Child Help In Legal Defence of Rights to Education in Nigeria (C.H.I.L.D.R.E.N.) Proje

PROJECT PROPOSAL ON A 4-SERIAL WORKSHOP ON EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION IN LAGOS STATE SCHOOLS

PREAMBLE

The present is pursuant to the object of the CHILDREN Project in its constitution Article 111 section (B) sub-section (8) that states, "To cooperate with and encourage government at levels to provide school and educational facilities, materials and infrastructures for Nigerian schools. Also pursuant to the Programme of CHILDREN as contained in its Theoretical Framework section (ii) this provides for "advisory and monitoring services to government agencies and organs on school policy implementation and curriculum development".

INTRODUCTION

Lagos State is a microcosm Nigeria. It is generally agreed that there is no family in all parts of Nigeria that is not represented in Lagos. This is apart from its cosmopolitan status. The workshop was informed by our preliminary finding during our study of effectiveness of curriculum implementation in public and private schools in Lagos State. We found out that Lagos State has a preponderance of badly run schools both in public and private sectors. We discovered that unless school teachers and administrators are equipped with adequate intellectual and moral wherewithal to correctly perform their duties, we end up putting educational system nay, the future of country on a dangerous precipice that may cave in and ditch us into industrial and economic oblivion permanently. Hence the workshop is meant to set a standard and re-engineer the maintenance procedure in the Nigerian educational system, particularly in the South-western region of Nigeria.

RATIONALE

Every child has the right to free, compulsory and universal basic education.

And it is the duty of every government in Nigeria to provide such.

The above is a unanimous opinion of all national and international statute books, including constitutions, charters, conventions, declarations, protocols, policies etc. on the rights of the people, and of the child in particular. Pursuant to this, every government strives to provide various educational policies and principles, which establish and provide educational systems and structures.

In fact many of such policies have beautiful provisions of maintenance, sustenance, expansion and supervision of their educational systems. However what is generally lacking in all the arrangements is sincere implementation of the policies in accordance with internationally accepted guiding principles and standards.

The workshop is therefore set to re-engineer the quality-control strategies for private, and indeed all schools particularly in Lagos State and Nigeria in general.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The workshop is aimed at making the standard of education in Nigeria come at par with obtains in any other part of the developed world and encouraging various government to make educational funding foremost in their budgetary consideration.

Other objective of the workshop include:

· Encourage correct and sincere implementation of both in and out of school curricula by the various personnel concerned.

· Make schooling more interesting for students to enhance their willingness to attend class and thus reduce truancy, class-cutting, enhance performance and completion of courses of study.

· Encourage school handlers to instill appropriate discipline within the limits of the universally acceptable standards.

· Sustain parent's confidence in public education system and thus allow their children to fully benefit from it.

HYPOTHESES

The workshop is going to be based on the following hypotheses:

Parent generally prefer private to public schools in Lagos State.

Teaching is a second-rate profession.

Teachers often cheat in schools rather than teach.

Children no longer enjoy schooling like in olden days.

Rather than study, children prefer cheating to pass exams.

The Standard of education is generally falling in Nigeria.

WORKSHOP TOOLS

Methods to be adopted for the study will be including

Paper Presentation

Case Studies

Discussion

Other information will be recorded in both audio and visual tapes. Sample of taught and teaching materials and manuals shall also be presented for analysis. Workshop report will later be published for onward distribution to stakeholders in the Nigerian educational sector.

The main tools for the workshop evaluation will be questionnaires.

WORKSHOP QUESTIONS

The main questions the workshop will attempt to answer are:

Are the natures, standards, quality and quantity of facilities, equipment and materials provided in schools in consonance with various educational principles and policies? Are they suitable, conducive and comfortable for the use of school children and their teachers?

Is there anything wrong with the methods, strategies and tactics of curricular lesson delivery in schools? Are co-curricular lessons being correctly implemented at all?

How are the basic academic curricula being taught in schools? Are the teaching material, manuals and modules being used in schools qualitative, up-to-date, standard and reliable?

Does poverty play any role in the present state of schools and schooling in Nigeria?

Are teachers really cheating in schools?

How can curriculum implementation be improve with a view to making it move effective in Lagos State?

MODALITIES

To make the workshops convenient and effective the State will be zoned into four five Local governments in each. The workshop will take two days of two sessions each in each zone. A total of 8 papers including the keynote address will be presented and discussed at each workshop.

The four zones are as follows:

Zone I-Ikorodu, Kosofe, Ikeja, Agege and Ifako-Ijaye

Zone II-Alimosho, Oshodi-Isolo, Mushin, Shomolu and Surulere

Zone III-Lagos Mainland, Aajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Ojo and Badagry

Zone V-Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, Apapa, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe

Workshop in each zone will be preceded by an opening ceremony to be attended by the Honourable commissioner for Education as Chief Host and His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State as the Special Guest of Honour.

The welcome address will be delivered by the Honourable commissioner, His Excellency, the governor will then present an inspirational address. This will be followed by the keynote Address. There will be a group photograph and a cocktail. Certificates will be issued to each participant at the end of the closing session of each workshop.

The plenary sessions will witness presentations of lead papers, which would be discussed with case studies and demonstrations. These academic exercises will be spiced with sumptuous meals and beverage cocktails.

LEAD DISCUSSANTS AND PAPERS

There will be two sessions of workshop daily separated by lunch break.

