The 6-3-3-4 system of education is a policy on
education in Nigeria which stats that the Nigerian child shall have 6 years of
primary school 3 years of junior secondary, 3 years of senior secondary and 4
years of university education. Aiyepeku (1980). The origin of this system of
education which the nation inherited was completely out-dated in a modern
technological world. The then, new system evolved from the two major curriculum
conferences of 1969 and 1973.
In March 1977, the Federal Military
Government published a government white paper on education which for the first
time in the history of independent Nigeria gave the Nigerian National Policy on
Education. The white paper was appropriately reduced to a widely distributed
pamphlet titled “Federal Republic of Nigeria National Policy on Education” this
publication formally introduced a new system of education.
Hitherto, the system of education
which was operated was that inherited from Britain our erstwhile colonial
masters. This British system which was designed specifically for the British,
was transplanted into Nigeria, where it was swallowed look-line –and-sinker.
Nigiera stuck to this system even when in Britain the same system had already
modernized and reinstituted to take account of industrial technology and social
development.
Again not only that Nigerians
adopted the old system but it was non uniformly all over the country. Some part
of the country had 6 years of full secondary education, some had 7 years and
some part of the same country had 6 years of full secondary school, while
others ran 5 years course. In addition to full-fledged secondary school, some
areas of the country had what was known as ‘middle schools” while some other
parts had secondary modern schools. So there was no uniformity under the colonial system. In this part of
the country the system was 6-5-4 system of education.
The new system introduced the
uniformity that was desirable but very much lacking all along. However the most
important difference between the old and the new was in fact not found in the
number of years children spent at each level of education the major difference
is curriculum.
The colonial system operated the
“grammar” school curriculum which trained student only in literary subjects and
produced only white –collar workers. But the new system was designed to operate
a curriculum which embodies technical, commercial and vocational education. The
6-3-3-4 not only brought uniformity to bear, on a confused and archaic system,
It also introduced a more recent functional and suitable curriculum.
Education under the system therefore
became “functional and was geared towards the nations technological take off.