NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: ECE 113

COURSE TITLE: PHILOSOPHY OF EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

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 Course Guide

ECE 113
PHILOSOPHY OF EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

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Course Developer Dr. Obisanya S.
School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos

Course Writer Nwokocha. V. N. (Mrs.)

Abia State University
Uturu.

Course Editor Dr. I. O. Salawu

School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos

Programme Leader Dr. I. O. Salawu

School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos

Course Co-ordinator Dr. Osuji U.S.A

School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos

Course Reviewer: Dr. Sulaiman O. O.

O. O. U., Ago Iwoye
2014

COURSE REVIEWER

NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

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National Open University of Nigeria
Headquarters
14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way
Victoria Island
Lagos.

Abuja Annex
245 Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun Street
Central Business District
Opposite Arewa Suites
Abuja

e-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.nou.edu.ng

National Open University of Nigeria 2006

First Printed 2006

Reviewed 2014

ISBN: 978-058-182-0

All Rights Reserved

Printed by …………………………………
For
National Open University of Nigeria

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Content Page

Introduction …………………………………….. 1
What you will learn in this course ……………….

Course Aims
Course Objectives
Working Through This Course
Course Materials
Study Units
Set Text Books
Assignment File
Presentation Schedule

Assessment ……………………………………….. 2
Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA)
Final Examination and Grading
Course Marking Scheme

How To Get The Most From This Course ………… 3

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1.0 Introduction
This is one of the courses for learners in Early Childhood Education
Programme. It is a 2 Unit course. It is also a compulsory course, thus, it
requires your full seriousness.

What you will learn in this course

2.0 The Course Guide

The Course Guide tells you briefly what to expect from reading this
study material and provides you information as to how to make the best
from the material.

3.0 About the Course

The course ECE 103 introduction to Philosophy of Early Childhood
Education discusses specifically the meaning of philosophy, philosophy
of pre-primary education, definitions and types of early childhood
education, purposes of pre-primary education, the basic outlines of the
National Policy on the implementation of pre-primary education in
Nigeria. It also discusses the contributions of some leading
philosophers to pre-primary education.

4.0 Course Aims

The Course aims to provide an understanding and appreciation of the
philosophy of early childhood education.

5.0 Course Objectives

This Course sets to achieve some objectives. After going through this
course, you should be able to
i. Explain the meaning of philosophy
ii. Define pre-primary/early childhood education
iii. Distinguish between nursery and kindergarten education
iv. Explain the purpose of pre-primary education
v. Mention at least three philosophers that contributed to the
development of early childhood education.

6.0 Working Through The Course

The course requires you to spend a lot of time in reading your course
material. This is because you would come across some new terms,
concepts and ideas in education. However, to make for easy
understanding and pleasurable reading, great efforts were put in its
development. Each unit of each of the three modules start with an
introduction followed by objectives, you are expected to achieve at the
end of reading the unit and systematic presentation of the course
contents. You are therefore advised to avail yourself the opportunity of
attending the tutorial sessions where you would have the opportunity of
asking questions, and interacting with other colleagues as well as the
tutorial facilitator.

7.0 The Course Material

You would be provided with the following materials
i. Course/guide
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ii. Study Material

In addition, the course comes with a list of recommended textbooks.

You would find these materials valuable as supplementary reading
materials.

8.0 Assessment
Just like any other course you have registered for, you would be
assessed in two ways. One, you are expected to attempt all the Tutor-
Marked Assignments at the end of each study unit of the study material
and submit them to your Tutorial facilitator for making. This
constitutes 40% of the total scores of the overall total mark of 100%.
Two, you are to sit for a terminal examination at a date to be fixed and
announced by the University. This constitutes the remaining 60% of the
total score (100%).

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS COURSE

One major advantage of a distance learning programme is that, the
study unit replaces the lecturer. By this, you have the opportunity of
working through specially designed materials at your own pace, time
and place that suit your interest. It also affords you the opportunity to
read through the specially prepared lecture materials instead of listening
to a lecturer

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Course Code: ECE 113
Course Title: Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

Course Developer: Dr. Obisanya S.

School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos.

Course Writer: Nwokocha. V. N. (Mrs.)

Abia State University
Uturu.

Course Editor: Dr. I. O. Salawu

School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos

Programme Leader: Dr. I. O. Salawu

School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos

Course Coordinator: Dr. Osuji U.S.A.

School of Education
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos

Course Reviewer: Dr. Sulaiman O. O.

O. O. U., Ago Iwoye
2014

NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

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National Open University of Nigeria
Headquarters
14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way
Victoria Island
Lagos.

Abuja Annex
245 Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun Street
Central Business District
Opposite Arewa Suites
Abuja

e-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.nou.edu.ng

National Open University of Nigeria 2006

First Printed 2006

ISBN: 978-058-182-0

All Rights Reserved

Printed by …………………………………
For
National Open University of Nigeria

Page | 9
Table of Content Page
Module 1

Introduction to Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

Unit 1 Meaning and Definition of Philosophy……… 1-6
Unit 2 Philosophy of Early Childhood/
Pre-Primary Education………..…………...... 7-13
Unit 3 Concept and Types of Early Childhood
Education………………………………………..14-21
Unit 4 The Role Expectation of the Pre-Primary School
Teacher Implication for effective Teaching and
Learning ……………………………………… 22-27
Unit 5 Characteristics of Pre-Primary School Children and Their
Implication to Teaching …………………….. 28-36

Module 2
The Origin of Pre-Primary Education In Nigeria
Unit 1 An Historical Perspective and Challenges…… 37-42
Unit 2 Purpose and Needs of Pre-Primary Education… 43-51
Unit 3 Problems/Challenges of Pre-Primary Education..
In Nigeria-A Way Forward………………… 52-60
Unit 4 The Prospects of Pre-Primary Education
In Nigeria……………………………………. 61-65

Module 3
Contributions of Some Leading Philosophers to the Development of
Pre-Primary Education
Unit 1 Jean Jaeques Rousseau (1712 – 1778)………… 66-70
Unit 2 John Amos Commenuis (1592-1670)………… 71-77
Unit 3 John Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827) &
Montessori (1870-1952)………………… 78-85
Unit 4 Frederich W Froebel (1782-1852) &
John Dewey (1959-1952)…………………… 86-93
Unit 5 Plato (427-348 BC) & Aristotle (384-322 BC) 94-99

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MODULE I

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Unit 1 Meaning and Definition of Philosophy

Unit 2 Philosophy of Early Childhood/Pre-Primary Education
Unit 3 Concept and Types of Early Childhood Education
Unit 4 The Role Expectation of the Pre-Primary School
Teacher: Implication for Effective teaching & Learning
Unit 5 Characteristics of Pre-Primary School Children and
Their Implication to Teaching

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UNIT 1 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF
PHILOSOPHY

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Meaning/Concept of Philosophy and Philosophy
of Education
3.2 Branches of Philosophy
3.3 Epistemology
3.4 Ethics
3.5 Logic
3.6 Metaphysics
3.7 Importance of Philosophy
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Philosophy is a very interesting discipline which helps man to pursue
and acquire knowledge at the highest level. Its main function is the
ability to assist man in solving problems confronting him. It deals with
speculative and contemplative issues that are fundamental to human
existence and yet not susceptible to definite knowledge. The essence of
philosophy is in its approach, its application to particular sets of facts
and its attempt to discover the significance of these facts and their
relation to the rest of human experience. In education, philosophy helps
us to establish standards and formulate goals that help to set up signposts
for the future. The philosophical stand point is applied to discover values
and purposes, and the ideals towards which individual and group efforts
can be directed. In this unit, the concept of philosophy, its branches and
importance are highlighted for you to appreciate the fact that philosophy
is not merely a way of thinking, but a way of life.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 define philosophy
 differentiate between philosophy and philosophy of education
 name the four branches of philosophy
 differentiate between logic and ethics

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Attempt a description/ definition of philosophy

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3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Meaning/Concept of Philosophy and Philosophy of

Education
Philosophy tops the hierarchy of all branches of knowledge. It is
concerned with clear and meaningful expression. It is the study of that
deals with the ultimate realities of the universe and the general courses
and principles of those things that man observes and experiences
(Farrant, 1982).

The word, philosophy, is a combination of two Greek words ‘philia’

meaning ‘Love or friendship’ and “Sophia” meaning “Wisdom”. Hence,
the word philosophy is translated literally to mean ‘The love of wisdom’!
Philosophy could then be explained as the criticism of the fundamental
beliefs in any man’s cultural enterprises, e.g. science, art, religion, the
moral life, social and practical activities.

Philosophy is the search for knowledge and understanding of the nature

and meaning of the universe and of human life (Oxford Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary (1999). It is a discipline that inquires deeper into
the problems of human existence beyond what the eye can see or what
the ear can hear. The attempt to offer solutions to the above and other
philosophical questions has given birth to philosophical theories and
schools of thoughts. An individual’s philosophical outlook is his
particular interpretation of observed phenomena. The way he sees or
views things is his philosophy. Philosophy can therefore be classified as
follows:
(a) Natural philosophy which concerns itself with the phenomena of
nature;
(b) Moral philosophy which deals with the principles of human
conduct, and
(c) Political philosophy which is concerned with economics and
organisation of the society.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

What do you understand by term philosophy of education?

Philosophy of education deals with those general principles underlying

the study of education. It seeks to discover values and purposes and the
ideas towards the achievement of educational goals. Thus, it includes a
critical examination of the methods and principles by which scientific
knowledge is established within the chosen area of human activity.

It can therefore be said that philosophy of education is a specialized area

in education designed to give the clear analysis of educational concepts
and general ideas in education concepts and ideas. Beside, philosophy of
education speculates in the area of education by applying reasons to
project certain ideals concerning education and suggesting ways of
realizing those ideals. Philosophy is very much interested in reasoning
i.e. critical examination and analysis of facts. It does not believe in
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speculation rather it has much interest in scientific reasoning.

3.2 Branches of Philosophy

Philosophy as a discipline has broad branches which include logic,
ethics, epistemology etc while speculative philosophy includes; general
metaphysics. For the purpose of this course, brief explanation will be
given to the following.

3.3 Epistemology
This is the branch of philosophy that concerns itself with the scientific
study of knowledge. It is the science of validity or truth-value of human
knowledge. Knowledge is knowing without doubt, epistemology is
therefore a theory of certitude. Human knowledge is the general subject-
matter of Epistemology. This aspect of philosophy does not aim at
investigating the nature of the human mind and its facilities, rather it
proposes to investigate the mind’s activities which is designated by the
term “knowledge”. It is the function of epistemology to submit our
knowledge to critical examination and investigate the rationale behind it,
so as to discover whether we are justified in having the spontaneous
conviction that our knowledge is valid and true in its claim to be a
faithful interpretation of reality (Brittle, 1993).

Succinctly, epistemology is concerned with questions about what minds

work on, what their material is, other person’s minds, events or history
etc. It poses questions such as what is knowledge? What do we mean
when we say we know? Are the objects what we really take them to be?

3.4 Ethics
Ethics deals with the theory of morality. Some scholars refer to it as the
practical aspects of philosophy because it studies the morality of human
acts through the medium of natural reasoning. It is derived from a Greek
word ‘ethos’ meaning custom or practice, a characteristic manner of
acting. Ethics is therefore defined as a practical science investigating the
existence, the basis and the concept of morality. It is a science of
morality because it is practical, directive and prescriptive. It raises
critical questions like: What ought to be a good or bad conduct? By what
means can good moral upbringing be promoted?

3.5 Logic
As an academic discipline, logic is a science which treats the operations
of the human mind in its search for truth. It is an act of reasoning and it
directs the operations of the mind in the attainment of truth. Logic can
also be seen as a study of the methods and principles used to distinguish
good or correct from bad or incorrect reasoning.

