INTRODUCTION
Globalization
perhaps became a fashionable and widespread concept in the 1990’s (Giddens,
1990). This paper agreed with Tickly, Lowe, Crossley, Dachi, Garrett and Mukabarangu
(2003) that saw globalization as containing both opportunities and threats for
national development and as bemigan inevitable and largely irresistible phenomenon.
Globalization is principally concerned with
economic integration into regional
and global markets underpinned by new technologies. It was also seen, however,
as involving political and cultural aspects.
Globalization
embodies and exhibits trends and characteristics, which tend to de-emphasize
the primacy of the traditional nation state while simultaneously accentuating the
ascendency of world-wide trends and tendencies. The forces and characteristics of
globalization tend to have collapsed traditional boundaries among nations, regions
and among ethic. Suddenly, the whole world had become a global village. Though,
globalization within historical coutext has a longer origin than most people
are prepared to acknowledge. Africa is portrayed as marginal in issues related
to contemporary discourse on globalization, largely because of Euro centric
notion of Africa as a dark continent which is excluded from mainstream global
thinking and activities. However, a proper view of globalization within
historical contexts will see Africa as playing a central role in the global
dispersal of civilization and modernization. Africa’s central links to the rest
of the world span the whole of man’s life on mother ‘earth’. Pharonic Egypt and
the Islamic caliphates in Africa had for long been centres for learning and
inspiration for less developed Europe. Centres of learning and excellence had existed
in Africa long before the America’s were opened up. The slave trade and later
colonization should be seen as global dimensions in the exploitation of African
labour for the advancement of western economy. These seem to be the view of
king and McGrath (2002). Thus, if contemporary discourse and processes on
globalization fail to accord Africa, a cardinal role in global processes, a fall
back into history may correct this deliberate collective neo-colonially imposed
amnesia.
Nigeria
made her first attempt to enter into the so-called atomic age in 1955 when the
first educational policy: Universal Primary Education (UPE) & scheme was
launched in western Nigeria. One of the primary aims of the (UPE) was to catch-up
with the developing world. The experience of Nigerians who fought in the second
world war backward and came home to share their experiences with Nigeria’s first
group of nationalists. In the 1960’s educational policies along with other
aspects of National life were blighted by national conflicts, therefore, setting
the country backwards educationally. To salvage this, two important policies were
introduced. The first one was the Federal Universal Primary Education (UPE)
scheme launched in 1976. The scheme succeeded in raising total enrolment from
six million in 1975/76, to fifteen million in 1982/83. The second policy was
the National Policy on Education with 6-3-3-4 structure of formal education.
However,
it is on record that between 1979 and 1999 there was political instability that
affected education both in quantity and in quality. Consequent upon this and
because of the major world development of Education for All (EFA) the Universal
Basic education (UBE) scheme was launched to provide both primary and junior secondary education for all school age children
including those undeserved. It also aims to provide non-formal education for
out of school children and illiterate adults.
This
historical review has pointed to the fact that, even though globalization
became a universal concept in the 1990’s but Nigeria has consistently fashioned
its educational policies to make the country relevant to develop economics and subsequently
through education, integrate into the global economy. Presently, Nigeria is
facing the challenge of (EFA) by year 2015. The government is committed to this,
since it believes in education as a veritable tool to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGS).
Be
that as it may, it has to be stated that major international development such
as wars and world economic Crisis, patterns of foreign states and multinational
organizations assistance and pressures have heavily influenced globalization of
education in Nigeria. The 1990 Jomtier declaration and train work for action
and the Dakar Education for All (EFA) Declaration of April 2000, for instance
have influenced the orientation of Nigeria’s (UBE) programme as well as the
ongoing (EFA) planning exercise. Other international conferences held during the
1990 decade such as the Quagadougou. Pan-African Conference on girl’s Education
1993, the world conference on higher education 1998, and technical/vocational
education 1999 have all had their impacts on educational development in the
country, and have particularly enable Nigeria to network with other countries.
The same can be said of Nigeria’s involvement in the work of Association for
the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) among others.
The
impacts, results and implications of the seemingly widespread effect of
globalization is hereby examined and policy responses analyzed for Nigerian context.
In this context, the imperatives for educational changes are examined under the
following headlines.
i.
Globalization and imperatives for
charges in school curriculum in Nigerian educational system.
ii.
Globalization and imperatives for
charges in Educational Financing and Funding
iii.
Globalization and imperatives for
constitutional issues and policy Reforms in Education in Nigeria.
iv.
Recommendations, and
v.
Conclusion.
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