Basic Challenges of Quality Public Primary Education in Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria, 1999-2015
Maiyaki M. Mejida & Aguma James Towo
Department of History, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria
Department of Agricultural Education, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria
Email: maiyaki2006nsuk@gmail.com; agumajamestowo@gmail.com
Corresponding
Author: Aguma
James Towo
ABSTRACT
Education is widely regarded as the route to economic prosperity, the key to scientific and technological advancement, the means to combat unemployment, and the foundation of social equity. Based on this fact, the Federal Government of Nigeria like other developing countries has at different times made frantic efforts in increasing the number of children enrolled in primary schools though there are still many more who are not enrolled and who do not complete the programme. In Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria, the system has been saddled with problems ranging from issues of enrolment, funding, infrastructure, teaching personnel and curriculum provisions. This basic sector of education has been and still being largely neglected due to poor government policies. For the past two years, for instance, the personnel of this critical sector have been placed on what is now popularly called SALARY PERCENTAGE in the state. This has compounded the problems of public primary education in the State. For quality education assurance these issues need to be properly addressed. This paper argues that quality indicators should move beyond inputs governments provide in terms of infrastructure, and also pay serious attention to teachers, materials and what goes on in the classroom with special reference to teaching and learning time utilization. The paper, using both empirical and secondary data, is designed to showcase how quality public primary education has been maligned in Nasarawa State as a result of governance crisis.
Keywords: Basic, Challenge, Nasarawa State, Public Primary, Teacher
