costs of sending children to school such as uniforms, textbooks, note books, pencils, biros and even #arent !eacher .ssociation $#!.( levies. <argaret Ka,u, programme manager for the 1ivil Society .ction 1oalition on Education for .ll $1S.1E;.6 is an international "on6governmental organi ation that monitors progress in the path to the attainment of E;. in %&+?( said that despite declarations that the -4E is meant to be free and compulsory, many children are not in school because of hidden costs. .ccording to her Weve been going around communities and discovered that just N50 or even less can prevent a family from sending a child to school $!he "ation !hursday, 9ctober, +>, %&&A(. 2iven that about =&G of "igerians are living below the poverty line, defined as living on less than -S L + per day $Human 3evelopment Deport, %&&5( it should not come as a surprise that no matter how little the costs
7%

associated with education may be, there will be parents who cannot afford it, and such can keep pupils out of school. !he compulsory component of the -4E programme largely depends on the extent to which it is made truly free. Cack of political will or commitment at all levels of government is also manifesting in the implementation of the -4E programme. 4ut effective political leadership, commitment and firm resolve are essential for the programme to succeed. !he -"ES196 E;. 2lobal <onitoring Deport $%&&5( cites "igeria as one of the countries struggling with the impact of poor governance on the education sector. #oor governance, according to this report, is significantly slowing progress towards E;. and undermining the quality of basic education services. Cike in many developing countries, policies / programmes in "igeria usually emanate from the political system rather than from the demands of the citi ens $environment( $Egonmwan, %&&%(. .s Eminue $%&&?( explained, any policy or programme that the targeted beneficiaries has not participated in its formulation and execution does not guarantee sustainability. He asserts that since the target groups are hardly involved at either the policy design or at the implementation stage, they become more or less on lookers rather than participants in such programme. He submits that programme sustainability become problematic with such uncommitted or disinterested targets. The D#!$o!#t#on of Po #cy Im$ ementer!

77

!he attitude or behavior of policy/programme implementers tends to affect its performance. <any implementers seem to lack commitment to the achievement of the goals of the -4E programme. Sam Egwu, the former minister of Education, identified lack of commitment to educational calling as one of the factors militating against education in the country $3aily Sun !uesday, 3ecember %5, %&&A(. !he outcome of non6challant attitude on the part of implementers is poor implementation and low performance. !eachers are expected to play pivotal role in the implementation of the -4E programme, yet sufficient attention is not being paid to their motivation. Several studies $.0ayi, %&&=) 9mokhodion, %&&A) and Edho, %&&5( have shown that teachers in "igeria are poorly motivated. ;or instance, enhanced teacher salary is one aspect of motivation that is being ignored. -actor! That /ay Enhance Performance #n UBE !hese factors have been identified as ma0or factors that may enhance the performance level of the -niversal basic education scheme. Teacher! Teach#ng E3$er#ence Enueme $%&&%(, is in line with -"I1E; recommendation that child friendly school is influenced by the teachers teaching experience. !hus those with high teaching experience accepted the -"I1E; recommen6dation for childMfriendly school) more specifically, she said the acceptance level of teachers with %> years of experience and above is highest. .damaechi and Domaine $%&&&( asserted that it is very wrong to isolate planners from those
7'

who will implement the programme and advocate that experienced teachers be given the opportunity to help in the planning and implementation phase for the -4E to succeed. Imogie $%&&&(, believe that if -4E makes it compulsory for teachers to be involved in in6service training, work6shop of different kinds in related areas and conferences, national and international, they will update their knowledge and expand their scope of experiences, as this experience in turn will benefit the students. <kpa $%&&&( also thinks mentoring is very efficient and cost6effective approach to staff development. !he less experience teacher who is attached to the mentor consults the later, on all matters, and is properly guided in her professional activities. Enoh and 9kpede,s $%&&&( opinion is that teachers who are in the field are expected to implement the -4E scheme. .lso, they have to be trained for different educational purposes, so that when they are required to implement this new scheme, they can cope because they lack experience. Profe!!#ona #!m .debimpe $%&&+( opined that for the -4E to succeed, adequate provision should be made to produce sufficient qualified teachers and make them relevant within the limit of their area of speciali ation. 1oombs $+5>A( as cited in "wagwu $%&&&( had emphasi ed the importance of teachers in the education enterprise. He said that teachers next to students were the largest and most expensive inputs. !hey are required in large numbers but there is
7?

also the critical need to have the right quality. ;or 9do $%&&&(, he opines that in a bid to meet up with the increased demands for teachers, government may recruit those much less qualified to teach. .t present, some non6professionals have been specially employed for the purposes of the -4E scheme with the hope that quick orientation / training will be given to them after which they will serve as teachers under the scheme. !he implication of this is that teachers will either be overloaded, or they may not be of the right caliber in terms of training and experience.

