Scaling up comprehensive sexuality education in Nigeria: from national policy to nationwide application

Nigeria is one of few countries that reports having translated national policies on school-based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) into near-nationwide implementation. We analysed data using the World Health Organization-ExpandNet framework, which provides a systematic structure for planning and managing the scaling up of health innovations. We examined how Nigeria's nationwide programme was designed and executed. Since 2002, Nigeria has developed a well thought through strategy to scale up CSE. Crucial attributes that facilitated the scaling up included technical consensus about the innovation and clarity about its components, dissection of a complex intervention into manageable components for implementation by organisations with complementary expertise, strong political leadership and championship in concert with advocacy and technical support from non-governmental organisations, proactive and energetic involvement of community stakeholders, effective programme management, and improvements to the information management system to ensure on-track implementation and mid-course corrections to keep stakeholders, including funders, informed and engaged. Challenges included programmatic values, competing priorities for available human resources and a lack of predictable funding for sustaining a rapid scale-up effort. Despite some weaknesses, implementation has largely proceeded according to plan. The lessons learned from Nigeria's experience can and should be used in other settings to achieve wide-scale coverage.     

The role of higher education in national integration in Nigeria

This paper discusses the machinery for higher education policy formulation and implementation in Nigeria with particular reference to the university system. It identifies the goal of national unity and national integration as a new addition to the university's traditional roles of manpower production, research and teaching. An analysis of the implementation of measures aimed at achieving national integration with emphasis on student recruitment is attempted. Two features are apparent, both of which are counter-productive to national integration. First, universities recruit their students mostly from the states and geopolitical regions in which they are located. Secondly, inter-regional migration of students is a one-way traffic - mostly from South to North. Measures to improve the achievement of national integration are also suggested.     

English language and the mother-tongue dilemma in Nigeria: A critical assessment of the new national policy on education

The new National Policy on Education in Nigeria published in 1977 (and revised in 1981) gave a general framework for a reformed curriculum including significant structures in the Nigerian educational system. In the policy document there is the statement of the Government's intentions ‘that any existing contradictions, ambiguities and lack of uniformity in educational practices in the different parts of the Federation should be removed to ensure an even and orderly development of the country’.There is also a pronounced stress on the promotion of national unity as an essential objective of Nigerian education. The ‘Government considers it to be in the interest of national unity that each child should be encouraged to learn one of the three major languages other than his own mother-tongue. In this connection, the Government considers the three major lanugages in Nigeria to be Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba.’ The question is how near are we in achieving this ideal? What are some of the contradictions and ambiguities in this language policy? How much is the National Policy on Education contributing towards desirable uniformity and national unity?This paper analyzes the dilemma created by the English language and the mother-tongue aspect of the National Policy on Education. The language aspect is discussed here because the choice of language affects selection, integration and choice of curriculum content throughout the primary level and is of dominant importance in planning for the first school years. Language policies for education are highly charged with political issues and seldom if ever decided on educational grounds alone. When they are made, they are almost invariably subject to mistrust and misunderstanding by some sections of the community. It is virtually impossible to please everyone.This paper concludes that no solution can be ideal in a complex language situation like Nigeria. It is probable that there must be compromise between the national desire to promote the use of the mother-tongue in education and the generally accepted necessity to learn English at some stage.     

The impact of aid on education policy in India

In the early 1990s, large numbers of children in India remained out of school. International commitments to achieve education for all (EFA) globally meant that India was an important case for donors. India was pressed to accept aid for primary education, and agreed with some reluctance. Although subsequent donor involvement was substantial and influenced aspects of both policy implementation and management, it is shown that Indian education policy priorities remained self-determined. The Government of India – though falling short of securing universal education for its children – succeeded in using external resources and expertise in ways which suited its own purposes, whilst minimising external impact on policy development. The politics and economics of this process are discussed.     