The aim of logic is to assist man in the attainment of truth, to avoid

errors in our reasoning, and to identify common flaws in argument. The
knowledge of logic assists man also to evaluate lengthy arguments and
avoid logical fallacies.

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It poses questions such as: What is an argument? What are the principles
of argument? When is an argument weak or strong? etc.

3.6 Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy which deals with those features of
things that are hyperphysical, supersensible and immaterial. To Aristotle,
it is a theological science because it had to do with the ideas of God and
His attributes. It deals with realities which are beyond the physical
properties. Metaphysics deals with knowledge at the highest level of
abstraction. This is because metaphysical knowledge deals with what is
universal instead of particular things. Therefore, metaphysics can be seen
“as the science of the ultimate principles and properties of real being
(Uzoma 1996).

It does not take a particular kind of being as its object of inquiry as

earlier stated, rather it studies material and immaterial, actual or possible,
real or mental and seeks to know its most general principles and
properties. Its scope includes everything about the world in general.
Metaphysics asks critical questions such as: What is being? What is
man? Is man matter or spirit or both? Is there life after death?

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3

State the functions of philosophy.

3.7 The Importance or Functions of Philosophy

Every mentally sound person applies philosophy in his everyday life. No
enterprise can succeed without applying the principle of philosophy.
Philosophy helps individuals or groups to develop an overall view and
understanding of the universe and man’s place in it. This is done by
extracting meaning from data produced by others and more definite areas
of inquiry. It thus helps one to understand events around him. As a result
of the fact that it tops the hierarchy of knowledge, philosophy is applied
in every business enterprise (education industry inclusive) without which
the enterprise collapses.

Philosophy serves as a facilitator to problem solving. This implies that

philosophy assists man in resolving his numerous difficulties confronting
him. For instance in education, one of the roles of philosophy is to
clarify educational concepts and highlight what can be considered as the
reason underlining the practices and activities in education.

It also helps in the logical analysis and clarification of meaning of words

and concepts as Aristole stated that for “discussion to be intelligent, it
must begin with definitions of terms. Thus, the study of philosophy
assists us to ensure clarity and understanding in human dialogue and
assumptions. An enquiry is most likely to have a better focus if the
concepts involved are qualitatively or quantitatively clarified. Hence
Kent (1940) asserts that “concepts without precepts are empty, and
precepts without concepts are blind, this means that it is through analysis
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that concepts are clearly perceived. Another function of philosophy to
man is that it helps us to broaden horizon of our awareness. In other
words it makes us to be more alive, discerning, critical and intelligent.

4.0 CONCLUSION
It can be observed that the importance of philosophy to both individual
and groups cannot be over emphasized. Its knowledge is indispensable
for the peaceful co-existence of man in this material universe, because it
helps us to understand the meaning of life and the world around. It opens
our horizon and exposes us to think and criticize constructively before
taking decisions. Philosophy establishes the truth and assists us to have
reasons of what we claim to believe in. Finally, it deals with critical
analysis of facts which guides us to face life’s challenges calmly or
cheerfully.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, attempts have been made to explain the concepts of
philosophy and philosophy of education. Four branches of philosophy
namely Epistemology, Ethics, Logic and metaphysics were discussed,
the importance of philosophy were also highlighted and conclusion
made.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Define philosophy
2. List four branches of philosophy you have studied.
3. Explain these concepts to a lay man in your community
(a) Ethics
(b) Logic
(c) Epistemology
(d) Metaphysics

4. Raise two questions from each of these concepts discussed.

5. Give two reasons why philosophy is necessary in any human
endeavour.
6. What is Philosophy of Education?

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Farrant, J.S. (1982). New Edition Principles and Practice of Education.
Sheck Wah Tong Printing Press Ltd.

Kent, J. (1940). Nursery School for All. London: Word Lock

Educational.

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (1999). Oxford University Press.

Uzoma, A.U. (1996). Philosophy: Man’s Quest for Meaningful Living.

Auto-century Publishing Company Limited.

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UNIT 2 PHILOSOPHY OF EARLY CHILDHOOD/PRE-
PRIMARY EDUCATION

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Concept of Education
3.2 The Aims/Importance of Education
3.3 Concept of Childhood
3.4 Philosophical Foundation of Early Childhood Education or
Pre-Primary Education
3.0 Conclusion
4.0 Summary
5.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
6.0 References /Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Philosophy of childhood education stresses the need to adopt a wholistic
approach to the education of the child. Developmental and educational
psychologists all over the world have made it clear that pre-schools years
are the formative period in the life of an individual. As a critical period,
most concepts and basic principles of life are engrained in the children
during these early years. Therefore the educational objectives that guide
nursery education should be well planned and developed from the child’s
immediate environment. The philosophy of childhood education also
seeks to establish the principles underlying this level of education, aims,
purposes and methods which scientific knowledge has accepted within
this level.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 explain the meaning of education
 describe at least three importance of education
 define childhood
 explain the philosophy of childhood education

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

What do you understand by the term ‘education’?

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Concept of Education

Education is the light of the mind (Ajayi-Dopemu, 1994). It is seen as a
process through which an individual is admitted into the society by being
taught what is worthwhile in order that the individual might play his/her
part well in the society. Social scientists termed it socialization or
enculturation (The new Encyclopedia Britanica, 1998). Farrant (1982)
also describes education as “the total process of human learning by
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which knowledge is imparted, faculties trained and skills developed”. It
equips the young individuals with skills for coping with the future.

There are two major diverse view about education namely; education as
preparation for the future and education for meeting the immediate needs
and interests of children. When emphasis is placed on socialization as the
most important aim of education, it shows our concern for using
education to produce good citizens. Hence education is regarded as a
means of satisfying the immediate needs and interests of the child with
the hope that these will take care of their future. Children are born
without culture, education is therefore designed to guide them in learning
culture, moulding their behaviour and directing them towards their
eventual roles in the society. Education can also be viewed as the process
of inculcating the right attitudes, values, norms, abilities and skills in an
individual to enable him/her be a functional member of the society
he/she belongs. It is a powerful instrument devised by man for improving
his lot. No wonder the National Policy on Education (2004:7) recognizes
it as an instrument geared towards self realization, better human
relationship, individual and national efficiency, effective citizenship,
national consciousness, national unity, as well as towards social, cultural,
economic, political, scientific and technological progress”.

Sociologically, education is viewed as all the processes and means by

which people use human ability and efforts to respond to and interact
with the environment, pass on from one generation to another those
aspects of their culture which they consider worthwhile. This definition
recognizes the child as participating in his education through responding
to, and interacting with the environment. In this context, ‘environment’
covers all the agents of education which includes – the home, with
members of the family, outer society with elders and peers, the school
and its entire environment.

3.2 The Aims/Importance of Education

According to Fafunwa (1997), “Education is the aggregate of all the
processes by which the child or young adult develops the abilities,
attitudes and other forms of behaviours which are positive value to the
society in which he lives” This implies that education is a vital
instrument for transmitting worthwhile cultures in terms of continuity
and growth and for disseminating knowledge either to ensure social
control or to guarantee rational direction of the society. The aim of
education is multilateral and the end objective is to produce an individual
who is honest, respectable, skilled, co-operative and conforms to the
social order of the day. Other values of education includes: providing
learners with minimum skills necessary for them to take their place in
society. This implies that education assists children to develop a sense of
belonging, participate entirely in family and community affairs,
understand and appreciate the cultural heritage of the community at
large.

It equips children with the basic skills needed for seeking further
knowledge for themselves. It could be intellectual, physical, social or
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emotional skills. Education helps the children to understand, appreciate
and promote the cultural heritage of the community at large. It is a key to
character and moral training. These virtues are inculcated into the
children by parents, siblings and the school, therefore, the training or the
education of children is more of co-operative efforts in which members
of each of the more inclusive groups must play a part.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

What does the concept of childhood mean to you?

3.3 Concept of Childhood

The arrival of a child in a Nigerian family is a great occasion. The
education of the child starts form infancy just as in any European or
American society. The baby is fed regularly, mostly through breast
feeding and weaned at the appropriate time. All societies train their
children in toileting, eating, socialization and general behaviour. At this
point the child is more close to the mother than the father and other
members of the family. According to Piaget, this period falls within the
pre-operational stages of Piagetian categorization of children’s
intellectual development. It is the pre-school period of 3-5 years.
Between the ages of 3 and 6 in some families, grandparents, parents,
siblings, uncles, aunts and teachers become involved in the education of
the child. They do this by sending them on errands, tell them stories,
teach them obedience and respect for elders. Childhood education is all-
embracing and every social institution is involved in some educational
activities which lead to children’s acquisition of different behavioural
patterns, abilities and skills necessary for effective citizenship in the
society in which they live. Piaget categorized the stages of human
growth and development into the following areas.

(a) Pre-natal, 0 - Birth

(b) Infancy, birth – 2 years
(c) Early childhood - 2 to 5 years
(d) Middle childhood, 6 – 8 years
(e) Late childhood 9 – 11 years
(f) Adolescence, 12 – 18 years

Early childhood/pre-primary education falls under 2 to 5 years. At this

period, the child is mainly able to form mental pictures of things and
uses symbols in an attempt to communicate. The child’s reasoning at this
age is neither inductive nor deductive, rather he learns mainly by
analogies. Childhood is the period during which much of the formal
education of the child takes place. This stage entails taking into
cognizance the needs, interest and aspirations of the child as an
individual. This stage requires a well-planned and systematic stimulation
of the child’s reflexes and gradual introduction of the child to the
rudiments of concrete operations. The school provides the child with the
opportunity of interacting and co-operating with other children as they
learn from their teachers and play with materials that are provided for
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them. This stage of education is fundamental to the overall learning of
the child in the aspects of social, moral, motor-functions and intellectual
development. It facilitates the learning that occurs in the latter stage of
child’s life.

Research findings have shown that the early years of a child is more
important than the later years in the development of sequence for
building conceptual learning sets, interests and habit patterns. By the age
of six, most children have already developed a considerable part of
intellectual ability they will posses as adults. This period is very critical
to the child’s cognitive development as more than 50% of matured
intelligence is developed before the statutory school age of six (Bloom,
1964). Generally, the first stage of childhood is highly influential in
human life as confirmed by psychologists. Whatever happens to the child
at this stage, determines to a great extent the quality of inputs into the
formal education system. The stakeholders in education i.e. parents,
teachers, the society, government etc should therefore take all possible
steps to ensure optimal environmental conditions for good interaction to
stimulate the child. According to World Health Organisation (W.H.O)
(1972:21-22)
“When children are reared in homes where
there is lack of conversational interchange,
where parents do not interact positively with
children, and where there is lack of play
opportunities, the development of language,
intelligence and scholastic skill is likely to be
impaired.

Igboabuchi and Eze (1998) supporting this view, added that “when
children are deprived initially stimulating and enriching environment,
they may become victims of cognitive and heuristic deficit syndrome”.
All these assertions point to the need for providing well planned pre-
school education for children in order to facilitate better learning
cognitive skills development and healthy social development.

3.4 Philosophical Foundation of Early Childhood or Pre-

Primary Education
Generally, most educational practices are prevaricated upon some
philosophical principles or thoughts. Philosophy of education deals with
speculative and contemplative issues in education that are fundamental
to human existence.
Early childhood education refers to varied programme initiatives
required for children from birth to pre-school ages to make them thrive.
These initiatives include early stimulation, nutrition and optimal
interactive environment. In education, philosophy helps us to establish
standards and formulate goals that can help us to set up signposts for the
achievement of such goals. It will include a critical examination of
methods and principles for solving the problems of childhood. For
instance there are beliefs that young infants have a number of
developmental needs like protection, nourishments, defence against
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diseases and physical injury, emotional, psychological and social needs
just to mention a few. The philosophy of childhood education therefore
gives guidelines on how to achieve these objectives. It seeks to know
those values, purposes and ideas towards which the child’s efforts can be
directed.