Pro%#!#on of #nfra!tructure and e8u#$ment Sequel to the establishment of new schools, there will be a need to adequately equip these schools. !he existing number of libraries in the state primary schools is only >= with 7= out of these in bad condition. !he total number of benches was given as '',%7A while the number of toilets in usable condition is only >=5. In light with the afore6mentioned data, it is imperative that something urgent should be done to redress the insufficient number these facilities. /on#tor#ng and E%a uat#on !he human and material resources outlay involved in the universal basic education scheme calls for an effective monitoring and evaluation of the programme to ensure regular appraisal of the scheme. !his will help to identify the progress made, areas of deficiency and what needs to be done.
7>

90edele $+55A( had noted that the implementation had been a serious handicap to most genuine effort aimed at developing the educational system in "igeria. He therefore upheld that* FIf the "igerian educational system is to develop and compare favourably with the advanced countries of the world, there is need to monitor and evaluate each stage of the implementation process so as to ensure that pro0ects are being implemented:

Increa!ed Enro ment Strateg#e! !he pro0ected figure for the universal basic education scheme in the state is moderately high and therefore calls for sustainable strategy in ensuring a successful enrolment in the scheme. !he entire exercise should not be abandoned at the well6wish level but some defined strategies as a viable publicity committee made up of churches, parent6teachers association, community development associations, village counsels and so on should be put in place to assist in creating awareness about the programme and its attendant benefit. In!urance of Schoo Pro$ert#e! !he cost of rehabilitating existing school facilities, erecting new ones and providing necessary equipment is quite enormous and therefore, calls for an excellent school insurance programme. 1ommenting in support of this,
7=

8ordan $+5>5 maintained that a time has come when the school insurance programme should* FInstead of being viewed as hedge against losses as a result of fire and other disaster, the insurance programme provides local school authorities with the opportunity to determine the values of school property, provide a plan through which the properties could be replaced or restored in case of loss and also develop an orderly systematic plan for proper care of the properties while they are used by the school:. !he overriding importance of the school insurance programme apparently is a suggested new dimension in school facilities management intended to achieve 8ordan,s position, and hence save government huge losses incurred as a result of improper facilities management. A$$ra#!a of Re%#e0 !his review started by a direct construction of the conceptual and theoretical frame work for the study which was based on the systems theory. It further discussed the conceptual model of public policy implementation as proposed by Horns and <eters, $+5=?(. !he review in a bid to trace the origin of the universal basic education looked at the universal primary education and identified why it was necessary to embark on the universal basic education. !he role of the teacher in the successful implementation of the -4E scheme was also discussed and identified ma0or factors as it relates to teachers in the implementation of the scheme. !he review concluded with the identification of ma0or challenges to successful implementation and
7A

suggested what should be done to enhance good performance of the scheme as well.

CHAPTER THREE /ETHODO*O9: !his chapter is discussed under the following sub headings 3esign of the Study #opulation of the Study Sample and Sampling !echniques Instrument for 3ata 1ollection Jalidity of the Instrument .dministration of Instrument <ethod of 3ata .nalysis De!#gn of the Study !he study adopted the descriptive survey research design. Survey research is a method of collecting information by asking questions, Sometimes interviews are done face6to6face with people at home, in school,

75

or at work. 9ther times questions are sent in the mail for people to answer and mail back. Increasingly, surveys are conducted by telephone. However, the present study employed the face to face contact with the respondents employing the use of questionnaire. Po$u at#on of the Study !he population of the study includes all primary school teachers in the primary schools under the services of the State -niversal 4asic Education 4oard $S-4E4( in "orth senatorial district of 3elta state. !his number is summed up to be >,&7= teachers as provided by the state ministry of Secondary and basic Education $www.deltastate.gov.ng(. Sam$ e and Sam$ #ng Techn#8ue! !he study employed the simple random sampling technique. !hus a total number of %&& participating teachers were selected randomly by visiting two primary schoosl in each of the C2.s in the district $9ne each in -rban/Dural area(. In order to determine participants, the selection process was done by balloting through the help of the head teachers so as to give all the teachers equal chances of participating in the research. In!trument for Data Co ect#on !o guide this research, an instrument labeled -4E implementation ;actors and #erformance questionnaire. &-I;#N' was developed. !his was used to elicit information from the sub0ects of the study. !he questionnaire is made up of four sections) the first section is the demographic variables which
'&

