Abstract

This paper discussed the security challenges facing Nigeria, its nature and causes. This paper discovered that political leaders are traceable to wide spread of insecurity in Nigeria. It evident through their corrupt practices, marginalization, ethnicity and inability to provide jobs for the graduates. Since these constitute the major challenges to insecurity in Nigeria, the paper explored that the possible tool for curbing these challenges is for the government to address vital issues such as poverty, marginalisation and the likes. Consequently, a way forward was proffered and conclusions drawn.

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Abstract

Education in Nigeria is based on a national philosophy of education. This philosophy is based on the assumption that the individual has self-worth and that the education system should regard the worth and dignity of the human person; inculcate moral and spiritual principles in him, inter-personal and human relations, promote the physical, emotional and psychological development of all children and ensure the acquisition of the necessary competencies for self-reliance. These principles are the building blocks for self-reliance. This paper seeks to examine how equal educational opportunity can give rise to self-reliance. It does this by clarifying the concepts of equal educational opportunity and self-reliance. The paper opines that self-reliant education became necessary following the deficiencies of the missionary/colonial education that laid emphasis on literary education to the near total exclusion of the acquisition of relevant skills for self-reliance. While discussing the role of education in achieving self-reliance, the paper outlines the efforts made so far to equalize educational opportunity in Nigeria. The paper highlights some problems which may be encountered in the self-reliance endeavour such as imported equipment, examination malpractice and poor philosophical stand of the Nigerian education system. It is therefore, concluded that if Nigeria must realize self-reliant education through the instrumentality of equal educational opportunity, its policy on education must be constantly reviewed and restructured in line with the needs of Nigerian society.

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Abstract

A central principle of existentialism is that, “existence precedes essence for humans”. This means that, humans must first exist before any importance (essence) is attached to the living. Other existentialism principles as contained in its metaphysics, epistemology and axiology emphasise that humans are indispensable creatures in the world who should be accorded all rights to existence for essence. It is however disheartening that the existence of the citizens for essence are being threatened in Nigeria by diverse insecurity challenges being perpetrated by religious extremists tagged Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers, criminal herders, armed robbers and the like. As a way of proffering solutions to these threats to human sustainable existence, this paper looks into the practice of existentialism principles in Yoruba traditional early childhood education as a model of preventive measure against the aforementioned insecurity challenges in Nigeria, as, previous works on insecurity challenges in Nigeria have not dwelt on existentialism principles in traditional Yoruba early childhood education as preventive measures.

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Abstract

This paper focused on the practical approach to the teaching and learning exercises to equip the learners with useful competencies to solving future problems for the self and the society. The object teaching ideology of Johann Henrich Pestalozzi (1746 – 1827) which demands for a practical approach to teaching and learning was considered as important for economic development of Nigeria in the 21^st Century. Object teaching method to harness skills and competences for the young talents at the primary school level was briefly explained. Its basement for economic development in Nigeria and the viability of digital response was examined citing earlier attempts by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in her National Policy on Education to practicalize teaching and learning at the primary school level. Some benefits that will accrue to the Federal Republic of Nigeria if the object teaching ideology was upheld were mentioned and discussed. Five suggestions were proffered.

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Abstract

The challenges we have today in Nigeria, be them education, security, economy and so on, are no doubt the fallout of frustration of poverty, insecurity of any nature, corruption, unemployment, bad governance. Interestingly, these arrays of challenges are beyond one social malady or the other. The authors unarguably aver that distinguishing these threats and understanding their multifaceted dimensions require a strategic, concerted, collective and coordinated action of government and security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, multi-national agencies, the media and members of the public.

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Abstract

Educating the self for economic viability in a dependent economy: How do we change the narrative is aimed at how education would assist in the reconstruction of the learner’s mind to lead a meaningful and realistic life. It was observed that the learner seems to see schooling as a scam and schooling cannot guarantee its products any future. The absolute dependence on a single economy, the craze for certification and materialism among young adults and belief that borrowing to fund capital project points to a fact that only the self can resolve these plethora of challenges. For the self to bring about a turnaround in the economy, this narrative must change. So that the nation’s dependence on education as an instrument par excellence must gravitate from intention to actuality. These authors employ the existential-phenomenological approach in conceptualizing the self, education and the educated man, reconstructing the self for economic viability, and other issues. This is to the extent that we come to understand the need to invest in human capital development. Because, it is man that drives the economy, not the availability of sufficient funds and funding of capital projects.