Another crucial role of philosophy in childhood education is that it

encourages education to be geared towards the child. It focuses on vital
aspects like educational objectives, methods, curriculum, environment
and the role of the teacher in education of the child. This implies that
childhood education should be activity-based and relate to the interests
and needs of the child. Child-centred education is the education where
learning activities are specifically directed towards the optimal
development of the child. It refers to the development of “the whole
child” hence called a wholistic approach to learning. It does not
disregard any aspect of the child’s life. Education from this perspective
is viewed as life itself rather than preparation for life. The practice of
child-centredness in education is the function of philosophy and this will
help the child to grow in learning as he overcomes his challenges
gradually. Therefore, the pre-primary educational objectives should be
developed from the child’s immediate environment, based on his
experience of the environmental conditions so that he can relate his
learning experiences to his daily experiences in his environment.
Philosophy of education suggests that teaching should be done
scientifically on developmental basis and measurable terms
psychologically to motivate the child sufficiently to learn. The child’s
individual difference should be considered and teaching adopted to that
effect. Socially, children should be exposed to interact with an enriched
environment – trained teachers, siblings, materials etc. to make them
acquire the right type of social skills. All these philosophical ideas were
the guiding principles that led to the establishment of pre-primary
education as well as the curriculum used.

4.0 CONCLUSION
An appropriate philosophical foundation of childhood education is that
which caters for the social, emotional, intellectual and physical needs of
the child. It should also advocate for child-centred education which
recognizes that the child as an individual has his own rights endowed
with unique inalienable qualities. Educational objectives should be
formulated to take cognizance of the needs, interests and aspirations of
the child, in relation to the environment he lives.

5.0 SUMMARY
This unit has tried to explain the meaning and importance of education,
the concept of childhood was discussed and the characteristics of
children were pinpointed. The philosophy of childhood education was
also highlighted.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Mention four importance of childhood education
Page | 21
2. Define Education
3. Mention two importance of education?
4. Discuss the philosophical guiding principles of childhood
education.

7.0 REFERENCES /FURTHER READINGS

Ajayi-Dopemu, Y (1994). Welcome Address Delivered at the Two-
Day Workshop Organized for ECCDE Day Caregiver.

Bloom, B.S. (1964). Stability and Change in Human Characteristics.

New York: John Wiley Press.

Farrant, J.S. (1982). New Edition Principles and Practice of Education.

Sheck wah Tong Printing Press Ltd.
th
Federal Republic of Nigeria(2004). 4 edition. National Policy on
Education. Lagos: NERDC.

Igboabuchi, B.O. and Eze Denco (1998). Pre-primary Education in

Nigeria: Conference Proceeding. Onitsha: Lincel Publication.

The New Encyclopedia Britannica (1998) 18.1 Encyclopedia

Britannica Inc. Chicago.

World Health Organisation (1972). Child Mental Health and

Psychological Development. Technical report series. No. 613.
Geneva.

Page | 22
UNIT 3 CONCEPT AND TYPES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Concept of Early Childhood/Pre-Primary Education
3.2 Types of Pre-Primary Education
3.3 Child Daycare Centre
3.4 Nursery Education
3.5 Kindergarten
3.6 School for Exceptional Handicapped Children
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
5.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
6.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Childhood education has been identified as a foundation upon which the
success or failure of other levels of education depend. This is predicated
on many studies of children which revealed the importance of the early
years in physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. In
Nigeria, nursery school has been widely misused. It is often used
interchangeably with kindergarten or day-care. This unit will give an
insight into what pre-primary or childhood education is and will also
lead you to distinguish between nursery, kindergarten and day-care
programmes.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 explain the meaning of pre-primary education;
 list three types of pre-primary education;
 define nursery and kindergarten schools;
 distinguish between nursery education and Day-Care services and
 outline the characteristics of pre-primary school children.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Concept of Early Childhood/Pre-Primary Education

Early childhood/pre-primary education as contained in the National
Policy on Education (NPE; 2004:11) is the education given in an
educational institution to children between the ages of 3 and 5+ prior to
their entering the primary school. It includes the crèche, the nursery and
the kindergarten”. While Encyclopedia America (1989:553) defines it as
“a form of education for children three to five years of age prior to their
entry into the first elementary grade”. Also, Akinola (2004) sees pre-
primary education as the education given in an educational institution to

Page | 23
children aged three to five plus prior to entering the primary education. It
could also be referred to as varied programme initiative required for
children from birth to pre-school age to make them thrive. These
initiatives include early stimulation, nutrition and optimal interactive
environment. Psychologists call this period nursery education or pre-
operational period.
Pre-primary education is the first formal education children receive
under the auspices of the teachers. Its main concern is to building the
background of experience that will promote the later attainment of
academic skills. Since the rest of the education system is built upon it,
any defect or impairment at this stage could go a long way in affecting
the later intellectual ability and adjustment of the child. On the contrary,
any appropriately planned stimulation of this ‘critical’ period will greatly
influence the child’s success in life. Besides, the quality of inputs into
primary schooling is determined at this stage.

Early childhood schooling can also be viewed as a gentle means of

easing the problem of transiting to child into daily school routine to
enable him mix with peers, and giving him experience of other adults. It
therefore serves as a compliment to the home and not a substitute. It
helps in preparing the child for his future schooling and also assists him
to benefit fully from his present stage of development by equipping him
for future living. Developmental psychologists hold a consensual view
that the first six years of life is critical in the development of the child.
That by the age of six, most children have almost developed a
considerable part of the intellectual ability they will have as adults. They
also confirmed that the child’s cognitive development has matured at
over 50% at this stage.
The starting point of this level of education sometimes varies with
individual schools. Some might take it to be two years, others two and
half years. It requires early stimulation of the child for the formation of
personality and social behaviour. Children have wonderfully
impressionable minds and these minds thus need to be well nurtured and
developed from this early stage for future adjustment. The children at
this stage have a number of survival needs to contend with in their new
environment (School). For instance they need protection from extreme
cold or heat which includes good building-classrooms, library,
laboratories, furniture, instructional hardware and good playground for
physical activities. They need sound nutrition (balanced diet) to enable
them to be healthy and resist diseases. Also needed by pre-primary
school children are defence mechanism against physical injury, emotion
and support-love, care, affection etc. The easiest means of achieving
these is by getting them through school interaction hence the need for
enriched stimulating environment.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Explain the term early childhood education

Page | 24
3.2 Types of Pre-Primary Schools
In Nigeria all forms of pre-primary education programmes such as day-
care, head-start/nursery, kindergarten, child development center, etc. are
synonymously termed nursery education. Even though pre-primary
education is an educational service provided for the young children
before the statutory age of six for primary education, it has different
forms:

3.3 Child Day-Care Centre

According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1999:296)
Day-Care means respectively “Care for small children away from home,
during the day” and, or “a place where small children are looked after
while their parents are at work. They have some qualities of nursery and
kindergarten schools, but most children could be below three years of
age. The major aim in this type of institution is the great emphasis placed
on the custodial care and protection for the children. They offer a very
limited educational programmes. A good number of these centers
provide care and security for children whose mothers work or and
schooling etc. It is an institution that provides care for infants and young
children of between one year and three years.

In Nigeria, the proprietors of Day-Care centers are mainly private sectors

like Army Officers wives, University Women Society, Churches and
individuals. The Day-Care is not a school rather its main function is pre-
primary custodian. According to (Encyclopedia America, Vol. VIII,
1980) the importance of Day-Care centers is that it trains young children
in forming regular habits, giving them some supervision in matters of
health and laying the spirit of cooperation with their peers in them”.

These centers are sustained through fees paid by the parents of the
children. Although the main objectives is to provide custody, and safety
but attention is found to be in the economic aspects where owners of
such institutions try to make profit from the service rendered. The
teachers/guardians of these centers have unfortunately been indicated by
studies to be mostly unprofessional. Most often retired women, school
certificate holders are employed to take care of the children with little or
no experience of the education of the young ones.

3.3 Nursery Education

The word ‘nursery’, lexically means any place in which something is
bred, nourished or fostered. Nursery school therefore means a place set
apart for educating young children between ages three and five years
plus. Akinola (2004:194) defines nursery education as “the education
given in an educational institution to children aged three to five plus
prior to entering into primary school. To Meyers (1977), nursery schools
are referred to as “institutions that offer educational programmes
designed to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of two to five
years old children. It is the earliest time a child is placed in the
educational setting which invariably constitutes a stimulating
environment for such child. In Nigeria, nursery school has been greatly
Page | 25
misinterpreted as most often it is used interchangeably with kindergarten
or Day-Care. It should be seen as a downward extension of the
educational programmes in the regular elementary school. Its philosophy
maintains that the needs, interests and aspirations of the child ought to be
given utmost consideration before all other things. To the educationists,
the nursery period is of cardinal importance and should be planned very
carefully and seriously, because children belong to the most privileged
age range in the society and justice demands that their rights must be
respected. Being an educational institution, the nursery school takes the
whole child for its provision and concerns itself with the physical,
mental, social and emotional phases of child’s development, and
specifically provides conditions that would contribute to the natural and
progressive growth of the child’s faculties. It also trains the child to be
physically sound, form desirable habits and stimulation of healthy mental
and spiritual reactions to his social environments.

The values of nursery education are well documented, as in the views of

Bolton (1976) and Eluwa (1985); these values include, among others, the
fact that nursery school is a supplement for the home, it bridges the gap
between home and formal education; it is a source of mental, physical
and social enrichment for the child as well as a base for parental
education in the proper understanding of the developmental needs of the
children. Also supported by Maduabum (in B.C. Emenogu et al. 1992)
that it affords children the opportunities of knowing people outside their
own family circle and forming relationship which are desirable. Nursery
education makes it possible to care of children with special needs such as
the physically handicapped children, children from poor environments,
crowded homes, culturally deprived children, etc. It creates opportunities
for children to learn to use their bodies accordingly; it can also be used
as a screening device for children’s weaknesses such as poor sightedness
and hearing defects, speech impairments, etc. Such sicknesses, if
detected earlier and treated, could prevent the child from strains of
formal education. The school provides the children with the opportunity
of associating with other children, playing with them, competing with
them, enjoying space and play equipment and having the professional
care and educating influence of skilled teachers, thereby building their
social skills for proper habitation in the society.

Nursery School can be classified according to the purposes they serve

namely: Cooperative i.e. providing intensive programme of parent’s
education as well as worthwhile educational experiences for the children.
Some may serve as laboratories for research agencies or institutions,
while some are sponsored by, and for children of special groups. There
are yet nursery schools for children with special needs that cannot be
provided for in a typical classroom.

However, pre-primary school children with experience and interactions

have been found to possess the following characteristics: playfulness,
naughtiness, fearfulness and noisiness, initiative, love, aggressiveness,
disobedience, carelessness, selfishness (egocentric), and energy that
Page | 26
make them restless. Because of their immature minds, they need to be
provided with enriched environment so that they can be well occupied in
order to dissipate their excess energy. The main objective of nursery
education is to foster growth of self esteem, social, emotional, physical
and mental development, independence and preparation for regular
school.

3.4 Kindergarten
The kindergarten is a German word, meaning “garden of children”
coined by Friedrick Froebel. It is a supplement to elementary school and
it is intended to accommodate children between ages 4 and 6 years.
Kindergarten school is a school for very young children who have
finished their nursery school. It starts from where the nursery stops and
enrolls children between 4 to 6 years prior to first grade of primary level.
It is a transition stage from home to primary school.
th
In the early 19 century, the kindergarten (or intent school) was an
outgrowth of the ideas and practices of such great philosophers like
Robert Owen of Great Britain, J.H. Pestalozzi of Switzerland, Fredrich
Froebel of Germany and Maria Montessori of Italy (Encyclopedia
Britanica, Vol. V 1984). By then, it was a school for furthering the
mental, social and physical development of young children by means of
games, occupations etc that make use of their natural tendency to express
themselves in action. The main stress at this stage is on the emotional
and spiritual nature of the child, encouraging self-understanding through
play activities and greater freedom. Froebel used the name kindergarten
in his school to convey the impression of an environment in which
children grow freely like plants in a garden.