consist of items such as name of school, location, gender, qualification and level of experience. !he second section contained +& items and considered factors that dealt with challenges of -4E implementation and the evaluation -4E performance in schools. !he third section is a four point item that evaluated the pupil to teacher ratio while the fourth part of the questionnaire is a six open ended question meant for head teachers, only and evaluated infrastructural development and teacher quality in the schools. Despondents were free to agree or disagree with all of the statements on a continuum ranging scale of Strongly .gree, .gree, 3isagree and Strongly 3isagree. Except for the open ended questions, their responses were coded in this order. S.O') .O7) 3O% S3O+ ,a #d#ty of the In!trument In the development of the research instrument, past research questionnaires were analy ed, and ideas retrieved from them aided the development of the instrument. !o ascertain the validity of the instrument however, the instrument was given to two lecturers in the department of "ursery and #rimary Education at the 3elta State -niversity .braka who made corrections before submission to the research supervisor for final validation. .t the end of this, all corrections noted was made and the final instrument was developed. Re #ab# #ty of In!trument

'+

In research, reliability determines the degree of consistency to which an instrument measures what it is expected to measure. !o determine the reliability of the instrument therefore, the split half method was employed. . sample of %& teachers under the services of the state -niversal 4asic education 4oard in Ethiope east local government area was used for a pilot study. .t the end of the sampling process, their responses were collated and divided into two halves from which the #earson product moment correlation was used to determine the instruments reliability yielding a coefficient of &.=A. Adm#n#!trat#on of In!trument . total of %&& questionnaires were administered personally by the researcher. !he content of the questionnaire was explained to respondents. 1ompleted questionnaire was collected on the spot and their responses compiled and analy ed. !he field work was done within an interval of two weeks. !wo hundred questionnaire was administered to two hundred teachers in +A primary schools of 3elta north senatorial district of which nine each came from urban and rural areas respectively. .t the end of the field work, all of the questionnaires were retrieved thus there was a +&&G rate of return. /ethod of Data Ana y!#! !he responses of the respondents were analy ed using frequency counts. .fter which, the responses was coded and entered into a computer statistical software $Statistical #ackage for the Social Sciences( S#SS version
'%

+=. In answering the research questions, the total mean score of the respondents for individual items was used while the regression analysis was used to test hypothesis one and the t6test analysis was used to test hypotheses two and three respectively at a significance level of &.&?. In the analysis of the research questions, mean scores that fell below % for any of the items was re0ected, however, mean scores that fell between %6%.'5 was regarded as weak for that item. !hus the benchmark for an acceptance of any postulation made by any of the item is %.?.

!hese tests were chosen because regression analysis is used to establish the direct relationship that exists between two variables while the t6 test establishes the differences between means of two independent samples. !he formula for the analysis is shown below.

O
Bhere*

PQK6 $PQ($PK( n % PQ 6 $PQ(% n

QO -4E #erformance KO !eacher #upil ratio nO "umber of participants

tO

Pd

n$Pd%(6Pd( n6+
'7

Bhere* dO <ean 3ifferences nO !otal number of #articipants.

CHAPTER -OUR PRESENTATION O- RESU*TS) DATA ANA*:SIS AND DISCUSSION !he data presented below represents the interpretations of the responses of the research participants. Pre!entat#on of Re!u t An!0er to Re!earch "ue!t#on! Re!earch "ue!t#on One( Is there any relationship between the ratios of teachers to pupils and performance level of the -4E scheme@ !his research question was answered by items ++6+' of the research instrument as shown in the table below. Tab e 1(
S;N ++ +% E%a uat#on of Teacher to Pu$# Rat#o and UBE Performance Item! on Teacher Pu$# Rat#o SA A D SD /ean Dec#!#on !he ratios of teacher to students is above 'A => >? ++ %.A&? .ccept the +*'& as approved by -4E guidelines I don,t have enough time to monitor all 7A A7 7' '? %.?= .ccept

''

+7 +'

of my #upils activities in school I have specific measures for monitoring '' and following up school children who do not come to school. !he number of our #upils outweighs the ?' strength of available teachers

+% >+

>? 7'