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Abstract

This paper examines education, politics and leadership in Nigeria; challenges and the way forward. The concepts of education, politics and leadership were elucidated. Education is recognized as the positive tool for enhancing individual and societal development. Sadly in Nigeria, education has not lived up to its expectation as a result of politics, which is highly ethicized and regionalized. The political leadership directly influences outcomes of the educational sector in terms of policy formulation and implementation, funding and administration. The paper opines that the political class has failed to provide leadership that will galvanize the educational sector and make it productive. The challenges of education in Nigeria were identified and solutions on the way forward proffered. The decline in standard of education in Nigeria ranges from deterioration of facilities, lack of facilities, obsolete equipment, inadequate funding, examination malpractice, inadequate and unqualified teachers, incessant strike, political interference and above all, lack of proper implementation of educational policies. The paper proffers that adequate funding, training and retraining of teachers, reorientation and re-education of the citizens and political class, political education at all levels of education, merit in the place of mediocrity, just to mention a few, are way forward for the challenges of education, politics and the political class in Nigeria.

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Abstract

Teaching is more about adopting the right principles and dispositions that enables an individual to relate well with others in the learning process and contribute positively to the development of the society. The purpose of this study is to contribute to educational research about relational competence in teacher education by adopting Martin Buber relational philosophy for effective teaching and learning. Education founded on dialogue is the platform that will instills in the learners the ability to be analytical, intellectually curious, culturally aware, employable, leadership and societal development. The article studies relational/dialogue, as a core value in the philosophies of Martin Buber. It suggests that Buber’s philosophy of education founded on the principle of I-Thou is a blueprint to resolving the problems arising from the pedagogy gap. Hence, Buber’s ideas on education are more practical and may be projected as the definitive end for effective teaching.

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Abstract

Environmental education is designed to help people become environmental knowledgeable, equip them with skills and attitudes that can be used collectively or severally to address environmental challenges. Unfortunately, there is no operational environmental education curriculum in schools in Nigeria. As a result of this, learners lack adequate information about environmental challenges, and habits that are environmentally friendly. Thus, this paper examined the implications of philosophy of education on environmental education in Nigeria. It frowned at the infusion strategy of environmental education curriculum because it does not create room for elaborate discussions of environmental issues. It was recommended among others that a well articulated curriculum for environmental education be designed and implemented at all levels of education.

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Abstract

This paper focused on Quality Education as a Panacea for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria. It aimed at enlightening the society about the viability of quality education in poverty reduction in Nigeria. It identified poverty as a threat to effective participation of individuals in the society so long as a big gap exists between individuals and their physiological needs. Moreover, the lack of basic human needs such as water, food, clothing, shelter, security etc is detrimental to human dignity. However, quality education becomes a dispensable tool to close that gap in order to restore human dignity though with emphasis on the commitments and provisional roles of stakeholders in education towards actualizing quality education. The paper enumerated some of the expected roles of stakeholders in education such as establishment of a comprehensive education system, built on merit and excellence rather than on quota system and federal character-related practices. It also pointed out the necessity of moral education, history, skills acquisition orientated subjects, hands-on teaching methods, teachers’ periodic training and provision of functional health facilities, healthy and enabling environment and so on for both learners and teachers. Meanwhile, the paper stressed on the significance of poverty reduction in the society through provision of quality education to learners by the teachers, parents, and government. The paper opined that by-products of low quality education: low productivity, low income, low savings, low investment and poverty would automatically become the case of Nigerian society if quality education is not made imperative in Nigeria. Hence, recommendations that encourage the actualization of quality education in Nigeria were made. The paper concluded that teachers’ activities, learners’ concerns, and healthy teaching and learning environments among other variables alongside education stakeholders’ commitments and efforts shall guarantee quality education, the fruit of which will be evidenced in the improved living standard of the society.

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