1.0 INTRODUCTION
In the last unit you learn about the physical characteristics of primary School children, the social characteristics of primary school children,
The emotional characteristics of primary school children and the cognitive characteristics of primary school children. You also learnt about their Educational implication. In this unit you are going to study about the about the meaning of primary education, the purpose of primary education during the missionary era and during the regional governments. You will also learn about the purpose of the universal primary education.
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
part of what many dedicated teachers are doing to improve mankind.
A study of primary education is important because it is at this level that we can find the greatest number of pupils. Indeed, it means that whatever knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are relevant for living must be introduced in some way to the pupils at this stage. Again, primary school pupils at their formative years and so are most open to influence.
In this unit, you will be reading about the meaning and purpose of primary education. Primary education is made up of two words: primary and education, which we need to briefly, explain
Informally education is received out of school. Children learn to clean themselves, sweep their homes even before they go to school. Formal education is received in the school from teachers. With set objectives established curriculum and content for study.
Primary Education, like other arms of education, has purposes. Indeed it is interesting to observe that contemporary primary education reflects a variety of opinions on what education is all about. Take a parent for instance; ask him why he sent his son to school. You may be surprised at his reply. One parent may have sent his son to learn his name like “John Bull” while another may have sent his son to school so that he would be prepared to make lots of money later in life, take good care of his father in his old age and give him a befitting burial at his death. If the same question were to be asked a clergy man, he may reply that he wanted his son to be honest, gentle, obedient and reflective about God.
A primary school teacher may even have a different answer. He may feel that school children are sent to him to enable him teach them well for them to pass their examination and gain admission into secondary schools.
All the purposes of education indicated by the parents, clergy man and the primary school teacher are good purposes, yet each is deficient in many other ways that should help to produce an educated primary school child. Take the purpose stated by the parents, neither the spelling of his name nor making money on earth can give a child self actualization and happiness. The purpose indicated by the clergy man will produce a well behaved child who may lack the ability to create, solve problems and compete effectively with his peers in a dynamic world. The primary school teacher will eventually produce a child who may go to a secondary school but lack affection and cannot use his hands in doing manual work.
Purposes of education are desirable, valuable outcomes of education. They are desirable and valuable because a sound education should help children develop competencies in basic knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that are socially accepted and lead to individual development irrespective of their individual differences.
The personal growths of the child in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains are important consideration when primary education purposes are stated. Also since he is an integral member of his society, the purpose of education should reflect his personal social needs. All knowledge, skills, attitudes and values he acquires should relate to his intellectual, physical, aesthetic, spiritual, emotional and personal as well as his social and moral developments as a member of a social group.
In the last unit you learn about the physical characteristics of primary School children, the social characteristics of primary school children,
The emotional characteristics of primary school children and the cognitive characteristics of primary school children. You also learnt about their Educational implication. In this unit you are going to study about the about the meaning of primary education, the purpose of primary education during the missionary era and during the regional governments. You will also learn about the purpose of the universal primary education.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
- Explain the meaning of primary education
- Describe the purpose of primary education
- Enumerate the purpose of primary education during the missionary era
- Explain the purpose of primary school in the regional government era
- Explain the purpose of the universal primary education.
Meaning of Primary Education
Primary Education is a very interesting and challenging aspect of education. It is interesting because it helps to clarify and make you appreciate many things you did and learned at your primary school age, and so help you to understand your students better. The study of primary education will open up a word of knowledge about children: the way they grow, think, learn and make friends. It is challenging because it provides opportunities for children to aspire and attain the best they can under the guidance of teachers. It challenges you to be interested, appreciative and especially to be apart of what many dedicated teachers are doing to improve mankind.
A study of primary education is important because it is at this level that we can find the greatest number of pupils. Indeed, it means that whatever knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are relevant for living must be introduced in some way to the pupils at this stage. Again, primary school pupils at their formative years and so are most open to influence.