=5 ?+

%.++ %.?5

Beak .ccept

!he table above shows the mean scores of the respondents on items that tested the teacher to pupil ration and its influence on -4E performance. !he data in items ++, +% and +' shows that the mean scores attained are %.A&?) %.?= and %.?5 respectively and this led to an acceptance of the postulations made by these items which indicated that the teacher to pupil ratio is above the recommended +*'& approved by the -4E implementation guidelines and the teachers inability to monitor all of their pupils activities in school as well as giving credence to the fact that the number of pupils outweighs the strength of available teachers. !hese factors also show themselves to an extent strong arising from the mean score attained in item +7 which is an indication of weak -4E performance. Re!earch "ue!t#on T0o( Is there any differences on the performance level of the -4E scheme in -rban and Dural communities of 3elta "orth Senatorial 3istrict@ !his research question was answered by items +6= of the research instrument as shown in table > below. Tab e2(
S;N

*e%e of UBE Im$ ementat#on and Performance

Item! on UBE Performance S. URBAN AREAS N<1== . + + & 3 RURA* AREAS N<1== S3 <ean S. . 3 S3 <ean +.A % +> +' + % A > & & +% =A %.7% +.A

+ %

I have seen and read the %% 2uidelines for -4E implementation I follow all the guidelines ++ for the implementation of -4E

'' %7 >= %%

'?

' ?

>

<y school makes provision for skill acquisition as stated in the -4E implementation guidelines I teach moral instruction as part of the -4E curriculum Deading, writing and communication is a core aspect of implementation of -4E in <y school. I teach citi en and civic education as a core part of my implementation of -4E. I teach environmental Education as part of Implementation of -4E.

'

>

>> %'

+.5

&

&

' A

?%

+.'A

=> ''

% ' > > &

& &

& &

7.=> 7.='

7A ?'

> % ' > + % &

& &

& &

7.7A 7.?'

+& & &

&

&

'

AA

&

&

7.AA

&

>= 77

+.>=

&

' A

?%

+.'A

;rom the table presented above, the comparism of -4E performance in urban and rural areas shows that the mean scores attained by rural teachers is lesser than those attained by the urban teachers in all of the items except for item + which sought to know if teachers have seen and read the implementation guidelines for -4E. In all of these items however, both areas seemed to implement -4E but at a very low extent as two of the core areas of the implementation which includes the acquisition of skills and the teaching of environmental education have been seriously ignored based on the scores of +.5*+.'A for skill acquisition and +.>=*+.'A for environmental education respectively. !hese claims however is given credence by the postulations made in item % which indicated that there is a weak acceptance of a followership of all the implementation guidelines in urban areas against the re0ection of such claims in rural areas as shown by a score of %*+.A respectively. Re!earch "ue!t#on Three( Is there any difference on the factors militating against the effective implementation of the -4E scheme in urban and rural communities of 3elta north senatorial districts@

'>

!his research question was answered by items A6+& of the research instrument as shown by table 7 below.
Tab e 4( Cha enge! of UBE Im$ ementat#on #n De ta North Senator#a D#!tr#ct S/ URBAN AREAS RURA* " Item! on UBE N<1== AREAS Cha enge! N<1== S. A !he quality of >& infrastructure has hindered my effective implementation of -4E ;unds released for -4E 'A implementation do not get to the grassroots so it makes the teachers incapacitated Cocation of my school is '' a factor to implementation of -4E . %% 3 +? S3 7 <ea n 7.75 S. >A . %% 3 & S 3 +& <ea n 7.'A

+7

+A

%+

%.AA

'=

%7

+ 7

+=

+&

%A

>

%%

%.5'

>5

7+

&

&

7.>5

!he data presented in table 7 above shows that the mean scores of items A, 5 and +& of the research instrument indicates an acceptance of the postulations made as to the challenges of -4E implementation in 3elta "orth senatorial district. However, the mean scores of the challenges show that these challenges are higher in the rural communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district as shown above. !he implications to these observations therefore, is that the main challenges facing the effective implementation of -4E in the district includes the unavailability of quality infrastructure, lack of fund and the poor nature of the school location and these burdens are felt more by schools in the rural communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district. Te!t of Hy$othe!e!
'=

Hy$othe!#! one( !here is no significant relationship between the ratio of teacher to pupil ratio and the #erformance level of -4E scheme in delta north senatorial district. !his research hypothesis was tested by the regression analysis of teacher to pupil ratio and -4E performance as shown in the tables presented below.
Tab e >a( Regre!!#on /ode Summaryb for Teacher to Pu$# rat#o and UBE $erformance

/ode +

R &.+>>a

R !8uare &.%=

Ad5u!ted R S8uare &.&%%

Std. Error of the E!t#mate 7.5++>+

'A

!ables 'b and 'c above showed that the calculated ; and t of ?.?=A and %.7%
Table 4b: ANOVAb Summary of relationships between Teacher to Pupil ratio and UB performance Model 1 Regression Residual Total ,ar#ab e Sum of Squares 85.345 3029.535 df 1 198 199 t6ca Mean Square 85.345 15.301 F 5.578 Sig. .019a

N +&&

3114.880 /ean

t6cr#t. +.5=7

D+5A

P6%a ue &.&?

