Education in Nigeria is
more of a public enterprise that has witnessed government complete and dynamic
intervention and active participation (FRN, 1981). It is the view of the
formulated education policy in Nigeria to use education as a vehicle in
achieving national development. Education policy being an instrument of change
in Nigeria has been a product of evolution through series of historical
developments.
The National Policy on
Education in Nigeria was launched in 1977. The orientation of the policy is
geared towards self-realization, individual and national efficiency, national
unity etc. aimed at achieving social, cultural, economic, political,
scientific
and technological development. In 1985, the objectives of the policy were broadened to include
free primary education among others. As noted by Anyanwu et al. (1999), this
policy has been reviewed from time to time.
Succinctly put, the
structural pattern of schooling under the current policy is organized into a
6-3-3-4 system. The system consists of six years of primary education, three
years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school, and
four years of tertiary education (Anyanwu et al., 1999: 300).
Since the inception of the
Obasanjo led administration in 1999, a Universal Basic Education Scheme was
launched in 1999. The specific targets of the scheme are total eradication of
illiteracy by the year 2010 and increase in adult literacy rate from 57% to 70%
by 2003 (FRN, 2000: 53).