The emergence of a national policy on teacher education in Ireland

The development of the Irish system of education was, not unlike all critical aspects of Irish identity, fundamentally shaped by its relationship with its colonial neighbour. Prior to Independence in 1922, the system of education promoted was a fundamental part of a strategic effort to ensure cultural assimilation and political socialisation. Control over the education system facilitated the systematic erosion of the native language and culture and the reproduction of colonial values. Following Independence, the system of education promoted was a response to what was perceived as centuries of political, economic, cultural and linguistic domination. However, whether prior to or post‐Independence, the pedagogical was often marginalised at the expense of the political. This article focuses on an aspect of Irish education policy which has largely escaped the focus of scholars to date: teacher education policy. It examines the ideological basis underlying the development of a national policy on teacher education from 1831.     

Pluralism,identity, and the state: national education policy towards indigenous minorities in Japan and Canada

This paper examines educational policies toward indigenous minorities in Japan and Canada during the period of nation‐building, from the latter half of the nineteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century. Both Japan and Canada first segregated indigenous children into separate educational institutions and then tried to assimilate them into mainstream society. Beneath these broad policy similarities, however, lie different rationales, with substantially different implications for education and social policy in diverse societies. In Japan, national integration was promoted through a cultural or ethnic rationale, a socially coherent approach that nonetheless allows little room for minorities. Canada approached national integration using a notion of citizenship that both allows considerable space for minorities but is challenged by unity. These two strategies can be seen in two polar models of the state – a civic‐assimilationist approach of the ‘French model’ and an ethnocultural exclusionist model of the formation of the German state. The paper argues for a multicultural pluralist model including both civic and cultural/ethnic identities.     

A new juncture in indigenous language education The impact of the experience of Maori education

If Taiwan＇s indigenous people are not able to save their own languages, they will lose their ways of thinking, cultural heritage, and the relation to the rest of the universe that distinguishes them as indigenous peoples. Taiwan is a multi-ethnic country. Although the majority of the population is comprised of Han speakers, there is also a significant indigenous Austronesian-speaking population. The multiple cultural manifestations of the indigenous people of Taiwan enrich the overall culture of Taiwan＇s society. Under the influences of globalization and colonial governance, indigenous peoples are facing the disappearance of their traditional languages and cultures. Therefore, Taiwan needs to carefully handle the topic of the development of its people＇s cultures; otherwise, it is not difficult to see the outcome of cultural assimilation due to encroachment by mainstream cultural dominance. Education is the best method of helping protect and revitalize non-dominant cultures and their languages; by the same token, it is also the most effective means of cultural assimilation. What course should indigenous education take？ From the development of local culture subject to current stage of dialects subject, indigenous languages are still highly subject to the nightmare of extinction. Thus, in this paper, the author analyzes the development status of Maori education in New Zealand, with the aim of providing Taiwan＇s education authorities with different viewpoints for consideration so that appropriate educational methods may be applied for the development of indigenous people, and also appeal to Taiwan＇s indigenous people to take on the challenge of ridding themselves of the rigid modes of thought caused by colonial education, and, from the bottom-up, contribute their efforts for the sake of revitalizing the languages and cultures of their people.     

The impact of research on policy and practice in education

The expansion of educational research in the past twenty-five years has led to pressure for useful, practical studies which have a direct impact on policy and practice. The impact of research is often indirect, creating an agenda of concern and illuminating the discussion, rather than simply providing answers to problems. There is a need for both these kinds of research. This Special Number reviews the provision for educational research and development in countries across the world. One conclusion suggested is the need for a clearer understanding of the nature and function of educational research, and the papers presented here are intended to contribute towards that understanding.

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Zusammenfassung Die Ausweitung der Bildungsforschung in den letzten 25 Jahren hat zur Forderung nach nützlichen, prakúschen Untersuchungen mit direkter Auswirkung auf Bildungspolitik und -praxis geführt. Oft hat die Forschung nur indirekte Wirkung; sie zeigt Schwerpunkte auf und bereichert die Diskussion, ohne Lösungen für die ausgewiesenen Probleme zu liefern. Beide Arten von Forschung sind notwendig. Diese Sondernummer gibt einen Überblick über vorhandene Forschungsund Entwicklungskapazitäten in verschiedenen Ländern der Welt. Eine Schlußforderung ist, daß ein klareres Verständnis des Wesens und der Funktion von Bildungsforschung erreicht werden muß, und die hier vorgelegten Artikel sollen zu solchem besseren Verständnis beitragen.

