Abstract
The study attempted to investigate the Impact of Early
Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Family Background on the Development of
Children within the Nigerian System.
The study adopted multi-stage random sampling
procedure, out of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, three zones were
chosen, namely North West, South South, South West. A sample of 480 pupils were
selected. The selection was purposeful in order to have a data that is
nationally representative.
In addition, the questionnaire was adopted for the
collection of data necessary for this study. Data collected were subjected to
appropriate quantitative and qualitative analyses using basic descriptive
statistics including frequency counts and percentages for easy interpretation
as well as chi-square test.
The research revealed
that children who did not pass through the preschool had more repetitions of
classes than their counterparts who passed through the preschools. It was
recommended among other recommendations that the preschool across the nation
should be made compulsory. Also, there should be the establishment of
preschools in the public education sector.
Table of Contents
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background
of the study
1.1 Statement
of problem
1.2 Purpose
of Study
1.3 Significance of study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Scope
of Study
1.6 Operational definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Theoretical Framework-Cognitive theory
2. 1 Early Childhood Care and Education
2.2 Early Childhood Care and Education in
Nigeria
2.3 ECCE and Child Development
2.4 Lasting effects of ECD on child development
2.5 Studies on Relationship between Family
background and education of young children and ECCE
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population
3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique
3.4 Instruments
3.5 Pilot Study /Validation of Instruments
3.6 Procedure for Data Collection
3.7 Data Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR: Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results
4.1
Introduction
4.2
Type of School Selected for the Study
4.3 Teachers’ Views on Children’s Social
Competences/Anti-Social Behaviour Due to Attendance of Preschool
4.4 Students who achieved high social competences and
stable social development due to attendance of Preschool in Public and Private
Schools in Lagos, Kano and Rivers States
4.5 Students non-achievement of Social
Competences and Social Development due to Non-attendance of Preschool in Lagos,
Kano and Rivers States
4.6 Influence of Early Childcare Education
and Family Socio-Economic Characteristics on Achievement of Intellectual and
Social Competencies of Children
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, RECOMMENDATIONS, CONCLUSIONS,
LIMITATION AND SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER STUDIES
5.0
Introduction
5.1 Summary of Findings
5.2
Discussion of Findings
5.3
Recommendations
5.4
Limitation of the Study
5.5
Conclusions
5.6
Suggestion for Further Studies
BIBLOGRAPHY
APPENDIX I- QUESTIONNAIRE FOR
PRIMARY 2 PUPILS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0
Background
of the study
Education is the right of
every child and must not be denied it for any reason. This has been the
assertion of the World Summit on the state of global children, which has led to
the inclusion and expansion of early childhood care and education in the global
Education for All programme (Ajayi, 2008). Early Childhood Care and Development
is an investment that offers outstanding returns- both in human and financial
terms. However in most parts of the globe, the political will to put children
at the center, to provide adequate supports for young children living in
poverty, and to make sure that all children are ensured their rights from the
start is nowhere near adequate as yet (Arnold,2004).
UNESCO Institute of
Statistics (UIS; 2008) comparable statistical information on Africa tells us
that 38% of the adult population remains illiterate, that only 12% of children
are enrolled at the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) levels; 76% at
the primary; 27% at the secondary; and 6% at the higher education level. Around
72 million secondary school-aged young people and 30 million primary
school-aged children in Africa are outside the
school system; the majority of these have no training or skills to be absorbed
in the labour market.
Sub-Saharan Africa has made significant progress since the adoption
of Education for All goals in 2000, by reducing its out-of-school population by
nearly 13 million, down to 32 million in 2007. Yet the challenge remains large:
one-quarter of the region’s primary school age children were out of school in
2008, and the region accounted for nearly 45% of the global out-of-school
population. Gender, income, and location interact with other factors of
disadvantage, such as language of instruction, ethnicity, and disability, to
multiply barriers to school entry. If more actions are not taken, almost 12
million girls in the region are expected never to enroll, compared with 7
million boys. For millions of children entering primary school, their journey
is marked by late entry, low achievement, grade repetition, and dropout. While
intake rates are going up in the region, in half of the countries, 50% or more
of the children entered school above the official starting age in 2007( WCECCE,
2010)
Following the 4th African Conference on ECCE (Dakar, 2009) the African
Union voted to add early childhood development as a (new) eighth priority area
in the Second Decade of Education Plan of Action. The result is that beginning
in 2011, all African countries will track their progress in ECCE. Proposed ECCE
indicators were identified in Kinshasa
(July 2010) and scheduled for ratification by the AU in October 2010. A total
of 14 indicators have been proposed which include health and education
indicators. In addition, a national sample of household data will be used which
replicates the Multi cluster Indicator Survey (MICS) designed by UNICEF. All
African countries are expected to report secondary data and pilot the household
data in 2011. Piloting of household data around child development indicators
will focus on two countries within each regional economic commission (REC).
The
literature on child development is replete with empirical findings
demonstrating a strong causal relationship between foundation stage of the
education of young children and their academic and social competence at
secondary and tertiary levels. Such studies have demonstrated that the
foundation stage is most important stage as children are growing and learning
physically, socio-emotionally and intellectually (Merrell, Tymms and Jones (2007).
Early childcare education
can be a double edged sword that can both alleviate and exacerbate disparity.
