Nora Olson Laura Quaynor Comparative Education 24 February 2009 With literacy estimated to be 68%, Nigeria demonstrates that education matters for its citizens (Gutek 421). Compared to other LTDC’s in Africa like Somalia (whose literacy for the entire population barely reaches 37.8%), the West African country has slowly been recovering from years or bloodshed (CIA). Colonialisation and long civil wars ravaged the already un-united country. For these reasons, Nigeria’s moderate, though small, successes in education in a short span of 50 years since independence and the land’s immense natural resources could elevate them to a status of world player (or small participant). To achieve these goals, Nigeria must first rework some kinks in their governing, especially in the area of unification. In his overview of Nigeria’s education system, Gerald Gutek attributes Nigeria’s many tribes, opposing religious views, and geographical differences as the major obstacle to education. In the north, Islamic Hausa is spoken. In the southwest, tribes speak Yoruba, and the Christian Igbos speak Igbo in the southeast. Meanwhile, English contributes itself as another language in an already confusing area. Here, the obstacle for education reveals itself to be a lack of communication, for which language should teachers use in the classroom? What language shall the textbooks use? Nigeria must first establish one unifying language to use in its classrooms. Creating a single official language, however, creates another dilemma. At what cost should Nigeria move forward in its status in the world area? Part of its culture is the many different groups.
Nora Olson
ReplyDeleteLaura Quaynor
Comparative Education
24 February 2009
With literacy estimated to be 68%, Nigeria demonstrates that education matters for its citizens (Gutek 421). Compared to other LTDC’s in Africa like Somalia (whose literacy for the entire population barely reaches 37.8%), the West African country has slowly been recovering from years or bloodshed (CIA). Colonialisation and long civil wars ravaged the already un-united country. For these reasons, Nigeria’s moderate, though small, successes in education in a short span of 50 years since independence and the land’s immense natural resources could elevate them to a status of world player (or small participant). To achieve these goals, Nigeria must first rework some kinks in their governing, especially in the area of unification.
In his overview of Nigeria’s education system, Gerald Gutek attributes Nigeria’s many tribes, opposing religious views, and geographical differences as the major obstacle to education. In the north, Islamic Hausa is spoken. In the southwest, tribes speak Yoruba, and the Christian Igbos speak Igbo in the southeast. Meanwhile, English contributes itself as another language in an already confusing area. Here, the obstacle for education reveals itself to be a lack of communication, for which language should teachers use in the classroom? What language shall the textbooks use? Nigeria must first establish one unifying language to use in its classrooms.
Creating a single official language, however, creates another dilemma. At what cost should Nigeria move forward in its status in the world area? Part of its culture is the many different groups.