The Political Economy of Education Policies, Access, and Quality in Nigeria (1970-2003)

• In Event: Politics is not the Obstacle: Insights on the Politics of Learning from the RISE Programme (Panel 1)

Proposal

This paper aspires to pave the way for a more effective understanding of the politics of education by establishing how demand for improved learning drives educational systems to change in Nigeria. We identify these social foundations and norms in the context of Nigerian education policymaking from 1970 to the present, and how they have changed as a result of frequent political turnovers. Our analysis investigates the ways in which various social foundations were altered with successive coups and regime changes, and how sociopolitical actors responded in the education sector. For example, how did the Education Inspectorate react to the massive expansion in schooling infrastructure after 1977? Did they oppose the building of thousands of schools without corresponding increases in teachers, or were they incentivized to lower quality standards? How did the National Union of Teachers respond to increased class sizes that came with the UPE in 1976/77, and then the decrease in funding that came with the transition to democracy in 1979 and coups in 1983 and 1985? How did parents react to the takeover of mission schools in the interest of nation-building? Did this come at the expense of learning? And if so, how did communities respond and politically negotiate the decline in quality, and perceive national exams? Lastly, what lessons could be learned for politically negotiating quality education in a democratic Nigeria? These are all questions that this paper addresses by building on an understanding on the social foundations and norms of education policy in Nigeria, and the nature of political settlements in public education at large.

Author

• Dozie Okoye, Dalhouse Univeristy