Abstract
This study compares
Nigeria National Computer Policy (1988) with existing school practice.
Policy dictates for computer hardware, maintenance and funding, teaching
personnel and training, and computer curriculum were compared.
Information was collected
from 20 secondary schools (10 public and 10 private) located in six
different states in Nigeria through a questionnaire and interviews of
teachers and students were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Comparisons
of existing schools’ situations revealed that wide gaps existed.
Introduction
During the 32nd
ministerial council meeting of the National Council on Education in
1987, the Federal government of Nigeria decided to introduce computer
education into the nation’s secondary school system. This was
followed by the inauguration of the National Committee on Computer Education
the same year.
The functions of the committee
include “planning for a dynamic policy on computer education and
literacy in Nigeria as well as devising clear strategies and terminologies
to be used by the federal and state governments in introducing computer
education” (Nigerian Tribune, April 11, 1988). The general objectives
of the policy include:
- Bring about a computer
literate society in Nigeria by the mid-1990s.
- Enable present school
children to appreciate and use the computer in various aspects of
life and in future employment. (Report on National Committee on Computer
Education, 1988).
According to the National
Computer Policy (1988), the first objective is to ensure that the general
populace appreciates the impact of information and computer technology
on today's society, the importance of its effective use, and the technologies
that process, manage, and communicate the information. The second general
objective is to ensure that the people of Nigeria will know how to use
and program computers, develop software packages, understand the structure
and operation of computers and their history, and to appreciate the
economic, social and psychological impact of the computer. The modalities
and the strategies for achieving the stated objectives include:
- Training teachers and
associated personnel
- Hardware facilities
- Curriculum development
- Software developments
and evaluation
- Maintenance
of hardware and peripherals
The
policy recommends a continuous evaluation of progress. The starting
point of this evaluation is to compare existing school practice with
policy stipulations. This will provide a framework for policy revision.
Furthermore, in order to adequately respond to the changing needs of
the schools, it is necessary for the Ministry of Education, curriculum
developers, and teacher trainers to understand existing practice as
compared to national goals.
This study answers the following
questions:
- To what extent
have the policy objectives been achieved in schools?
- How congruent is the
hardware provision in schools with policy dictates?
- How available and competent
are the teachers compared to policy expectations?
- What type of teacher development
and training is available as compared to policy provisions?
- To what extent
are hardware maintenance, educational software, and curriculum issues
consistent with the policy?