Dec#!#on De0ect "ull Hypothesis

a. redi!tors" #$onstant%& T'($)'R * +,R(T+-

-rban

+5.%

%.>='

a.

.e/endent 0aria1le" *2' 'RF-RM(3$'

Dural1.

+&& F4!rit. 52.86.

+=.?>
performance

Table 4!: !oefficients of relationship between Teacher to Pupil ratio and UB

Standardi7ed *nstandardi7ed $oeffi!ients $oeffi!ients

Model 1 #$onstant% T'($)'R * +,R(T+a. 1.

2 16.188 .227

Std. 'rror .952 .096

2eta

t 16.997 .166 2.362

Sig. .000 .019

.e/endent 0aria1le" *2' 'RF-RM(3$' t4!rit. 5 1.973

is greater than the tabulated ; and t of %.A> and +.5=7 respectively leading to a re0ection of the null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between teacher to pupil ratio and -4E performance.

Re!earch Hy$othe!#! T0o(

!here is no significant difference in the level

of -4E implementation in urban and rural communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district.
Tab e ?( Te!t of S#gn#f#cance d#fference on the e%e #m$ ementat#on #n De ta North Senator#a D#!tr#ct of UBE

!he table above shows that the t6calculated of %.>=' is greater than the t6 critical value of +.5=7 which implies that there is a significant difference on
'5

the level of -4E implementation in 3elta "orth senatorial district thus the "ull hypothesis is re0ected. Re!earch Hy$othe!#! Three) !here is no significant difference on the challenges militating against -4E implementation in 3elta "orth senatorial district. Tab e @( ,ar#ab e -rban Dural Te!t of S#gn#f#cance d#fference on the cha enge! fac#ng UBE #m$ ementat#on #n De ta North Senator#a D#!tr#ct N /ean t6ca t6 Df P6%a ue Dec#!#on cr#t. +&& A.? 6 +.5= +5A &.&? .ccept &.?7? 7 "ull +&& A.= Hypothesis

!he table above shows that the t6calculated of 6&.?7? is lesser than the t6 critical of +.5=7 thus the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference on the challenges facing -4E implementation in the district is accepted.

D#!cu!!#on of -#nd#ng! !his study focused on an assessment of performance level and factors militating against effective implementation of the -4E scheme in local communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district. !he study raised three research questions and three hypotheses. !he study therefore made its generali ations based on the responses made by the sub0ects of the study. . test of the hypothesis one by the regression analysis as shown in tables 'a) 'b and 'c shows that there is a strong significant relationship