In Nigeria, kindergarten and nursery schools have no distinction. They

operate under one roof and share the same curricular. They operate five
times a week Monday to Friday from 8am to 12noon. The proprietors are
mainly private individuals and religious organisations whose main focus
is profit oriented, consequently, much effort is being made to develop
Kindergarten curricular as regular initial phase of the school’s
instructional programme. In most advanced countries, kindergarten
schools are part of public elementary schools. But in Nigeria, the
Government has not accepted much proprietorship intervention
meanwhile, but inspect, approve and register institutions where the
required guidelines are met. As earlier mentioned, kindergarten schools
are hardly distinguished from nursery and Day-Care centres in Nigeria
especially in the rural communities. Often times, there are such things as
KG I, II and III in pre-primary schools.

3.5 School for the Exceptional/Handicapped Children

These types of institutions are schools specifically developed to meet the
needs of the children who need special care and attention. The entrance
age is lower than three years. The exceptional children are those who
perform beyond expectation e.g. genius and handicapped are those with
one physical disability or the other. They include those with learning
Page | 27
difficulties such as dyslexia, etc. Special provisions are made for early
diagnosis, treatment and guidance of these handicapped children. The
teachers in these schools have special training which grooms them to be
caring and empathetic with the children. Most of these schools are still in
the hands of private individuals and church organisations.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

Briefly explain five types of pre-primary education.

4.0 CONCLUSION
Pre-primary or childhood education is a reality in Nigerian educational
system. It is pertinent to note that in spite of the recognition of this level
of education in the National policy on Education, the proprietorship still
remains in the hands of private individuals and religious organizations.
There is a proliferation of pre-primary schools, but one cannot be able to
distinguish between day-care, nursery and kindergarten schools. Even
though they have different objectives but they still operate mostly under
the same roof.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, the meaning and definitions of pre-primary education have
been explained, different types of pre-primary schools discussed together
with the importance of each form of childhood education. Some of the
characteristics of pre-primary school children were also highlighted.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Define Pre-primary education.
2. Mention different forms of early childhood education
3. What are the objective of day-care schools and kindergarten?
4. Mention five characteristics of pre-primary school children

7.0 REFERENCES /FURTHER READINGS

Akinola, B.M.A. (2004). The Place of Pre-Primary Education in the
Nigerian National Policy on Education: Nigerian Journal of
Educational Studies and Research (NJESR) Vol. 2, (194-200).

Bolton, E. (1976). “Parents and Nursery School” Child Study, Bulletin

of Institute of Study, University of Toronto, Vol. 29, 3 – 4.

Brickmann, W.W. (1988). Froebel Friedrich Wilhelm. In the

Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 2, p, 105).
Encyclopedia Americana (1989). International Edition. Grolier
Incorporated.

Encyclopedia Britanica, (1984) Vol. V and VII; London: Helen

th
Hemingway Benton Publisher 15 ed.

Eluwa, M.C. (1985). Pre-Primary Education and the National Policy on

Education” A Commissioned paper presented at the National
workshop on the National Policy on Education, held at the
Page | 28
 University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 12 – 16 February.

Federal Republic of Nigeria – National Policy on Education (2004)

NERDC Press, Lagos.

Maduabum, M.A. (1992). Towards Constructive Science Education for

the Nigerian Child in B.S. Emenogu et al (Eds) Issues and
Strategies in childhood education.

Page | 29
UNIT 4 THE ROLE EXPECTATION OF THE PRE-
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER:
IMPLICATION FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING
AND LEARNING

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Concept of Pre-Primary School Teacher
3.2 Expectations of Pre-Primary School Teacher – teacher
having special interest in children.
3.3 Possession of School Professional Knowledge
3.4 Teacher’s ability to create a conducive learning
environment
3.5 The Teacher as a Facilitator of Learning
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References /Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Psychologists, educationists and all other stakeholders in education
believe that the teacher has great influence in the way children learn. His
role at this level of education is as important as that of the mother to her
children at home. The teacher plays a vital role as he helps to pattern
what the children learn to suit their individual capacity, ability and
interest. In order to make children learn, the teacher operates in multiple
dimensions in his work, for instance, he imparts knowledge to the
children, makes friends with them, control the environment, motivates,
arouses interest, and find ways of engaging the children especially in the
classroom situation. These essential dimensions form the basic contexts
of the teacher’s behaviour and, therefore remains a key resource and
becomes indispensable in character formation of the pre-primary school
pupils.

In this unit, attention is focused on the role expectation of pre-primary

school teacher which involves his classroom behaviours, professional
strategies which he uses, and his whole personality with the intent of
showing the effects of these in children’s learning.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 explain who a teacher is;
 outline the needs for special training for the pre-primary school
teacher;
 list out the roles of the teacher in inculcating knowledge to pre-
primary school children; and
 give reasons why teachers should be role models to their
pupils/learners.
Page | 30
3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Concept of Pre-Primary School Teacher

Who is a teacher? The term ‘Teacher’ stands for one who teaches,
especially one whose professional occupation is teaching. He is a person
who has completed a professional curriculum in teacher education
institution and whose training is officially recognized by the award of an
appropriate teaching certificate. To Good (1945) in Emenogu et al
(1992:86) “A teacher is a person who, because of his rich experience or
education or both in a given field is able to contribute to the growth and
development of other persons who come in contact with him. The
combination of children education and the teacher forms a strong link
between children and education (Ajayi-Dopemu 1994).

The teacher has many roles to play in the upbringing of the child. As a
resource person, his main functions are to guide rather than direct
learning, provide enriched educational environment that exposes the
child to a variety of learning experience as that will help them unfold
their hidden talents. He should therefore be honest, trustworthy, tolerant,
broadminded, sympathetic, kind, faithful and disciplined. He should be
able to give unconditional positive regards and care for the needs and
attention of the children. He is the co-coordinating agent who ensures
that teaching/learning is well organized and supervised. In other words,
the teacher is seen in the background of learning activities as a guide,
encouraging and facilitating the progression of the child into
prominence.

3.2 Expectations of Pre-Primary School Teacher – ‘Having

Special Interest In Children’
The personality traits of the teacher condition, modulate and promote
certain responses from pupils. They motivate, direct, formulate pupils’
reactions in the classroom learning situation. Teachers of pre-primary
school pupils are faced with many challenges because the personality
development of pupils at this stage is still immature and at this level of
education they need warmth and friendliness on the part of the teacher as
these have great effect on their learning.

It is expected that the teacher would create an enabling environment

whereby he can communicate with the children effectively and friendly
i.e. passing the messages across to the pupils cordially which may
include respecting their feelings at different times. He has to spend a
good deal of time explaining things, talking to them, be a good listener
and ensuring that the pupils understand what he is saying and doing.

In order to surmount or cope with the mounting challenges associated

with children of pre-primary school, the teacher should be energetic and
physically fit, patient, kind, caring, loving, and firm. He should be able
to understand the child i.e. have good knowledge of the child’s mind and
how it works. The teacher should create a happy atmosphere in the class
and interact with children freely. He could do this by involving them in
Page | 31
class discussions, talking with them, telling them short but interesting
stories that are full of imagination also engaging them in drama and quiz.

The teacher must be patient with the learners in guiding their activities
and behaviours. It is generally contended that when the teacher appears
as the friend of the child, not as his enemy the child learns faster because
he is cooperates with the teacher and learns with less fatigue, because
there is no strain of learning. His sense of personal initiative is therefore
cultivated instead of being diminished.

3.3 Possession of Sound Professional Knowledge

A good nursery school teacher should be someone who would have
insight into children. He must have a foundation of knowledge which is
fully backed by an intellectual understanding. He should have a thorough
study of educational psychology, sociology, history of education as well
as philosophy of education in his training. These wealth of knowledge
will equip him well to cope with the varieties of experience and queries
of curious children and he would be able to work in their best interest.
The achievement of the pre-primary school objectives calls for the
service of specialist teachers based on the realization that children need
to be helped by trained pedagogues if they are to develop their potentials
maximally. It is however worrisome to note the reports of using
untrained and unqualified teachers’ hands to handle the pre-primary
children’s education. (NERC, 1980; Eneasator, 1992; John – Nwosu and
Okpara, 1995). This underscores the need to have professionally
qualified and competent teachers in the pre-primary schools to guarantee
commitment of excellence. The academic training of the teacher will
assist him to understand more fully his own personality, the demands of
his profession and more ideas concerning the children under his/her
custody. Academically, he/she must be a teacher who imparts knowledge
with ease, creates, builds and facilitates learning. Besides interest in
subject matter, good personality, perseverance, responsibility initiative,
self-control, sincerity, humour, loyalty, good leadership amongst others
have been found as necessary qualities which a teacher of pre-primary
education should possess. Professional training of the teacher will equip
him to make him/her articulate about his/her work. This means that
his/her knowledge as professional will guide him/her to explain to others
the specification and description of the job etc. As a person with superior
and rich experience, the teacher of pre-school children serves as a
resource for the identification of significant challenges and for mapping
out modes of solving such. He/she should encourage cooperation rather
than competition among his/her pupils. It is disheartening to note that
only few pre-primary school teachers have both the academic, moral and
psychological disposition to cater for children in their formative years.
The teacher has onerous duty to perform in the early childhood education
in order to guarantee future dedicated manpower. Such teachers as
earlier indicated must be professionally trained and ready to devote
themselves to the important assignment of training the young minds.

Page | 32
3.4 Teachers’ Ability to Create a Conducive Learning
Environment
Teaching young children is one of the professions that need dedicated
practitioners. The early childhood education profession needs happy,
intelligent, energic and creative teachers to guide the pupils in their
character formation and intellectual development. The role of the
teachers at this stage includes inculcating good habits and socialization
of the children so that they can easily adjust to any environment they
may find themselves in future. Psychologists and educationists have
confirmed that children learn by imitation, the way the child perceives
the teacher determines his attitude to the subject the teacher teaches.
Children learn more by imitation than they do by listening to a lesson.
This calls for a teacher who is responsible, seasoned and academically
equipped to direct the children’s programme. This in effect is saying that
the teacher should feel well, think well and act well. Since the teacher is
the main audio-visual aid that appears in every lesson, his image is
highly important as he is memorable because he is associated with some
emotional experiences. Children will like to remember that their teacher
is warm, kind, honest, loving, fair, always punctual, neat, friendly, strict
and proud and all these affect their learning. It is also necessary to point
out that energy and flamboyance in the teacher may stimulate the
children’s active participation and involvement in the material to learn.
Children like to identify with their teacher, so teachers should be wise in
whatever they do or say. A good teacher should be aware of what is
entrusted to him/her and should work in the best interest of the children.
He/she must be an example of good living. He/she must be self-
dependent, able to use his/her initiative. He/ she must communicate
effectively to the children, have an ability to select his/her words
correctly and think critically before talking. Unnecessary reprimands of
the child by the teacher could affect the children’s learning and their
future life. The teacher should be aware that whatever he/she does, or say
is being watched and copied by the little kids around. Therefore, he/she
needs to be well disciplined and enrich himself with good manners.

3.5 The Teacher as a Facilitator of Learning

The teacher is an inevitable factor in the children’s development, that is,
the teacher has the most fundamental, far-reaching and direct influence
on children is learning. He knows his responsibility because he/she plans
his/her teaching diligently – often far ahead of the day of the delivery.
This enables him/her to reflect on the lesson and add final touches before
the day of presentation. In planning he/she thinks of the pupils, their age
and their environment. He/she thinks also about the contents, he/she
wants to teach and search for reference materials to guide the preparation
of the lesson. All the strategies which the teacher employs in the
classroom mostly enhance the general atmosphere of life in the
classroom thus encourages the children to learn optimally either
individually or collectively.

