Challenges against Successful Implementation of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify challenges against successful implementation of universal basic education in Nigeria. To achieve this objective, two research questions were developed and answered while one null hypothesis was formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. A 24 items structured questionnaire was developed from the literature reviewed for the study and utilized in collecting data. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The sample for the study was 328 respondents made up of 89 LGA UBE staff and 239 UBE teachers. The structured questionnaire was face-validated by 5 experts in UBE programme and measurement and evaluation. The Cronbach alpha method was used to compute the reliability of the questionnaire to obtain a co-efficient of 0.86. The questionnaire was administered on 328 respondents; 317 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved and analyzed. The weighted mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test statistics was used to test the hypothesis. The results showed that there are lots of challenges ranging from faulty planning process to lack or inadequacy of human and material resources that are against implementation of UBE programme. The study further found out that there was no significant different in the mean rating of the response of LGA UBE staff and UBE teachers on the challenges against successful implementation of UBE scheme. It was therefore recommend that the UBE program should be properly financed to provide necessary human and material resources and the ministries in charge of UBE should also be adequately finance and properly staffed o enable them perform their traditional functions of school supervision and monitoring.