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between the teacher to pupil ratio and the performance of -4E scheme in the "orth senatorial district of 3elta state. !he analysis of variance and t6test shows that this relationship between the predictor which is the !eacher to #upil ratio and the dependent variable which is the -4E performance is highly significant statistically. !his observation is in consonance with the opinions of 3areng and .ttah, $%&&&( who opined that the number and quality of teachers for -4E implementation must be meticulously planned to ensure adequacy of the teachers quantitatively and qualitatively. !hese claims is further supported by .ghenta $%&&&( who stressed that as a result of the comprehensive -4E programme the usual one teacher for a class/arm will not be enough, thus .damaechi and Domaine $%&&&( are of the view that the short supply of teachers have led to the employment of Fmarket women: half balked individuals for -4E implementation. !he second research question evaluated the level of -4E implementation in the delta north senatorial district. !he data presented in table > shows that the comparism of -4E performance in urban and rural areas shows mean scores attained by rural teachers is lesser than those attained by the urban teachers in all of the items except for item + which sought to know if teachers have seen and read the implementation guidelines for -4E. In all of these items however, both areas seemed to implement -4E but at a very low extent as two of the core areas of the implementation which includes the acquisition of skills and the teaching of environmental education
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have been seriously ignored based on the scores of +.5*+.'A for skill acquisition and +.>=*+.'A for environmental education respectively. !hese claims however is given credence by the postulations made in item % which indicated that there is a weak acceptance of followership of all the implementation guidelines in urban areas against the re0ection of such claims in rural areas as shown by a score of %*+.A respectively. In the same vein, a test of the significance difference of -4E implementation in rural and urban areas of the district shows that there is a significant difference in the level of -4E implementation in rural and urban communities of 3elta north senatorial district. !hese findings are in agreement with .bidogun $%&&>( who emphasi ed that rural areas have greater challenges concerning educational development than the urban centers, due to the peculiar socioeconomic and institutional structures of the rural areas. Some of these challenges according to .nyaegbu $%&&7( include lack of eal and interest by teachers due to poor and delayed salaries and poor condition of work and frequent strike actions by the teachers. .bidogun $%&&>( also reported that based on these factors, many teachers re0ect posting into the rural areas while those that do, treat their presence in such areas as part time assignment. Edho $%&&5( in support of these views also said that some of the constraints that affect the success rates of the -4E programme in the rural communities are teachers, inadequacy and their unwillingness to be posted to rural communities. It is important to note here that the observations made in this
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study also supports the earlier claims made in the conceptual model of the study which was based on the public policy implementation as proposed by Horns and <eter, $+5=?( which stated inter alia that the success of any policy implementation lies in the hands of the implementing agencies. .ccording to this document, the nature of implementing agencies is very crucial in policy implementation $-4E scheme( and this is determined by the organi ational viability, quality of the human resource in these agencies, their knowledge, power, and understanding of what the policy is all about. !he third research question investigated the differences that exist in the challenges faced by rural and urban communities in the implementation of the -4E scheme. !he data presented in table 7 above shows that the mean scores of items A, 5 and +& of the research instrument indicates an acceptance of the postulations made as to the challenges of -4E implementation in 3elta "orth senatorial district. However, the mean scores of the challenges show that these challenges are higher in the rural communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district. . test of significant difference however showed that there is no significant difference in the challenges faced by rural and urban schools of the district. !he implications to these observations therefore, is that the main challenges facing the effective implementation of -4E in the district includes the unavailability of quality infrastructure, lack of fund and the poor nature of the school location and these burdens are felt almost at the same level by rural and urban communities. !his is supported by the study of Ikoya
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and 9noyase, $%&&A( who revealed that inadequate infrastructure in schools is impeding effective implementation of -4E.

CHAPTER -I,E SU//AR:7 CONC*USION AND RECO//ENDATIONS Summary of the Study !his study evaluated the performance level and factors militating against the effective implementation of the -4E scheme in local communities, of 3elta "orth Senatorial 3istrict. !he study stated as its research ob0ectives an identification of the relationship between the ratios of teachers to pupils and performance level of the universal basic education scheme) finding out if there is difference on the performance level of universal basic education
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scheme in urban and rural communities of 3elta "orth Senatorial 3istrict and the differences that exists on the factors militating against effective

implementation of the universal basic education scheme in rural and urban communities of 3elta "orth Senatorial 3istrict. !he study in a bid to do 0ustice to the sub0ect matter, established the systems theory as its theoretical back up and the #ublic policy implementation model as a conceptual model. !he systems theory identified the school to exist as a collection of inputs and output system of which any alteration in the input also leads to an alteration of the output. Jarious literatures on factors that may promote or mitigate the effective implementation of the scheme were reviewed extensively. !he study however, adopted the survey research method and sampled the opinions of %&& teachers selected from a total population of >,&7= primary school teachers in the district from +> primary schools of which A were drawn from the urban and rural areas respectively. !he instrument used for the study was a self developed questionnaire titled -4E implementation factors and performance questionnaire $-I;#N(. 4ased on the data generated from the field work, the following can be summari ed as the ma0or findings and the contribution to knowledge by the study. +. !here is a significant relationship between the ratio of teachers to pupils and the performance level of -4E scheme in 3elta "orth Senatorial 3istrict.

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%. !here is a significant difference $#R&.&?( on the level of -4E performance in rural and urban communities of 3elta "orth senatorial district and that -4E performance is higher in urban areas of the district 7. !here is no significant difference $#S&.&?( in the challenges faced by rural and urban areas in the implementation of -4E scheme in 3elta "orth Senatorial 3istrict. '. 1ore areas emphasi ed by the -4E implementation guidelines have been seriously ignored in the 3elta "orth Senatorial 3istrict. !hese core areas include the skill acquisition and environmental education. Conc u!#on 4ased on the observations made above, this study wishes to conclude that the success of the -4E implementation lies in the hands of teachers in addition to quality infrastructure made available to them. Recommendat#on! .t the end of this study, the following are the recommendations. +. !here should be a serious recruitment of quality teachers for -4E implementation so as to make up for the short fall of teachers observed by this study. %. !here should be an improved level of infrastructural development targeted at -4E implementation in primary schools.

