Assessment of Educational Eras in Nigeria from Colonial Era to Comtemporary Era.
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- Date Submitted: 06/05/2014 10:17 AM
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Abstract
The colonial administration in Nigeria, first indicated interest in education in 1877. Prior to this time, the planning and execution of educational policies was limited to the various missionary societies involved in the Nigerian education. In 1877, however, the lagos administration provided the sum of two hundred pounds to each of the three missionary societies carrying out educational work in the colony of Lagos. With this initial government contribution to missionary education, the colonial government soon felt that he who paid the piper must dictate the tune. The result was the enactment of the 1882 Education Ordinance.
This paper therefore, attempts to highlight the educational Eras from colonial period to date. As well as the impact made by various government on educational system of the country and its economic development.
Introduction
The colonial education which was inherited by Nigeria was criticized for being too theoretical to be able to make meaningful impact on the life of Nigerians. Subjects taught in schools reflected the taste of the colonial education officials; hence school curricula were built around the existing colonial values. Students were supposed to mimic their teachers in subject like English Language which involved demonstration of competency. The same problem which informed dependency on past colonial education relics seems to have continued till date. Woolman (2001) was forced to comment on issue of this sort in his remark about African education. According to him, “African school systems today still follow the rigid structure of time periods and grade-level progression found in Western education.” Where there is little change in the curriculum, it is either one subject is substituted for the other or dropped outright. This is the case with the study of History which has almost lost its place to Social studies in school curriculum. The National Policy on Education provides in the curriculum of...
The colonial administration in Nigeria, first indicated interest in education in 1877. Prior to this time, the planning and execution of educational policies was limited to the various missionary societies involved in the Nigerian education. In 1877, however, the lagos administration provided the sum of two hundred pounds to each of the three missionary societies carrying out educational work in the colony of Lagos. With this initial government contribution to missionary education, the colonial government soon felt that he who paid the piper must dictate the tune. The result was the enactment of the 1882 Education Ordinance.
This paper therefore, attempts to highlight the educational Eras from colonial period to date. As well as the impact made by various government on educational system of the country and its economic development.
Introduction
The colonial education which was inherited by Nigeria was criticized for being too theoretical to be able to make meaningful impact on the life of Nigerians. Subjects taught in schools reflected the taste of the colonial education officials; hence school curricula were built around the existing colonial values. Students were supposed to mimic their teachers in subject like English Language which involved demonstration of competency. The same problem which informed dependency on past colonial education relics seems to have continued till date. Woolman (2001) was forced to comment on issue of this sort in his remark about African education. According to him, “African school systems today still follow the rigid structure of time periods and grade-level progression found in Western education.” Where there is little change in the curriculum, it is either one subject is substituted for the other or dropped outright. This is the case with the study of History which has almost lost its place to Social studies in school curriculum. The National Policy on Education provides in the curriculum of...