UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION (UBE) AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION

In one of the earlier units, you learnt about the UPE programmes in Nigeria and how they affected the development of primary education. In this unit, you are going to learn what the Universal Basic Education is all about. Specifically, you are going to learn the meaning of UBE and how it affects childhood education. The difference between the UPE and the UBE as well as the prospects of the UBE will be discussed. As you are aware, the UBE is the latest attempt by the Federal Government to make education available to all Nigerians irrespective of their age, condition and location. Therefore, this unit will give general background knowledge about the meaning, purpose and component of the UBE programme.

 OBJECTIVES

After studying this unit carefully, you should be able to:

1. Explain the meaning and purpose of the UBE 
2. Identify the component of the UBE 
3.  Explain the major differences between the UPE and UBE programmes 

UBE in Nigeria

Definition and Scope

In one of the earlier units, we discussed the UPE programmes we have had in Nigerian so far. Do you still remember the full meaning of UPE?, It is Universal Primary Education. In discussing the various UPE programmes in Nigeria, we identified their specific effects on the development of primary education in Nigeria. You will still remember that throughout our discussion of the UPE, we concentrated only on primary education. In other words, Primary education was the major concern of the UPE programme. This is where the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programmes differ from the UPE. Therefore, before we start discussing the UBE and its various components, let us first explain its meaning.



In the blue print on Basic Education (1999), basic education is referred to as early childhood education, primary education, the first three years of secondary education, and basic and functional literacy for out -of- school children, youth and adults, In other words the UBE programme is wider in scope than the former UPE programmes. As explained in the Blue print, the UBE is an organized, multi- sectional community- based education. It involves not only the acquisition of reading, writing and numeracy skills, but also functional and other skills as may be determined by the government. One important fact about the UBE programmes which we should not forget is that it is extended to cover non- formal education. This means that pre- school children and adults outside the formal school system are not forgotten. Moreover, both private and public educational activities that are aimed at meeting the needs of Nigerians of all ages are covered by the UBE programmes. When we are discussing the childhood education component of the programmes, we shall be talking about the various bodies that are involved in its implementations. Therefore, we can say that the UBE unlike the UPE covers all aspect of formal education up to the JS III as well as pre- school and adult education. Let us now identify the goals and objectives of the programmes.

Goals and Objectives

In the last unit, we said the UBE has included some other levels of education which the UPE did not cover. The question one may ask then is why? In other words what are the reasons for extending the program to other areas out side the primary education level? This question will be answered as we now look at the goals and objectives of UBE.

According to the Blueprint (1999), the UBE is aimed at equipping every individual - child youth and adult with such knowledge, skill and attitude that will enable him or her develop to his or her fullest capacity, derived maximum social, economic and cultural benefit from his or her membership of the society and fulfill his or her civic obligations. This broad aim of the programme shows that all categories of Nigerians are to be helped to become the best of whatever they are. Age should not constitute any problem. You will recall that when we were discussing the characteristics of formal education, we said formal education is rigid in terms of entry and exit. That is, there is fixed age limit and other conditions you have to meet before you could be admitted. However, with the aims of the UBE, It is now possible for people to make it educationally even if they once dropped out of the formal school system, they can still make it.

The specific objectives of the programmes are as follows:

• To increase enrolment, retention and completion in basic education. 
• To reduce gender, access and equality disparities in basic education. 
• To enhance the quality of basic education. 
• To strengthen partnership in the provision of basic education through cooperation and coordination. 

As stated in the first objectives, the UBE programme was introduced to increase enrolment of children in schools. It was also to ensure that more children stay in school to complete their education. This may therefore mean that the UPE programme of 1976 has not really achieved the much expected 100% enrolment at the primary school level. In other words, not all children of primary school age are in school. Similarly, the statement that the UBE is to increase the retention and completion means that even out of those registered in primary schools for instance, not all of them stay to complete their education. Many factors could have been responsible for all these. For example the pastoral nomads, migration fishermen and the disabled children may not have been having the opportunity to go school. Now the UBE programme has taken adequate care of all categories of children in Nigerian.

Other areas covered by the stated objectives include the reduction of gender access and equity disparities to education. As you may be aware there are some parts of Nigeria where more boys than girls go to school. This is very common in some of the Northern States. On the other hand, there are some areas where there are more girls in school than boys. This is very common in Eastern States .So, the UBE programme is designed


to correct all these anomalies in the enrolment of boys and girls in school. Finally, as we observed in our discussion of the UPE programme, the Federal Government was mainly responsible for the funding. The present UBE program is to involve all other bodies in the provision of basic education. Thus, one of the strategies of the UBE is to encourage the various communities to support and sustain formal and non- formal education efforts in their areas. It is sincerely hoped that the programme will achieve a higher degree of success than the previous UPE programmes. This is if some of the problems which we shall discuss in the next unit are adequately taken care of.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Enumerate the specific objectives of the UBE programme.
Your answer should include the following:

• To increase enrolment, retention and completion in basic education 
• To reduce gender access and equity disparities in basic education · To enhance the quality of basic education 
•  To strengthen partnership in the provision of basic education