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7. !he monitoring unit at all levels of -4E implementation should improve on their activities so as to ensure that funds released get to the grass roots. '. !here should be an improvement of remuneration policies for teachers so as to attract prospective and qualified teachers to the field for -4E implementation. Sugge!t#on for -urther Stud#e! .t the end of these study and based on the recommendation made above the following are suggested as a follow up for this study. +. !his study only focused on the "orth Senatorial 3istrict of 3elta state. !herefore, it is recommended that same study, same method and same instrument should be adopted for same study in the central and south senatorial districts of 3elta state so as to give us an idea of the overall performance of the scheme in 3elta state. %. .n investigation into the amount of funds released for -4E implementation in 3elta state should be carried out. 7. .n evaluation of the level of monitoring activities by the State -niversal 4asic Education 4oard $S-4E4( on -4E implementation should be carried out.

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Reference! .bidogun, 4.2 $%&&>(. Education Sector eforms and childhood Education for ural !evelopment in Nigeria, #'. .desina Segun $+5A%(. "lanning and educational development in Nigeria. Cagos* Educational Industries "igeria Cimited. .ghenta, 8.. $%&&&(. #rgani$ation and %anagement of &niversal 'asic Education in Nigeria . paper presented at the +?th .nnual .cademy 1ongress #ublication %&&& of the "igerian .cademy of Education held in -"I4E", pp. ?6=. .luede, D. 9. .. $%&&>(. &niversal 'asic Education in Nigeria( %atters )rising* 8. Hum. Ecol., 2=$%(* 5=6+&+
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.nyaegbu, D., 1hristman, 3.E and 8ingpu, 1. $%&&'(. !he challenges of Dural Education in "igeria* #otential lessons from 1hina E68. !each. Cearn. !iverse Setting, 1$%(*+>& 6 +=' .rubayi, E $%&&?(. 1omparing .verage 3istance !ravelled to school by students in #rimary and Secondary Schools in 3elta and Edo state and its Effects on .ttendance, !elsu +* Educ* es* !ev. >$+&(*+65 .yeni, <... $%&&&(* Secondary Education* . "ew Cook at "igerian .dolescents and Koung .dults. . paper presented at the +Ath .nnual 1onference of #hilosophy of Education .ssociation of "igeria , +>th 9ctober M +5th 9ctober. 4isong, 8.9. $+55%(. !eacher education in the %+st century* !he Incompetence factor. . paper presented on the occasion of the =th 2raduation 1eremony of the ;ederal 1ollege of Education, 9budu, 1ross Divers State 1ochran, 1.and <alone, E. $+555(. Public Policy: Perspective and Choice. "ew Kork* <c2raw6Hill. 3areng, <.I and .ttah, 4.2 $%&&&(. !rends in #rimary Education in "igeria* Implications for -niversal 4asic Education sustenance * . paper presented at the +?th .nnual .cademy 1ongress #ublication %&&& of the "igerian .cademy of Education held in -"I4E", pp.+67. 3enga, 3. I. $%&&&(* Evolving a "ew Educational 1ulture* !he -niversal 4asic Education ;ocus* -nternational +ournal of esearch in 'asic and .ife .ong Education, 1/0 123 045 Edho, 9. 2. $%&&5(. !he 1hallenges .ffecting the Implementation of the -niversal 4asic Education $-4E( in 3elta State, "igeria. +* Soc* Sci* %&$7(* +A76+A=. ;afunwa, ..4. $+5='(. 6istory of education in Nigeria* Condon* 2eorge .llen and -nwin Ctd. ;ederal Depublic of "igeria $%&&'( National policy on education* "ED31 Cagos.