Even though a conducive and stimulating learning environment is very

vital for the nursery children yet the teacher remains the most important
Page | 33
factor in the environment of learning because available instructional
materials and the children cannot be educated unless the teacher gives
directive and guidance.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Based on what you have learned in this unit, explain the roles of a
nursery school teacher.

4.0 CONCLUSION
A professional teacher is a person who has a thorough knowledge of his
chosen subject area, has gotten the teaching attitude, and who has
undergone a period of professional training. Such a teacher should have
good personality traits, adequate knowledge of the subject matter and
teaching methods. At the pre-primary education level, warmth and
friendliness on the part of the teacher have been confirmed by
researchers to have great influence in children’s learning. Teacher-child
relation influences interest or dislike in the subject and the way children
learn. The teacher of pre-primary school learners should therefore have a
sense of humuor, show understanding of the children’s problems, allow
plenty of activity and at the same time maintain order in the classroom.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, attempts have been made to explain who a teacher is, which
include that a good teacher should know more than he/she teaches and
the best ways or methods of teaching the children. He/she must be
disciplined and trained to behave in a reasonable way. He/she must be an
effective communicator, and demonstrate warmth, friendliness, kindness
and love to the children equally. The role expectation of the teacher was
also discussed to include: teacher being a model, a good facilitator of
learning, having special interest towards the children and possession of
sound professional knowledge.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Who is a teacher?
2. Mention four qualities of a good teacher.
3. Explain two role expectations of the teacher.

7.0 REFERENCES /FURTHER READINGS

Ajayi-Dopemu, Y. (1994). Welcome Address Presented at the Two-Day
Workshop organized for ECCDE Day-Care Givers.

Eneasator, G.O. (1992) Implementation of Pre-Primary Education

Policy in Nigeria: A Case Study of Anambra State. Hybrid
Publishers Nigeria (Ltd).

John-Nwosu, A. D. and Okpara, E. N. (1995). Who Should Teach the

Nigerian Pre-School Child? The Unresolved Question. Jacrome.
Journal of World Organisation for Early childhood Education, 1(1)
41-48.

Page | 34
UNIT 5 CHARACTERISTICS OF PRE-PRIMARY
SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THEIR
IMPLICATIONS TO TEACHING

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Physical Characteristics of Pre-Primary School Children:
Implication for Effective Teaching/Learning
3.2 Educational Implications of Physical Characteristics for
Effective Teaching and Learning in Pre-Primary School
3.3 Educational Implications of Social Characteristics of Pre-
Primary School Children – Implications for Effective
Teaching and Learning
3.4 Emotional Characteristics: Implications for Effective
Teaching/Learning
3.5 Intellectual/Mental Characteristics of Pre-primary School
Children: Implications for Effective Teaching
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Children are unique gifts from God. Parents and teachers often find it
difficult to handle them especially when they lack knowledge of child’s
psychology. Many a time, they misunderstand them and term them
“naughty and stubborn”. Poor understanding of these children militates
against their normal development and education. Piaget and many other
psychologists have carried out series of studies that confirm that
children undergo a series of developmental changes from birth to age of
eighteen. Each level in their lives has special changes and characteristics
that distinguishes them from another level. This unit will highlight the
characteristics of pre-primary school children and their implications for
effective teaching/learning.

Normally, pre-primary school children are aged between 2 and 5 years.

It is necessary and useful to provide some sign posts with which this
age-range may be better understood in order that their lives may be well
monitored.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you student will be able to:
 explain the physical features of children of pre-primary school age
 define socialization
 mention four agents of socialization
 discuss the ways a professional teacher can socialize pre-primary
school children
 explain four changes in the children’s intellectual development.
Page | 35
 define emotion and state five emotional changes that can take place
in pre-school children.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Physical Characteristics of Pre-Primary School

Children: Implication for Effective Teaching/Learning
At this stage, the children like to explore their environment, they
observe adults in their activities and imitate them. They enjoy
discovering new situations, they intuitively jump, climb, dance, skip,
hop, and run, etc. they discover their limbs and in no time discover their
uses. They learn to control their bodies and seek to gain control of their
environment. The children begin to speak simple sentences to express
their thoughts. At this stage, the children prefer association plays and
love self accomplishments. They are very active. By three years most of
them are usually unable to wear their pants and stocks but by five years
nearly all will be able to dress and undress themselves completely but
cannot cope with shoe laces. They are very restless and get on the
nerves of adults easily. By three plus, they can hold their pencils
normally. At this stage i.e. 3 – 5 years, bowel and bladder movements
are being controlled except in the abnormal cases.

Biehler (1974) summed some of the physical characteristics among pre-

school children as follows:
(a) Pre-school children are extremely active and they enjoy
activities for its sake;
(b) Because of their active-oriented nature, they need frequent rest
period which they themselves do not recognize;
(c) They find it difficult to gaze at small object, therefore their eye-
hand coordination is usually not yet perfect;
(d) Although their bones are flexible and resilient, yet the bones that
protect their brains are soft and fragile;
(e) Pre-school children are of different sizes and strength, while
some are bigger than others, some are also stronger than others.
Most often, boys may be bigger, but girls are usually ahead of
boys in particularly all other areas of development especially in
fine motor skills. It will not therefore be surprising if boys are
clumsy at manipulating smaller objects;
(f) While handedness is established in most children, some may be
left-handed while about 90% are right-handed.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

How do the physical characteristics of the child affect his/her learning?

3.2 Educational Implications of Physical Characteristics for

Effective Teaching and Learning in Pre-Primary School
Every pre-school institution should provide adequate, free and self-
learning opportunities for children’s play. This will help them learn how
to share, interact and co-operate in team work. The school should
provide variety of playing equipment for pupils’ use, this will help in the
development of bones and muscles and keep them fit. Specific games
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should be organized for the children under strict supervision of the
teachers to minimize accident. Children should be allowed to rest after
strenuous exercises to avoid fatigue. All children books should be
written with bold letters and teachers writing on the chalkboard should
be bold and legible. This will minimize children gazing at tiny objects.

Children with left-hand should be encouraged to use them instead of

compelling them to change. Those who are physically handicapped
should not be pitied rather they should be engaged in activities that suit
their physical capability. The teacher should ensure that the able bodied
ones should not laugh at the handicapped ones. If all these and others
are strictly observed, the realization of the educational objectives will be
easy.

3.2 Social Characteristics of Pre-primary School Children –

Implications for Effective Teaching and Learning
The pre-school age (3 – 5 years) is very important for social
development. Psychologists refer to it as a period of behaviour
modification or behaviour shaping. The pre-school children acquire
knowledge through a process known as socialization. Socialization is
the process by which the individual learns to conform to societal
standards, customs, values and culture for smooth integration in the
society. Children should be trained in the way they should grow and
when they grow up, they will not depart from it. They pick up habits
very fast at this stage and therefore should be assisted to meet their
social needs. Habits like growing in love, self confidence, maintaining
stable relationship, development of self control, having self
responsibility and self consideration for others are worthwhile habits
that the teachers should inculcate into the children for stable personality
development that can help them take their rightful place in the society.
The teacher can achieve the above by being a role-model in these areas
mentioned. He should interact freely with people, show love, concern
and care, etc.
Supporting the above view, Biehler and Snowman (1982) highlighted
their observations of some social characteristics peculiar to pre-primary
school children as follows.
1. Wanting to be treated as individual. For instance, when the child
is at home he is treated as individual, but in the school, they are
normally treated as a member of the group.

2. Pre-School children are often in dire need of parental care, love,

protection, parents gratify the child’s needs for good attention,
love etc., but at school, they cut off from such parental
attention.

3. Pre-school children are not yet capable of retaining particular

friends even though they make friends easily they also loose them
like wise. They are flexible socially and their favourite friends
are often of the same sex if any.

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4. They quarrel a lot, but their quarrels do not last long. They
quickly forget and forgive each other. In the school, they quarrel
over school materials and play tools. At this stage, they are
beginning to be aware of sex roles in the society. They have at
least a rudimentary ideas of the behaviours that are considered
appropriate for males and females. Pre-school children can
excessively be inquisitive and ask a lot of questions and expect
on the spot answers. Discipline at this level is largely essential.
They do a lot of things out of fear of punishment or to win
approval from adults.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

What are the implications of the social characteristics of pre-school
children to learning?

3.3 Educational Implications of Social Characteristics

of Pre-Primary School Children to the Teacher
In the light of the above, social characteristics of pre-primary school
children, teachers and counselors should:
1. Take the place of parents in the school by loving, protecting and
caring for the children entrusted into their care so that parents’
absence will not be felt much;
2. Inculcate in the children how to be polite, obedient, respectful,
courteous and relate well with one another;
3. Encourage the children to play, associate and work co-
operatively on joint projects with others. The shy and lonely
ones should be given enough encouragement to integrate with
others. Socio-metric techniques can be applied to identify which
play-mates a shy child would like to play with; and
4. Allow the children to settle their differences on their own and
only intervene if the quarrel gets off hand. The school should
provide adequate and enough playground, play materials and
instructional materials in school in order to minimize constant
quarreling by kids. If this is done, the pupils will be able to
satisfy their curiosity when they want to operate certain gadgets.

3.4 Emotional Characteristics: Implications for Effective

Teaching/Learning
Emotion, according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
(1999:297), means “a strong feeling of any kind: love, joy, hatred, fear,
jealous”. Pre-primary children do have emotions, it could be pleasant or
unpleasant but both play important roles in their lives, and all of them
contribute to the personal and social adjustments made by any
individual. The pre-primary children are free in expressing their
emotions. They can feel and express anger, rage, fear, love, guilt and
sympathy, joy and excitement. They can change easily from one type of
emotion to another. Teachers are vital instruments for assisting children
to adjust well in life. Pre-school children are unable to hide their
emotions, although they may not always express them directly.

They may express them indirectly through different activities such as

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crying, nail biting, thumb-sucking, silence, refusal to eat, etc. It should
be noted that emotions are involved in every activity of the child both at
home and in school. If the school programme is suited to them and the
teachers and other pupils are friendly, they will derive joy from school
and look forward with pleasure to another school day, on the contrary,
some features of the school may arouse anger and fear in the children.
Teachers’ coarssed voice, frowned face, etc may be sources of anxiety
or resentment for the child in the school. At this stage, it has been
observed that children also show sympathy or concern for others by
crying with them, sharing what they have with them or by holding them
and even cleaning their eyes and saying ‘sorry’.

Emotion serves many purposes in the child’s life, for instance, it can
communicate feelings, make life pleasant, generate actions, bring
discomfort to the child and the people around while disrupted mental
activities affect interactions and even result into habit formation. During
this stage, children progress from simple self-control to an ability to
initiate activities and carry them out (Emenogu in Maduewesi and
Akahara 1996:70). It is the role and attitudes of the teacher towards the
children’s activities that can help them to fulfill this sense of initiative.
If the attitudes of the teacher is negative and discouraging it may lead to
the development of a sense of guilt and inadequacy by the children. The
implication of this is that the children’s activities, no matter how
destructive and shameful they may seem to the teacher, should not be
meted out with outright condemnation. Rather, teachers should assist,
correct and re-direct the children in more stable way that would still
allow the child enjoy the feeling of continuing their work. It is therefore
necessary for teachers to know which forms of expression that would
lead to good adjustment or poor adjustment of the pupils otherwise their
pupils may develop both physical and psychological damages.

In summary, children tend to express their emotions either pleasant or

unpleasant freely and openly by crying, laughing, etc. They are easily
irritated but forget easily. They have strong emotional attachment to
their teacher especially an ideal teacher; they grow jealous of each other
as they compete to be the darling of their teacher. Simple things
disorganize them and make them angry e.g. when they are tired, hungry,
denied love, care etc.

