ABSTRACT
The study evaluated the implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Edo State in terms of the state of inputs and outputs variables during pre and post UBE periods in Edo State. It took a retrospective look at the efforts in the past by various governments either at the regions or states and national levels to provide free, universal and compulsory basic education in the country. Studies however, revealed that these efforts resulted in abysmal failure .These failed attempts on the part of previous governments to universalize basic education to its citizens in the past is one of the motivating reasons for this study. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation of the Universal Basic Education in Edo State with a view to identifying the possible factors that may hinder the realization of the aims and objectives of the Universal Basic Education programme and possibly proffer solutions to these identified problems. The variables of this study are pupils enrolment, teachers availability, school facilities, teachers training, monitoring and evaluation. Six research questions and null hypotheses were generated for this study. This study adopted the ex-post-facto research type. Kerlinger (1986) defined ex-post-facto type of research as a systematic empirical inquiry in which the researcher does not have direct control of independent variable because their manifestations have already occurred.. Data were collected using three sets of structured research questionnaires namely: Teacher Questionnaire (TQ), Classroom Situation Questionnaire (CSQ); School Questionnaire (SQ). The three instruments for the study yielded the following degree of reliability: TQ = (.80), CSQ = (.88), SQ = (.73) using Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test. The data collected in this study were analysed using Gross Enrolment Ratio, paired t-Test and diagrammatic representation. The findings of this study revealed that there was no significant difference in pupils enrolment between pre and post UBE periods in Edo State. There was significant difference in the availability of school facilities between pre and post UBE periods in Edo State. There was also a significant difference in teachers participation in in-service training programme in Edo State in pre and post UBE periods. There was a significant improvement in monitoring and evaluation carried at the basic education level. Finally, this study recommended that the mass mobilization unit or department of the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) should embark on an aggressive awareness or enlightenment programme that will lead to an increased enrolment to justify government huge investment in basic education in the state.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
The current Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme in Nigeria is a product of an earlier educational scheme, programme and educational decisions. It is an offshoot of previous schemes, which could be said to have been bedeviled by problems and which the present scheme is expected to correct.
Social Studies according to Dubey (1980) is the investigation of human activities; it studies man at home, at work, workshop, in politics, at play, in the village, in the nation, everywhere, engaged in his busy programme of living and it is particularly interested in man’s problems about which decision must be made. The content of social studies is drawn from sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, geography, history, psychology, social-psychology, literature, arts and music, religion, philosophy, achealogy, demography, linguistics, communication, science… most of which constitute the social sciences and the humanities (Mezieobi and Domike, 1996).
The other sources of social studies programme include resource persons and places, oral historiography, contemporary issues, mass media, etc.
In the light of the definitions and descriptions of social studies as stated above, one of the contemporary public issues that affect the Nigerian society today is the introduction and implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme of which social studies is one the core subjects offered.
The 1950s laid the foundation stone for later educational developments in the 1960s and beyond. Educational efforts of the 1950s were themselves determined by the history of educational growth from the fourth decade of the 19th century. By implication therefore, explosion in education in the Western region had tremendous influence on other regions. It should be recalled that the 1950 Macpherson constitution created regional houses that were responsible to the central government in Lagos. The constitution also empowered the regional houses to make laws on education. The effect of this was that regions grew differently in educational provisions (Aluede, 1992), (Kosemani and Okorosaye-Oruibite, 1995).
In the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo had the opportunity of putting his own concept of education into practice. Thus, as the leader of the Action Group (AG), he placed priority on education by drawing up a comprehensive educational development plan for the whole of western region which Edo state was part of, and adhered strictly to this policy because he believed that to educate the children and enlighten the illiterate adults, is to lay a solid foundation not only for the future social and economic progress, but also, for the political stability of the region in particular and the country in general. He therefore, introduced free, universal and compulsory primary education (UPE) in 1955 which is synonymous with his name in Nigeria today (Taiwo, 1980).
The Eastern Regional House that introduced the UPE scheme under the leadership of Dr. Azikiwe in January 1957 followed the Western Region’s example. The Lagos area that was cut off from the educational programmes of the Western Region in 1954 when it was declared a Federal Territory, equally introduced the Universal Primary Education (UPE) scheme in January 1957.