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;ederal Depublic of "igeria. $+5A+(. National "olicy on Education* ;ederal 2overnment #ress, Cagos ;2"/-"I1E;. $%&&7(. Situation and policy analysis of basic education in Nigeria. Cagos* 2abumo #ress. Ikoya #. 9 $%&&A(. 7urrent -ssues in Educational %anagement* 4eing a !racing #rogramme organi ed by 3elta State -niversal 4asic Education 4oard for #rincipals. Jice #rincipals and 1ounselor of 8uniors Secondary Schools in Educational <anagement, .braka. E3SEDJE 19"S-C!, pp. '+6'>. Ikoya, #. 9. and 9noyase, 3. $%&&A(. -niversal 4asic Education in "igeria* .vailability of Schools, Infrastructure for Effective Implementation. Educational Studies 7'*++6%'. <allinson, J $+5A&(. )n -ntroduction to the Study of 7omparative Education. Heinemann Educational 4ooks, Condon. <kpa, <... $%&&&(. 8eachers preparation for a successful basic education /&'E3 in Nigeria. . paper presented at the .ll "igeria 1onference of #rincipals of Secondary Schools $."19#SS( -muahia, .bia State. +'th M +>th .ugust. "akpodia, E.3 $%&++(. !eacher ;actors in the implementation of -niversal 4asic Education Scheme in 1entral Senatorial 3istrict of 3elta State. es* Educ. 1A$+(* >76=+ "wankwo, +5A'. %astering esearch in Education and the Social Sciences* Ibadan, 4isi 4ooks "igeria Ctd. 9basan0o, 9. $%&&&(. #residential address on the occasion of the relaunching of the -niversal 4asic Education $-4E( #rogramme. Education 8oday, A* %67. 9biunu, 8. 8ude $%&++(. !eachers #erception of the -niversal 4asic Education #rogramme as an Educational Deform #olicy 8he Social Sciences @$%(* +?&6+?' #ressman, 8. and Bildavsky, . $+5=5(. Implementation -niversity of 1alifornia #ress, 4erkeley, #. +A+. !eboho, <o0a $%&&&(. Nigeria Education Sector )nalysis( )n analytical synthesis of performance and main issues* "ew Kork* Borld 4ank.
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!he "ation !hursday, 9ctober, +>, %&&A #p. +=67% !he "ation ;riday, ;ebruary %=, %&&5 #. += -do0i, 8. $+5='(. "ublic Service evie9 7ommission( %ain report* Cagos* ;ederal <inistry of Information. -"ES196 E;.. $%&&5(. 2lobal <onitoring Deport. #aris* -"ES19. -tibe, 9 $%&&+(. -ssues and "roblems in the Effective -mplementation of the &'E in &yo .*:*) of );9a -bom State , 4.Ed pro0ect $-npublished(, -yo* -niversity of -yo. Eelvys, D $%&&'(. 7hange in <uality )ssurance Systems and 8heoretical models of Education management 9slo. Eli #ublication

APPENDIB I RESEARCH INSTRU/ENT UBE I/P*E/ENTATION -ACTORS AND PER-OR/ANCE "UESTIONNAIRE. &UI-P"' #lease fill were appropriate and tick where necessary, be rest assured that your responses will be used for research purposes only. Section .* Demogra$h#c ,ar#ab e! "ame of School* TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT *ocat#on of Schoo * -rban* $ ( Dural $ ( 9ender* <ale $ ( ;emale $ ( *e%e of E3$er#ence( +6? Kears $ ( >6+& Kears $ ( above +& years $ ( "ua #f#cat#on* SS1E $ ( "1E $ ( 9"3 $ ( 4.Ed. $ ( <.Ed. $ ( H"3/4.ScU#23E $ ( H"3/4.Sc. $ (
>+

Section 4* Te!t ,ar#ab e! #lease indicate the extent to which you agree to the following statements. Kour responses will be graded in the following scale of Strongly .greed $S.( O ', .greed $.( O 7, 3isagreed $3( O % and Strongly 3isagreed $S3( O + Section 4 UBE Performance7 Im$ ementat#on and Cha enge!
S;N + % 7 ' ? > = A 5 +& "ue!t#on I have seen and read the 2uidelines for -4E implementation I follow all the guidelines for the implementation of -4E <y school makes provision for skill acquisition as stated in the -4E implementation guidelines I teach moral instruction as part of the -4E curriculum Deading, writing and communication is a core aspect of implantation of -4E in <y school. I teach citi en and civic education as a core part of my implementation of -4E. I teach environmental Education as part of Implementation of -4E. !he quality of infrastructure has hindered my effective implementation of -4E ;unds released for -4E implementation do not get to the grassroots so it makes the teachers incapacitated Cocation of my school is a factor to implementation of -4E SA A D SD

Section 1 E%a uat#on of Teacher to Pu$# Rat#o and UBE Performance

S;N ++ +% +7 +' "ue!t#on !he ratios of teacher to students is above the +*'& as approved by -4E guidelines I don,t have enough time to monitor all of my #upils activities in school I have specific measures for monitoring and following up school children who do not come to school. !he number of our #upils outweighs the strength of available teachers SA A D SD

-or Head Teacher! On y. Section 3 Infra!tructura E%a uat#on

S;N +? "ue!t#on How many !eachers 3o you Have@ Re!$on!e

>%

+> += +A +5 %&

3o you 8udge your teachers qualified for effective implementation of -4E@ How many 1lassroom blocks do you have@ In the last four years how many #ro0ects have been executed targeted at -4E implementation@ 3o you have a skill acquisition centre for !he development of skills in your school@ .re there enough facilities for extracurricular sports activities and <ental growth of the pupils in your school@

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