(1) Keynote Address: By Prof Aliu B. Fafunwa

-The History, Scope and Limitation of Curriculum Implementation In Lagos State Schools.

(2) 1st paper by Prof Aloy Ejiogu

- The Dimension and Ramification of the Crisis in Curriculum Implementation in Lagos Sate

(3) 2nd paper by Dr O.O. Oguntoye

- Funding Education in Lagos State: Problems an Possibilities.

(4) 3rd paper by Dr Mrs. O.O.Busari

- Reversing the legacy of decadence in Lagos State Secondary Schools

(5) 4th paper by Dr Bade Adegoke

- The Nigerian Educational Curriculum: Towards a greater Relevance

(6) 5th paper by Dr (Mrs.) F.O. Osanyin

- Primary school system in Lagos State: Issues and Perspectives

(7) 6th paper by Prof M.O.A. Durojaiye

- Addressing the Question of Egalitarianism in Lagos State Educational System: The way out.

(8) 7th paper by Prof A.O. Adewale

- Curriculum Implementation in Public and Private School in Lagos State: Any Variance in them?

TARGET AUDIENCE

· School Principals, Headmasters, HODs, Proprietors

School administrators and teachers are expected as participants.

· Some notable outstanding proprietors or Chairmen, Board of Governors of some schools will be invited as discussants. They will respond to questions on their schools and share heir experiences with other participants.

· Students, parents and ordinary residents of neighborhood will be invited as observers.

TIME FRAME

If funded the workshop is meant to be completed within eight (8) weeks and report produced. This means there will be an average of a workshop per week.

THE ORGANIZATION: CHILDREN Project

Established since 1994, CHILDREN Project is membership-based up to Local Government level. The organization is committed to addressing issues germane to basic welfare of the child, his education, parental control and upbringing access to biological and emotional needs such as good nutrition. Portable water, good home, environment, health facilities, sound education and confidence in the future.

CHILDREN is convinced that a good democratic environment which allows for the fullest expression of basic democratic rights of all including adult especially young adults who are currently faced with the grim reality of joblessness, frustrated aspiration, collapsed physically social infrastructure, is sine qua-non for the well-being of the younger children, and indeed generations yet unborn.

The organization uses various modern didactic method and strategies including elaborate use of mass media to protect the rights of the child in general and his right to education in particular. This is based on the belief that every violation of child's right impacts negatively on his educational pursuit.

The Project therefore entertains, inform, teach and pressure the society on ways and means to accord the right of place to children in the scheme of things.

The organization is managed by a nine-member Founder' Council led by Debo Adeniran, a former student activist and foundering Secretary-General of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and currently Lagos State Facilitator for the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), a consultant educationist and child-right advocate. CHILDREN Project is made up of six directorates that constitute its National Secretariat in Lagos, six zonal offices in the six ge0-political zones of Nigeria and a Central Regional Office in Ilorin. It also has a seven member National Advisory Committee (NAC) amongst who give Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Dr Fredrick Fasehun, Comrade Baba Omojola, Dr Victoria Mojekwu, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN, OON) and Chief (Mrs.) Rita-Lori Ogbebor.

Some of the programme currently being executed by CHILDREN include: Grassroots Enlightenment Programme (GEP) Rallies. Parent Enlightenment Programme (PEP) Talks; Teachers Enlightenment and Conscientization Hour (TEACH) Talks; publication of Monthly Diggest, (EDUWATCH) Quarterly Newsletter (OUR CHILD) and other publications. CHILDREN Project recently just commissioned two blocks of 12 toilet each and two water boreholes with water storage facilities. Other executed project under SACHIEF include reproofing, reflooring and provision of class furniture etc. to needy schools some public schools in Lagos under our Save Child Education Fund (SACHEF). SACHEF has received generous grant from the United States and Japanese Embassies in Nigeria.

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME

Day 1

Opening Ceremony

0900-0930 - Arrival and Registration of participant and observers.

0930-0945 - Arrival of the Honourable Commissioner of Education

1000-1005 - Arrival of His Excellency Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,The Governor emeritus of Lagos State

1005-1010 - The National Anthem

1010-1015 - Opening Prayer

1015-1030 - Welcome Address by the Hon Commissinner of Education, Lagos State

1030-1045 - Keynote Address by Prof Bab. A. Fafunwa

1045-1100 - Address by the Governor emeritus His Excellency Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

1100-1120 - Question and Discussion with participants and Guests.

1120-1130 - Group photograph/cocktail

1st Session

1130-1200 - 1st paper

1200-1300 - Discussion of the keynote Address and the 1st paper

1300-1330 - Lunch

2nd Session

1350-1440 - 2nd paper

1400-1430 - 3rd paper

1430-1530 - Discussion of the 2nd and 3rd Papers

1530 - Closing Prayer and Departure or Day 1

Day 2

1st Session

1000-1030 - Reflections on the previous day's activities

1030-1100 - 3rd Paper

1100-1130 - 4th Paper

1130-1200 - Discussion of 3rd and 4th papers

1200-1250 - 5th Paper

1230-1300 - 6th Paper

1300-1330 - Lunch

2nd Session

1330-1400 - 7th Paper

1400-1445 - Discussion of 5th, 6th and 7th Paper

1445-1515 - Question and Answers

1515-1545 - Award of Certificates

1545-1550 - Vote of Thanks

1550-1600 - Closing Prayer and Departure

1600 - End of Workshop

Debo Adeniran, Esq.

National Coordinator/Project Director