In this unit, you will be reading about the meaning and purpose of primary education. Primary education is made up of two words: primary and education, which we need to briefly, explain
Primary
The oxford Advance learners Dictionary explains as “the earliest sin time or order of development” .A thing is at the primary stage, when it is at the beginning. The beginning of anything is very important. If the beginning is strong, it is unlikely that the subject may fail or die.Education
Education has been defined in several ways, Education can be viewed as “a process of training and giving instructions especially to the young and inexperienced. “It is through training and instruction that children acquire knowledge, skills, attitude and readiness for living a better life. Education can be acquired either formally or informally.Informally education is received out of school. Children learn to clean themselves, sweep their homes even before they go to school. Formal education is received in the school from teachers. With set objectives established curriculum and content for study.
Primary Education
Primary education is the education given to children in the first six years of school. It is for the children between age 6 and 11. You may wonder why primary education is referred to as the first years of schooling when children had already attended the nursery and kindergarten schools before being admitted into a primary school. Again both the nursery/kindergarten schools are usually referred to as pre-school, which means before formal education. Formal education begins with primary education, which is the foundation of all the education systems. As a foundation, its quality will determine the quality of the rest of it. In fact, primary education is the substructure upon which other education levels are created.The Purpose of Primary Education
A purpose is an intention, an aim, and objective for doing something. A purpose is intentional. It is not accidental. If i ask Your purpose studying this course, you may reply that it is an Essential requirement for obtaining a degree in education.factors that affect Purpose are
Purposes of Education Reflect a variety of Opinions:Primary Education, like other arms of education, has purposes. Indeed it is interesting to observe that contemporary primary education reflects a variety of opinions on what education is all about. Take a parent for instance; ask him why he sent his son to school. You may be surprised at his reply. One parent may have sent his son to learn his name like “John Bull” while another may have sent his son to school so that he would be prepared to make lots of money later in life, take good care of his father in his old age and give him a befitting burial at his death. If the same question were to be asked a clergy man, he may reply that he wanted his son to be honest, gentle, obedient and reflective about God.
A primary school teacher may even have a different answer. He may feel that school children are sent to him to enable him teach them well for them to pass their examination and gain admission into secondary schools.
All the purposes of education indicated by the parents, clergy man and the primary school teacher are good purposes, yet each is deficient in many other ways that should help to produce an educated primary school child. Take the purpose stated by the parents, neither the spelling of his name nor making money on earth can give a child self actualization and happiness. The purpose indicated by the clergy man will produce a well behaved child who may lack the ability to create, solve problems and compete effectively with his peers in a dynamic world. The primary school teacher will eventually produce a child who may go to a secondary school but lack affection and cannot use his hands in doing manual work.
Purposes of education are desirable, valuable outcomes of education. They are desirable and valuable because a sound education should help children develop competencies in basic knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that are socially accepted and lead to individual development irrespective of their individual differences.
Purposes of Purposes of Primary Education Change with Time
The society we live in is dynamic and education should also be the same, because Individuals function in a changing society. During the colonial period in Nigeria, The purposes of education were to produce people who could read and write, become interpreters and catechists. The purposes above can no longer serve the present Nigeria. This is why purposes of education change with time to reflect the needs of a society.Purposes of Primary Education are not Universal
Purposes of primary education are not same in all countries of the world; purposes of primary education in Nigeria cannot be the same with Britain. This becomes even more pertinent, knowing that the purposes of primary education reflect the philosophy of education in each particular country.Purposes of Primary Education should be child-Centered
Purposes of primary education should address the needs of the child and not that of the teacher. This is basically so because any planned education should modify the behavior of the child. Its effectiveness is assessed using the child.The personal growths of the child in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains are important consideration when primary education purposes are stated. Also since he is an integral member of his society, the purpose of education should reflect his personal social needs. All knowledge, skills, attitudes and values he acquires should relate to his intellectual, physical, aesthetic, spiritual, emotional and personal as well as his social and moral developments as a member of a social group.
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