Educational Implications of Emotion Characteristics to

Effective Teaching and Learning
To control these emotions, the pre-primary school teacher should
provide the children with enriched environment full of friendliness,
love, care and consideration. He/she should take care of the emotional
needs of the children. He/she can achieve this by being sensitive to
emotions that arise in his/her classroom since the children have much
regard for teachers, the teachers should endeavour to give the pupils
much affection but must spread it evenly to every member of the class.
He/she should accept the children as people who, like himself/herself
are created with feelings i.e. the teacher should empathise and
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sympathise with them and encourage the children to imitate him/her.

Every pre-primary institution should recognize the importance of play in

the lives of children. It is a major characteristic of pre-school children
and as such every pre-primary school teacher should try and convert
every learning activity into play. Play appears early in life and its
distortion seriously disturbs the social, emotional and cognitive
development of the child. As much as possible teachers should provide
adequate, free and safe opportunities for children’s play, such play
facilities and equipment should take into consideration the essential
attributes that moderate the child’s choice of preferred play objects.

He/she should control their fears by showing love and speaking softly
instead of being harsh and reprimanding at any move or interaction of
the children. The teacher should be a good listener, cheerful, humourous
when necessary amongst others. These acts will lead them through their
fears. If coarsed environment is created at this level, school phobia and
anxiety may set in and could affect the later life. Provision should also
be made for their snacks and recreation.

3.4 Intellectual/Mental Characteristics of Pre-primary

School Children: Implications for effective teaching.
Intellect depicts the power to integrate experience and the process of
reasoning abstractly. According to Piaget, the pre-school years fall
within the (2-7 years). This period is characterized by rapid
development of language ability, and of the ability to represent things
symbolically. Children have enormous skills in Language learning and
they tend to talk too much. During this period, children progress rapidly
from two-word utterances to more complex sentences that express
prepositions more precisely. This is the age of acquiring large
vocabulary.
At this stage, the children have the ability to represent concepts e.g
objects, events, conceptual scheme etc by means of a signifier. Their
imagination and inventiveness are at the peak and the children like to
draw and paint things. Also formation of concepts of concrete objects is
very active. Children at this level would represent a car with steering
movement and a sound microphone with cupped fist while singing. The
child’s major cognitive task is the conquest of symbol. The child fights
with words and their actual objects and tries to differentiate between
dream symbols and self-made up play and reality. He sees names as
imbibing in objects and that an object may not have more than one
name. In the process of describing a concept, the child may skip the
important information while making use of indefinite terms. By the end
of the pre-operational stage, the child begins to enter into concrete
operational level where he can differentiate between symbols and their
interests. Now internalization of concepts sets in. He begins to
understand concepts of relative size, can select biggest and smallest
from a given number of objects. Gradually, he starts to group and
classify objects according to elementary relationships. Towards the end
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of this period, he starts quantitative thinking from counting actual
objects.

Educational Implication of Intellectual Development of the

Pre-Primary School Children for Effective Teaching and
Learning
The school should provide reasonable and stimulating environment
through which the child learns to develop basic conceptual skills
necessary for life, have a reasonable linguistic repertoire for meaningful
communication and grow intellectually. The stimulating environment
should include play grounds with toys e.g. baby dolls, custom for
playing, acting, encourage modeling and counting. For expression of
feelings and representation, the teacher should provide water, sand,
blocks, paints, pencils crayon etc. Furthermore, teachers should exercise
patience in answering children’s numerous questions and in conversing
with them, by doing so, learning will naturally take place. Pre-primary
school children need a lot of exposure which involves what they could
see leading to what they do which will eventually lead to what they
know through experience. Teacher should then give the children enough
time to interact with their rich environment in order to acquire skills,
abilities, habits attitude for future living. He should encourage the spirit
of imagination, inventiveness and appreciation in the children. This
could be achieved by engaging them in constant drawing, moulding,
painting, dramatizing plays and stories. Danis (1960) confirmed that
“provision of stimulating environment for pre-school children greatly
improved their cognitive skill and abilities eventually leading to marked
improvement in their intellectual development.

Activity I
Re-arrange the following broad stages of human development to agree
correctly with the years
(a) Pre-natal - 2 years
(b) Infancy - 2 – 5 years
(c) Early Childhood - 0 – birth

4.0 CONCLUSION
Early childhood education is the bedrock of the very existence and
morality. It is a formative stage where habits both good and bad are
formed. Childhood is the scene of man’s beginning and a critical stage
indeed. Teachers should be sensitive to children’s unique characteristics
at this level so as to direct and guide them properly for meaningful
development of habits and virtues which would have a long life
influence on their personal and social adjustment to their environment.
Improper socialization at this stage may lead to maladjusted individual
which is a prey to various disorders.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, attempts have been made to discuss in details the physical,
mental/intellectual, social and emotional characteristics of pre-primary
school children. Their various implications to effective teaching and
learning were also explained.
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6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. Mention four physical characteristics of the pre-school children
2. What is socialization? Mention at least 2 agents of socialization.
3 Describe how you would inculcate the spirit of – Love, affection,
etc. in your pupils.
4. List 2 mental characteristics of the pre-school children
5. How would you, as a trained teacher handle the following pre-
school children in your class:
(a) Inquisitive child
(b) Restless child

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Oxford Advanced Lerner’s Dictionary (1999). Oxford University press.

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MODULE 2 THE ORIGIN OF PRE-PRIMARY
EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Unit 1 Historical Perspective and Challenges

Unit 2 Purpose and Needs of pre-Primary Education In Nigeria
Unit 3 Problems/Challenges of Pre-Primary Education: A Way
Forward
Unit 4 The Prospects of Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria

UNIT 1 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND

CHALLENGES

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Origin of Pre-Primary Education: An Historical
Perspective
3.2 The Importance of Pre-Primary Education
3.0 Conclusion
4.0 Summary
5.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
6.0 References /Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Pre-primary education which is also referred to as pre-school education
comprises all forms of organized instruction given to children before
they enroll for primary education. Mallinson (1975) identifies three
basic divisions of early childhood education to include: Day-Care
centers which takes care of children of working mothers who may be as
young as less than 6 months, nursery which trains children to develop
their manipulative audio, linguistic and aesthetic abilities through play
and to become social beings by learning to interact with other children
and kindergarten school which prepares children for entry and effective
participation in primary education.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 trace the origin of pre-primary education in Nigerian;
 explain some importance of pre-school education; and
 suggest and recommend ways of improving childhood education in
Nigeria

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Origin of Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria: A

Historical Perspective
The origin of pre-primary education dated back to early 1960 when the
colonial officers were in-charge of governance in Nigeria. Pre-primary
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education was specifically for the children of colonial officers and the
privileged few children. Recently, because of technological
advancement and political consciousness there are proliferations of pre-
primary schools with its challenges.

The nursery or pre-primary school is an educational arrangement for

children aged between three and five years. It’s major concern is
intellectual growth in a developmental setting where social, emotional
and physical growth also promoted. Pre-primary education is relatively a
“late-comer” in the Nigerian education scene. It was not in the original
education scheme introduced in the country by Christian Missionaries in
1842 which started with primary schools and later extended to secondary
school level. Pre-primary schools came into existence much later in
some major Nigerian cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Zaria and Aba in Abia
State. In the case of Aba, the foremost was Prince Day Nursery school,
Eziukwu established in 1964 to provide nursery education for the
children (aged 3 – 5 years) of the emergent Nigerian cities.

Afe (1992), traced pre-primary education back to the colonial days. Such
institutions were few and for the children of colonial officers. The
expatriate staff in the then big colonial establishments in Nigeria opened
nursery schools for their children.

With independence in 1960, more white foreigners came into the

country to work and so, more pre-primary schools were built. On the
other hand, more Nigerian were educated and these elites wanted to
emulate their white counterparts in sending their children to pre-primary
institutions in major towns. In the same early 1960, the large agrarian
society began to change and with it, an increase in the demand for
education. Political consciousness, establishment of few industries
among other factors stimulated population movement from rural to
urban areas, also urbanization began to increase.

By 1976, the pressure for universal education made the Federal

Government to introduce the free education programme policy thus, the
practice of hiring house boys and house girls was no longer fashionable
as those boys and girls started attending schools; hence the evolution of
day-care centres.

Economically, the standard of living had improved with, and after

independence and was on the upward swing. Additionally increased
opportunities enabled thousands of Nigerians to travel, live and
experience life outside this country, including that of early education for
children. The above improvement together with increasing exposure to
global international organisations and contacts such as UNICEF,
UNESCO, UNDP, Child Hope, Association for Childhood Education
International (ACEI) United Nation Declaration of Human Rights
among others, broadened the perception of Nigerians about children’s
education and their needs. These contacts resulted in new improved
realization of the importance of the early childhood and its potential for
Page | 44
future education and development. They opened the eyes of Nigerians to
the trends and policies in other countries regarding the education and
care of young children; hence the inclusion of pre-primary education in
the National Policy on Education of 1981.

Presently, the improvement in the knowledge of child development and

better understanding of the growth of intelligence through research
studies from renowned researchers in human development and
intelligence like Piaget, Bloom, Vicker, Hunct, etc. all perceive that the
nursery school years are precious and crucial years for laying the
foundation for the overall development of the child. Hence the
proliferation of nursery schools in both urban and rural areas.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Take a historical trip of pre-primary education in Nigeria.

3.2 The Importance of Pre-Primary Education

Pre-primary education are already explained earlier as education given
to children from the age of three to five plus. In the traditional setting, it
is a time when children stay close to their parents and learn from them.
It is a vital and critical stage, because learning is mainly by imitation and
very fast children at this time, play freely, build block, etc. These play-
activities are goal-oriented and are geared towards the building of self-
discipline and work orientation. However useful these activities might
be, they are no longer sufficient to equip the younger children for the
ever changing technological world of today (Acho, 1992). Hence, there
is the need for constructive, well organized learning offered by good
pre-primary schools to enable the children form good character, morals
and habits.

One importance of early childhood education is that, it provides

happiness, security and care for young children. Children at the pre-
primary school age need these, especially at the time when their parents
are at work. Parents will feel happy also and have peace of mind that
their children are in safe hands while they are at work and that the
children will enjoy playing with their mates and even learn at the same
time.

Pre-primary education also serves as a source of development of good

language and social habits. Pre-primary schools are social communities
where children learn by observation, imitation and action. At this stage,
they are given every opportunity to interact freely with their school
environment. In the process, the children develop good language skills
and habits as observed from their teachers. This will help them to
behave well and live as peaceful adults in any environment they may
find themselves. Pre-primary school also provides adequate medical
services to the pupils. Most of the good pre-primary schools today make
provisions for good medical departments in their schools. During the
absence of parents, pre-primary school children would be given better

Page | 45
care and attention than when left with house-helps.

Early childhood education gives the children opportunity to develop

science and technological knowledge. This vital knowledge requires
special toys and gadgets which many parents may not be able to afford.
Today, it is encouraging to note that, most pre-primary schools possess
some of these gadgets, thereby availing the children the opportunity to
learn with such materials. A good example is the “speak and spell” a
computerized toy for learning languages.

Pre-primary education also helps in the cognitive development of

children. With the play-oriented activities, children in their enriched
environment are gradually introduced to the skills of formal education,
like speaking, listening, reading and writing. These things are taught in
pre-primary school to prepare the children for smooth transition to
primary schools.

In Nigeria, the need for pre-primary education becomes obvious when

we remember that many children of this age still live in the rural areas,
and most parents are illiterate or not well educated. The chances of
reaping the benefits of this stage of development is to send these
children at pre-primary schools age to where rich and stimulating
environments are provided for them in order to acquire the above
mentioned knowledge. One vital point is that, a child must be exposed to
the needs and aspirations he requires at a specific periods in his
development. It is therefore necessary to send the children to pre-
primary school where qualified teachers who have acquired enough
experiences will help them to acquire all round development. It is wrong
to leave the education of these children to their parents who neither
posses the skills nor the method to handle their problems hence, the need
to expose them to early childhood education from standard pre-primary
schools.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

Justify the need for early childhood education in Nigeria.

