Factors affecting the development of physical education in primary schools

Factors affecting the development of physical education in primary schools

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

In Nigeria, physical education has gained a suitable niche in the education system after a checkered educational history. There are chronicles factors capable of challenging the effective development of physical education in primary schools in Nigeria. The need for this is based on the Universal premise that primary education is the bedrock, the foundation, the pillar and the first realistic step in education of a child. If the initial orientation on which the whole system of education is dependent becomes faulty, the remaining educational levels would be compromised. Several attempts has been made by subsequently government in Nigeria to affect the lives of its citizenry positively.

One of such attempts is the introduction of free and compulsory Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme, which was officially launched on September 30th, 1999 with the overall aim of improving the literacy level of Nigerians.

 In specific terms, the programme, according to the implementation guidelines has as its objectives the following: (1) Developing the entire citizenry a strong consciousness for education and a strong commitment to its vigorous promotion. (2) The provision of free Universal Basic Education for every Nigerian child of school-going age. (3) Reducing drastically the incidence of drop-out from the formal school system (through improved relevance quality and efficiency). (4) Catering for the learning needs of the young persons who for one reason or another have had to interrupt their school through appropriate forms of complementary approaches to the provision and promotion for basic education. (5)   Ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, manipulations, communicative and life skills as well as the ethical, moral and civic values needed for laying a solid foundation for life-long learning.

 

This could be said to be the right step in the right direction hence in Nigeria elementary education happens to be the bedrock and the first realistic step in the education of every child. It therefore implies that education at the primary school level should be taken with all seriousness if the objectives of education at all levels must be achieved. The National Policy on Education (NPE, 1981) deposited that the primary school level is the key to the success or failure of the whole system of education since the remaining are built up on it.

 

1.2     Statement of the Problem

There is a growing advocacy for the production and employment of quantitative and qualitative teachers to man the educational system especially the primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. This demand for more teachers in schools in Nigeria indeed encapsulates specialists in physical education.

Coincidentally, physical education happens to be one of the subject being offered at the primary school level and going by the aforementioned factors it thus implies that physical education at the primary school level should be taken with all seriousness for the objectives of physical education at all levels of our educational system is to be achieved. This is necessary because if the initial orientation is faulty; the remaining educational levels would be compromised. It therefore means that for stakeholders to realize the aims and objectives of physical education at all levels, the first step in the teaching of physical education must be correctly ordered.

Consequently, it is intuitive to say that the effective teaching of physical education is to a large extent dependent on the quality of teachers handling the subject. Apparently, it should not be out of tune to state that it is only the dedicated, competent and professionally trained teachers that should teach physical education because the peculiarity involved necessitates it. In actual fact this claim needs not be over flogged because it agrees with National Policy on Inhibiting Factors to the Effectiveness of development of Physical Education in Primary schools in Nigeria.

Education position that no educational system can rise above the quality of its teachers. In an explicit manner, it is when adequate and qualified staffs are secured for the operation of physical education programmes that the subject would be considered as worthwhile and capable of stimulating learner’s interest. Hence, this research on the topic Factors affecting the development of physical education in primary schools becomes imperative.