Providing early childcare services can have an equalizing effect on cognitive
and affective development, compensating for the disadvantaged backgrounds. Even
if early childcare services cannot entirely close the cognitive and social
development gap between the rich and poor children, a lack of this service can
certainly widen the gap in a relatively well-off country (Jaramillo and
Tietjen, 2001:3).
The provision of early childcare education can exacerbate
disparities between rich and poor children, as the wealthy are its biggest
users and beneficiaries. Early childcare education can have an equalizing
effect on cognitive and affective development of young children. The gains such
as early reading, phonological awareness results are revealed in Merrell, Tymms
and Jones (2007) seven years longitudinal study on Changes in Children’s
Cognitive Development; and invariably early mathematical awareness and general
knowledge of their environment. Cognitive development associated with early
childcare suggests that government should encourage the provision of early
childcare programs as is been done in other developed countries such as Sure
Start centres UK and The Early Head Start in the US.
Nigeria, the most populous
country in Africa has since 1999 been marked by several significant policy
thrusts and programmes that seek to actualize the spirit of the Jamtien
Declaration (1990) and Dakar (2000) Education for all plan of action as well as
Nigeria’s own needs and goals for sustainable national development, using
education as an “instrument par excellence’’ (Federal Ministry Of Education,
2006: 1)
Ololude, Kpolovie and Edbezor (2009) argue that inequality
in learning is not only difficult to remedy but has also destroyed the
intellectual ability of most children and resulted in inequality
socio-economically and politically. “As a result … for a nation to develop, its
early childcare education must be based on a solid foundation and all national,
state and local facilities needed for enhancing it ought to be provided Ololude
(2005a, 2005b, 2007 in Ololude, Kpolovie
and Edbezor 2009). The major challenges faced in Nigeria include lack of trained
personnel, inadequate infrastructure, awareness of the importance of ECCE and
so on
This study will focus on the short term/
long term impacts of ECCE and family background on the development of children
within the Nigerian system where problems such as government’s non-involvement
in early childcare education, failure to understand the impact of attention to
young children for human development and poverty reduction, failure to reach
the most socio-economically disadvantaged children and the provision of early childcare education in
the three chosen states.
1.1
Statement
of problem
Notwithstanding the claims that ECCE has
been rolled out in Nigeria and despite the massive investment in contracts to
purchase ECCE books, the reality is that what now passes for ECCE is no
different from the primary education focus of the past. Baseline data reveals
that most care givers of new ECCE classes have never been trained, do not know
the meaning of ECCE and have not seen the curriculum. Similarly, most Ministry
officials are not aware of place of ECCE in the state’s education policies.
There is lack of awareness to the
importance early child care Development at all levels from government officials
to most junior members of the communities. Thus; this study was designed to
fill this gap.
1.2 purpose of Study
- To assess the impact of
ECCE on future social development of the Nigerian child
- To assess the extent to
which family background can influence the future social development of the
Nigerian child
- To evaluate the extent
to which these two variables (ECCE) and family background jointly
influence or predict social
development of children.
- To evaluate the
awareness of importance ECCE in the
three states (Lagos, Kano and Rivers)
in Nigeria
and determine the level of government involvement in the delivery of
quality early childhood education/ preschool in these three states
1.3 Significance of study
This study will sensitize
policy makers, educational administrators and planners on the need to provide
adequate programmes, policies and curriculum for early childhood education. It
will go a long way to make parents to be involved in their children’s early
education by providing the necessary materials. This will encourage government
to provide Pre-primary educational facilities (classrooms, instructional
materials and equipments) needed for the success of the programme. Also, the
result of the study will contribute to policy formulation and practices.
1.4 Research Questions
1.
To what extent did you enjoy the attendance and
activities done at the preprimary school?
2.
What are the activities you enjoyed most during your
playgroup/nursery school days?
3.
Did you like your teachers and caregivers during your
crèche/playgroup or nursery school period?
4.
To what extent were you able to read correctly before
leaving the playgroup or nursery school and did you find some subjects
difficult?
5.
For non-attendance of the preschool, did you repeat
classes?
6.
To what extent will childcare education and family
socio-economic characteristics influence children’s intellectual achievement?
7.
Will childcare and education and family socio-economic
status influence the social competences of the child in latter life?
1.5 Scope of Study
Currently the Federal
Government of Nigeria recognizes six geopolitical zones each comprising 5-7
states. For purposes of the study, Nigeria
was divided into three geopolitical zones namely North East ( Kano State), South West ( Lagos
State) and South South ( Rivers State).
A total of twelve primary schools comprising both public and private schools
were drawn from the three states. This was considered adequate and represented
to make tentative generalisation.
1.6 Operational definition
of terms
- Childcare is the act
of caring for and supervising young children between the ages of 0 –
6years. It is either provided by parents as they look after their young or
at designated centers such as child minders, crèches or day care while
both parents go to work.
- Education is the
impartation and acquisition of knowledge through teaching and learning,
especially at a school or similar institution such as early childcare
centres.
- Social Development is
the art of early childcare practice that nurtures the affective development
of young children.
- ECCE means Early
Child Care and Education, also referred to as pre-primary education is the
education given to children between ages 0-5 plus prior to their entering
the primary school.
- ECCD is process that
refers to an orderly, sequential process of change in which a child learns
to handle higher and more complex levels of activity.
- SUBEB means State
Universal Basic Education Board
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