4.0 CONCLUSION
Pre-primary education started with the colonial officers during the early
1960s. It became a prominent feature in the educational system in
Nigeria during the early 1970s hence its inclusion in the National Policy
on Education 1981. Some factors gave impetus to the increase in the
establishment of pre-primary education. These include the dearth of
house-helps for working mothers, lack of security and care for children
whose parents are workers or businessmen, recognition of the
importance of early childhood education as a critical stage for character
and habit formation among others. Today both the government and
parents have acknowledged the need for pre-primary education hence
the support for its existence in almost all the nook and crannies of every
town in Nigeria.

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5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, the origin of pre-primary education has been traced to have
started with the colonial officers. Later, the Nigeria elites who
acknowledged the importance of early childhood education in the total
development of the child sent their children to pre-primary schools. The
importance of pre-primary education were also highlighted.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. The Origin of Pre-primary education was traced to have started
by ----------------- (7mks)
2. Mention two reasons for the establishment of Pre-primary
education in Nigeria. (8 mks)
3. Explain two importance of early childhood education (8mks)
4. Name any two international organisation that are interested in
early childhood education. (7 mks) = (30 marks)

7.0 REFERENCES /FURTHER READINGS

Ase, J.O. (1992) Studies of Cognitive Development in Early Childhood.
In B.C. Emenogu, O.V.N. okoro, M.O. Ofoefuna and G.C.
Nweze (Eds.) Issues and Strategies in Childhood Edcation
Onitsha. Hybrid Publishers.

Matterson, E.M. (1978). Play with a Purpose for Underseven.

Hammersworth Great Britain Perguin Books.

Page | 47
UNIT 2 PURPOSES AND NEEDS OF PRE-PRIMARY
EDUCATION

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 The Philosophical Basis for Early Childhood Education
3.2 The Needs/Rationale for Pre-Primary Education
3.3 Analysis of the Basic Outlines of the National policy on the
Implementation of Pre-Primary Education
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References /Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Nigerian educational system derives mainly from the national
philosophy that seeks to enhance dignity, worth and self actualization of
every individual citizen. The developmental approach to learning the
whole child concept is based on the conviction that for the child to
benefit maximally from learning he should be developmentally ready
and as much as possible, balanced socially, physically, emotionally and
intellectually. Thus the aim of pre-primary education is to assist the
home the age of three to get the child developmentally ready to face the
challenges of primary education.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 outline the purpose of pre-primary education
 explain the need for pre-primary education
 mention the types of teachers that teach in this level of education
 describe government efforts to improve pre-primary education

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 The Philosophical Basis for Early Childhood Education

Consequently, in conformity with the set goals of pre-primary education
as indicated in the National policy on Education (2004:11), the required
purposes of early childhood education shall be to:
(a) effect a smooth transition from home to the school;
(b) prepare the child for the primary level of education;
(c) provide adequate care and supervision for the children while their
parents are at work (on the farms, in the market, offices etc);
(d) inculcate social norms;
(e) inculcate in the child the spirit of enquiry and creativity through
the exploration of nature, the environment, art, music and playing
with toys, etc.
(f) develop a sense of cooperation and team-spirit;
(g) learn good habits, especially good health habits; and
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(h) teach the rudiments of numbers, letters, colours, shape, forms, etc
through play.

The attainment of the above objectives calls for specialist teachers

equipped with a cluster of in-depth knowledge of child’s psychology and
competence in the use of integrated approach to science and arts’
teaching, consistent with the child’s nature to structure learning and
well-planned, play oriented activities.

The purpose of the stated objectives can be summed into: Education for
socialization and education for number and literacy. In the context of
education for socialization, it refers to the expected informal education
that will make the child to grow and become a citizen in his community.
He/her learns through this medium how to respect elders and interact
positively with members of his/her peer group. Moreso, the child learns
to work with his/her peers, interacting cooperatively showing evidence
of sympathy for one another and depending on one another for mutual
communal living.

Early childhood education is expected to prepare the child for primary

education. In this respect, the nursery school is expected to give the
children the benefits of counting, reading and writing at rudimentary
stage. Pre-primary education in Nigeria therefore does not only aim at
looking after the children while their parents are at work, but also aims at
laying a very solid foundation in the areas of intellectual, physical,
emotional and social development of the children. This will in later life
help the child to get properly adjusted to the demands of adolescence and
adult life.

The objective stated that adequate care and supervision be provided for
the children while their parents are at work. The proprietors of pre-
primary education institutions are mainly private individuals and
religious organisations who are profit oriented in the management of the
pre-school. They have done much in giving security and care to children
when their parents are away at work. But it is pertinent to note that most
of their provisions are sub-standard. The buildings among other things
are not in line with the Government specifications. It was discovered that
the building facilities are grossly inadequate. Their location varies from
ideal school to appealing centres in compounds, uncompleted buildings,
makeshift buildings and garages. In most schools, libraries and
laboratories are absent and where they are available, they are not
adequately equipped. This situation may expose the children to poor
environmental conditions whereby they may sneak out of the
substandard buildings and incure injury or external attack especially
these days where “kidnapping syndrome” is in vogue in every part of the
country.

To inculcate the spirit of exploration of nature, environmental arts,

music, etc., it has been discovered that little provisions have been made
for toys, swings, recreational facilities, language and arts theatres etc.
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This is because pre-primary education is at the discretion of private
entrepreneurs. It is important to provide pre-primary school children with
enriched environment and child care services such as nutrition, health
and safety among other things. These will facilitate the achievement of
the global objectives of pre-primary education stated in the National
Policy on Education.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Give three rationales for pre-primary education.

3.2 The Need/Rationale for Pre-primary Education

Many renowned psychologists and philosophers have pointed out the
need to provide children with sound basic education during the first few
years of life. Nigeria also recognizes this by making provision for it in
the National policy on Education. The Nigerian society chooses
education as an instrument per excellence and a means for effecting
national development. The policy was put in place to provide the legal
framework for the education system. Basically the goal is, among other
things, to ensure that every citizen has access to quality education,
promote national consciousness and self-reliance through education
process. Thinking in the same line, Obisanya, (2001) observed that
“within the last few decades, a series of international events notably, the
1989 convention of the Rights of the child, the 1990 Jomitien world
Conference on Education for ALL and the 1990 world summit for
children have given added visibility and impetus to basic education”.
These developments explain the need for early child education to every
child irrespective of tribe, race, religion, sex, etc.

Okunrotifa (1977) noted that “an experience array of psychologists who

have made intensive studies of intellectual growth and development of
children have come with the conclusion that the period from birth to
about age of six is of vital importance to the individual’s future cognitive
development. This period is the most influential to human life (Bloom
1964). It is very critical to the child’s cognitive development as more
than 50% of mature intelligence is developed before the statutory school
age of six years. Therefore, there is great need for early stimulation for
the formation of personality and social behaviour since children learn by
doing, they need to be involved in actual manipulation of their learning
materials such as real objects, pictures, play toys, children’s books,
creative material such as clay, play dough etc. He/she needs plenty
opportunities to explore his/her environment and learn by experience.

It is pertinent to note that majority of the Nigerian pre-primary school

children are not given opportunity/access to early childhood education.
This is confirmed by SAPA (1993) report that “access for children in
Nigeria to Day-Care centers and Pre-primary schools is still rather low,
the report revealed that only 11% of children under six years of age have
the benefit of some form of Day Care/Pre-primary education”. By
implication, most pre-school children have been denied the opportunity
to have early intellectual development which may affect the later
Page | 50
development.

The challenges of the global trends, urbanization and industrialization

have also altered culturally appropriate children patterns and practices.
Because of this growing complexities of modern living, most homes are
no longer able to carry out the role of caring for the children which were
hitherto performed traditionally by adult parents and siblings. The
evolution of nursery and day-care centers is a remedy for bad social
conditions prevailing in the society today. Before, young children were
living in dirty environments, crowded homes, denied care, protection,
good food, medical care, sleep etc. Early childhood education is now
established to provide the children with good social and health services,
emotionally and academically so that they can grow into healthy and
intellectually alert children.

Other needs for early childhood education include – reducing the

educational and social disadvantages suffered by children from homes
which are culturally and emotionally deprived. It provides the children
with good social and health services, builds them up socially, physically,
morally, emotionally and academically. This will help them to live
effectively and adjust to any environment they might find themselves in
future.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

Suggest another factor for pre-primary education.

Another crucial factor for establishing pre-primary education is that early

childhood education effects a smooth transition from home to school.
This is true because the objectives of early childhood education specified
inculcation of social norms, spirit of inquiry and creativity, development
of a sense of co-operation and team-spirit and learning good habits
especially good health habits amongst others. This is obvious because
pre-school children are exposed to these basic and fundamental ways of
life. For instance good habits and manners are inculcated in them by way
of learning to share with peers, team work, interacting co-operatively,
showing evidence of sympathy for each other, playing with others, mode
of dressing, greeting patterns, respect for elders etc. They also learn to
read e.g. recite poems, tell short and beautiful stories, dramatize,
participation in quiz competitions, and write and count. They are all
exposed to enrich environment with varieties of teaching materials that
will give them all round development.

Apart from providing a nice opportunity for intellectual development,

early childhood education also caters for the health needs of the children.
This includes provision of food service (balanced diet) formation of good
health habits and protection from contagious diseases through the
curricular activities of the programme.

Osanyin (1984) highlighted these factors to contribute to the need for

pre-primary education in Nigeria.
Page | 51
1. The increasing necessity of mothers to go to work thus creating
regular and unusual long periods of total separation from the
child.
2. The rising cost of living especially in the urban centers.
3. The rapid involvement of a two-worker family system resulting in
stress and tension in the home.
4. The increase tendency towards nuclear family system
predominantly in the urban centers due to geographic mobility of
labour.
5. The absence of multiple mothering that had provided for the
development of trust and sense of security.
6. The scarcity of responsible and reliable domestic workers. These
factors amongst others tend to account for the prolification of
nursery schools in various corners of the urban and rural areas.

Akinola, (2004:195) added that “the need for working mothers to leave
their children in safe hands, the dwindling number of domestic hands,
nannies and grandmothers and other factors led to the establishment of
these institutions in urban and rural areas”. As maternal employment
increases, fewer parents and other relatives are available to take care of
the little children hence increasing number of parents desire to enroll
their children in pre-primary education programme where they will be
protected and learn at the same time.

3.3 Analysis of the Basic Outlines of the National Policy on

the Implementation of Pre-primary Education
The government spelt out the following guidelines for the realization of
the objectives as stated in the National Policy on Education (2004:11).
Government shall:
(a) establish pre-primary sections in existing public schools and
encourage both community/private efforts in the provision of pre-
primary education;
(b) make provision in teacher education programmes for
specialization in early childhood;
(c) ensure that the medium of instruction is principally the mother-
tongue or the language of the immediate community; and to this
end will
(i) develop the orthography of many more Nigerian
languages, and
(ii) produce textbooks in Nigerian language;
(d) ensure that the main method of teaching at this level shall be
through play and that the curricular of teacher education is
oriented to achieve this; regulate and control the operation of pre-
primary education. To this end, the teacher-pupils ratio shall be
1:25;
(e) set and monitor minimum standard for early childcare centers in
the country and;
(f) ensure full participation of government, communities and teachers
associations in the running and maintenance of early childhood
education facilities.

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It is regrettable that only a fraction of Nigerian children benefit from
head start’ programme. This is because the reality of government’s
inability to participate at this level of education is opted for one of the
policy implementation statement to encourage private effort in the
provision of pre-primary education. While appreciating the handicaps
facing government in this matter, it is disheartening that this
encouragement is not such as to establish clear and firm standards and to
monitor them as a sort of quality control. The implication of encouraging
private sectors in the provision of early childhood education is that this
level of education is at the discretion of private entrepreneurs.