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Résumé L'expansion de la recherche sur l'éducation au cours de ces vingt-cinq dernières années a abouti à une poussée vers des études utiles, réalistes, qui aient un impact direct sur la politique et la pratique dans le domaine de l'éducation. L'impact de la recherche est souvent indirect, il polarise l'intérêt et les préoccupations, suscitant et éclairant la discussion, plutôt que fournissant simplement des réponses aux questions. Le besoin existe pour ces deux sortes de recherche. Ce Numéro Spécial de laRevue examine les dispositions prises concernant la recherche et le développement de l'éducation à travers le monde. L'une des conclusions auxquelles il parvient est le besoin d'une compréhension plus claire de la nature et de la fonction de la recherche en matière d'éducation, et les articles présentés ici se proposent de contribuer à cette compréhension.

     

民族贫困地区基础教育经济政策研究

为了推进民族贫困地区基础教育的发展,对民族贫困地区基础教育经济政策应做适当调整。例如:教育经费各级财政共同负担政策、加大中央财政转移支付政策、调整税收分配比例政策、学杂费减免政策、经费相对单列政策、健全经费管理机制政策等,都应根据民族贫困地区的实际情况作相应调整。     

Icelandic parents' views on the national policy on early childhood education

Considerable change has taken place in Icelandic early childhood education during the past few decades. Preschool, from being geared primarily towards children with evident social needs, has become all but universal. The aim of this study was to shed light on Icelandic parents' views on their children's preschool education and to examine how their views harmonize with the nation's preschool policy. The participants in this study, 43 parents of five‐ and six‐year‐old children in three preschools in Reykjavík, participated in focus‐group interviews concerning the preschool curriculum. The results indicate that the parents' main expectation of the preschools was that they should support the children's social development; the way in which the preschool day was organized, and the content of the curriculum seemed to be less important to them. Parents wanted their children to have the opportunity not only to enjoy themselves as individuals, but to learn self‐reliance and respect for other people. Care‐giving and attentiveness of the staff were more important than the teaching of knowledge and skills. These views are compatible with the social pedagogical tradition, the Icelandic Preschool Act, and the National Curriculum Guidelines for Preschools.     

Adult education and indigenous people: Addressing gender in policy and practice

Adult education programmes developed for or by indigenous communities rarely seem to have addressed gender inequalities. Yet, compared to mainstream adult educational interventions promoting instrumental approaches to ‘functional literacy’, such programmes often appear highly politicised, starting from a standpoint of promoting indigenous peoples’ rights. We look at the reasons for the absence of gender analysis from policy and research on indigenous adult education and highlight key issues within indigenous adult education, when viewed from a gendered perspective, particularly language, assessment, learning structures and programme objectives. Drawing on case studies of indigenous adult education programmes in South and South-East Asia, we emphasise the need for participatory, non-hierarchical processes in adult education that can provide legitimate space for multiple voices within indigenous groups, without enhancing the sense of marginalisation. The principles underlying indigenous adult education programmes can help planners to challenge and respond to gender inequalities.     

和平崛起之策下加强大学生国防教育的若干思考

和平崛起的发展道路,就是争取和平的国际环境来发展自己,以自身的发展来维护世界和平。本文就高校在这一国策之下加强大学生国防教育提出自己的一些看法,强调培养大学生的国防安全意识、国防忧患意识和国防战争意识的重要性。     

Global discourses and national reconstruction: the impact of globalization on curriculum policy

Globalization has been widely discussed and much contested. It has been claimed that the process of globalization has impacted greatly on the capacity of the nation-state to formulate policy (e.g. Reich, 1992). Moreover, globalization has been accompanied by, or at least runs parallel to, a seemingly endless process of change within education. This process has assumed a worldwide character,as policies have migrated around the world; thus there have existed many similarities in terms of, for instance, curriculum provision, or school governance, between New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and the USA. This article examines the nature and extent of education change in general terms, and the concept of globalization, before analysing the links between globalization and the process of change in one area of education, that is, the development of national frameworks for curriculum and assessment within anglophone nations.