SAPA (1993) report revealed Federal, State and Local Government own
less than ten percent (10%) of the existing day care centers and pre-
primary institutions in Nigeria. The report further confirmed that “with
the practice, it is very clear that pre-primary education is still not
available to a majority of children especially those in the rural areas.

From the foregoing, it is an established fact that some of the existing

nursery schools show that Government has not been able to make
appropriate impact in the running of pre-primary education. This
inability by government to live up to the majority of its own
undertakings has naturally hindered the achievement of the objectives.
Besides, since the pre-primary education is now actually a private rather
than a public “enterprise”, the private proprietors are applying their own
ingenuity, albeit inadequately. Thus the major problem confronting the
realization of the thrust of pre-primary education have been based in
government’s inability to provide the enabling basic features on which
the purposes are prevaricated. In order to realize the objectives of
nursery education in various states of the federation, there is an urgent
need for a more direct government participation in the administration and
supervision of the programme. The present situation where government
only spells out the policy of nursery education and leaves its planning
and implementation in the hands of a few private individuals and
businessman is considered unsatisfactory, and may not facilitate the
achievement of educational objectives at this crucial level of education.

The policy makes provision for specialization in early childhood

education in teacher education programmes. This policy has not been
given much attention. The teacher is a key element in the operations of
the school system. If the school is to be an instrument of education, it
must be well staffed with professional teachers who have an adequate
grasp of what, who and how to teach. But it is disheartening that in most
of the pre-primary schools today, most of the teachers are far from
expectations because they are not specialists in pre-primary education.
The training of teachers at the pre-primary level appears not be
formalized, popular or made compulsory. Most of the pre-primary
teachers have not even acquired any educational certificate! They are
only there because they are unable to secure a better job. There is an
erroneous belief that anyone can instruct at the kindergarten level. This
Page | 53
belief is dangerous because a child who is wrongly or roughly handled at
the pre-primary level of education may be inclined to hate the school
system throughout a better part of his life. The pre-primary school
teachers therefore can be regarded as a special kind of teacher who
should be knowledgeable about child psychology, philosophy of early
children education etc. He/she should be honest, trustworthy, tolerant,
broadminded, sympathetic, kind, faithful and disciplined. Certain
category of teachers should be made to specialize in the area of pre-
primary school education differently from other levels of education. This
will make it possible to staff nursery schools with professional teachers
who know the content and methodology of nursery education.

Other strategies for the implementation of pre-primary education

include: making available textbooks and reading materials for teachers
and pupils at this level. As at present, not much efforts have been made
to provide nursery textbooks in any of the Nigerian languages rather
most of the textbooks were written in English and are secondly very
scarce. The main language of instruction in pre-primary school is
English Language as against the mother tongue or the language of the
immediate community as stated in the National Policy of Education
(2004) This process of learning is affecting the realization of pre-primary
school objective as most pupils come from illiterate homes. The
language of instruction is a complex matter which should be handled
cautiously.

The policy also specified that the teacher pupil ratio shall be 1:25; and
that the main method of teaching shall be play. These guidelines are not
yet adhered to because of the private sector managing and directing pre-
primary school education. It is necessary that the commissioning and
production of suitable textbooks and reading materials be provided for
children and the teacher pupil ratio be complied with. Because the
proprietors are business oriented, seeking to make lucrative gain, the
teacher pupil ratio in most of the pre-primary school is 1:45-50. This
number is too large to be managed by qualified teacher if effective
teaching and learning is to be realized. But a situation where majority of
the teachers in pre-primary schools are unqualified i.e. drop-outs,
awaiting results or old retired teachers, not much will be achieved. It is
pertinent to note that proprietors of nursery schools expose their pupils in
the practice of recitation and regurgitation of rhymes and numbers
instead of popularizing play as the main teaching method. Play lies at the
heart of the curriculum for the nursery school. It makes a major
contribution in the all round development of the child i.e. physical,
social, emotional and intellectual, children learn happily and faster with
play. The teacher of pre-primary school should therefore make their
teaching to be play as a method of teaching.

4.0 CONCLUSION
Early childhood education has some philosophical principles which
include preparing the children at this stage to form habits and characters

Page | 54
that will guide them in future life. The purpose of pre-primary education
is to provide what ought to be given to the children for their all round
development. It is unfortunate that the government left the
implementation of these objectives into the hands of private sectors with
only guidelines and poor supervision. This has made the realization of
these objectives impossible.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, attempts have been made to discuss the purpose of pre-
primary education and the rationale for its establishment. Further, efforts
were made to critique the basic principles of the National policy on the
implementation of pre-primary education.

6.0 TUTOR -MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. List out two purposes of pre-primary education as state on the
National policy on education.
2. Mention three rationale for pre-primary education in Nigeria
3. Outline two prescriptions of government on the implementation
of the objectives of pre-primary education.
4. What calibers of teachers teach in pre-primary schools presently
in Nigeria?

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Akinola, B.M.A. (2004). The Place of Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria
National Policy on Education. Nigerian Journal of Educational
Studies and Research (NJESR) Vol. 2, No. 25 (pg. 194-204).

Bloom, B. (1964) Stability and Change in Human Characteristic. New

York: John Willey.

Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education

NERDC Press, Lagos.

Obisanya, O.O. (2001). An Evaluation of the Childcare Development

and Education Project in Nigeria. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis,
University of Ibadan.

Page | 55
UNIT 3 PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES OF PRE-PRIMARY
EDUCATION IN NIGERIA – A WAY FORWARD

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Problems/Challenges of Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria
3.2 Achievements in Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria –
Current Status
3.3 Suggestions and Recommendations for the Improvement of
Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignments
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Pre-primary education is of vital importance for the development of
children in Nigeria. Children are the nation’s most precious assets. Their
educational programme should be planned very carefully and seriously
as a principal and perhaps even the most important stage of education on
which all other levels depend. Adequate attention should be given to
educational facilities – buildings, furniture, toys, textbooks etc and
human resources that will be in operation towards the realization of pre-
primary education. Government’s active participation in the provision of
pre-primary education and proper encouragement by Government to
private sector will go a long way to ameliorate the poor handling of pre-
school children.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
It is expected that by the end of this unit, the student should be able to
do the following:
 mention four problems facing the development of pre-primary
education in Nigeria;
 explain the caliber of people managing pre-primary schools in
Nigeria presently;
 specify which Ministry that handles early childhood education; and
 outline some suggestions and recommendations by researchers for
the development of nursery education.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Enumerate the major problems confronting pre-primary education in
Nigeria.

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3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Problems/Challenges of Pre-Primary Education in

Nigeria
Administration of pre-primary school entails attending to the social and
educational needs of pre-school children and effecting the desired
balance between their social and educational needs. The school should
always have a highly stimulating, entertaining and interesting package of
programmes for nursery children. Such programmes would stimulate,
arrest and sustain their interest in school and make them learn much
without difficulties. A model pre-primary school should have the head-
teacher and other teachers who are professionals in pre-primary
education and health workers, security guards, labourers, library staff,
typists, clerks/messengers.

These ideals are the expectations of every pre-primary education but due
to some factors, pre-primary schools in Nigeria could not fully realize
the objectives of early childhood education. Some of the factors include:

(a) Lack of Qualified Teachers

When we talk of education of children, the next relevant issue in the
sequence is the teacher. The combination of children education and
teacher forms a strong link between children and education (Ajayi-
Dopemu, 1994). The training of teachers at the pre-primary level appears
not to be formalized properly, or compulsory. Many nursery school
teachers in Nigeria today are school dropouts or “awaiting results” while
the most qualified are holders of TCII Certificates. In teaching young
children, the teacher is undoubtedly the single most important factor who
imparts the knowledge adequately to the children, but where qualified
teachers are lacking, the children may be mishandled or misled. Nigerian
government is yet to fulfill its pledge in realizing the objectives of
making provision in Teacher Training Institutions for student teachers
who want to specialize in primary education. The Grade Two Teacher
Training Colleges are virtually being phased out in the country and there
is no nationally prescribed pre-primary teacher education programme to
cater for student teachers who wish to teach in pre-primary school. This
lapse has made caretakers to operate pre-primary institutions. For pre-
primary education to worth its salt in the selection of suitable staff, care
must be taken to ensure that the persons so selected are keenly interested
in the affairs and the challenges of pre-primary school age children. They
should be expert in child psychology and have training in other areas of
education, have appropriate temperament, patience, knowledge and skills
required in nursery education. They should from time to time be exposed
to orientation courses, seminars and workshops to update their
knowledge and skills in the art and science of nursery education.
Teacher/pupils ratio at this level should be about 1:25 as prescribed by
the government in the National Policy on Education.

Page | 57
(b) Government Inability to Participate fully in Pre-
Primary Education
In spite of the Government’s efforts to include pre-primary education in
the national education system, stating its objectives/purposes and also
outlined the measures to be used in achieving them, it failed almost in all
its prescription to assist the private sector in the establishment and
management of pre-primary schools. Pre-primary education is mainly
established and managed by the private sectors (Individuals and
Churches). The government only gives guidelines and sparingly
supervises this level of education. They do not provide facilities,
equipments and teaching aids to support the private sectors. This has
affected early childhood education adversely. The Federal Government
of Nigeria should therefore widen its policy on Nursery education to
include funding and supervision of pre-primary schools, as done in other
levels of education. It can do this by participating actively in the
establishment of pre-primary schools, assisting the private sectors by
giving them financial aids, instructional materials and other
encouragements, ensuring that staff of pre-primary institutions are
adequately trained and those in public pre-schools to enjoy good salaries,
housing allowance, transportation, pension and gratuity etc; designating
some colleges of education or universities to create departments of pre-
primary education for the production of nursery school teachers in the
same way that technical teachers are produced in specialized colleges.

(c) Space and Equipment

These include buildings (classroom, libraries, storerooms, offices and
laboratories), furniture and instructional hardware. A survey of some
pre-primary schools situations in Anambra state as revealed by
Eresimadu in Igboabuchi and Eze (1998) showed that the building
facilities are grossly inadequate; their location varies from ideal school to
appealing centers in compounds, uncompleted buildings, makeshift
buildings and garages. In respect of furniture, adequate furniture is
absent, only few schools can boast of having adequate furniture. In most
schools, mats, carpets and nylons are usually spread on the floor of the
building for the children to sit on. The expectation of a model pre-
primary school as regards building is that the premises should be
accessibly well-located and well secured, have enough space for outdoor
and recreational activities, have solid and well ventilated buildings with
adequate toilets and urinary. Lack of the necessary facilities in pre-
primary school at this level can affect adversely effective teaching and
learning in pre-primary school, hence poor development of children.

(d) Lack of Sufficient Teaching Aids

In education, the importance of instructional materials in the
teaching/learning process cannot be over-emphasized. For the pre-
primary school children, toys and games could be recognized as the best
instructional materials appropriate for their education. Toys and games in
pre-school age is one good method of making children learn with ease in
contentment and active way rather than passive environment. But it is
Page | 58
unfortunate that most of the pre-primary schools operate without
adequate teaching aids, and some even don’t have at all. Maduewesi,
(1998:82) confirmed that “from the discussion and interviews of pre-
primary schools proprietors, their greatest sources of frustration are lack
of strong backing from government or its agencies in terms of:
 well-informed, sound, consistent and firm professional advice;
 lack of affordable texts and/or culturally balanced reading
materials;
 almost complete absence of teaching toys which appeal to
children and are functional as well as affordable;
 and generally high cost of paper materials, a great deal of which
are good for nursery school usage.

Dare (1981) pointed out that one of the outstanding changes needed in
the pre-primaries is towards greater child activity. She further stressed
that more emphasis needs to be placed on children experimenting with
objects in their environment. More time should be given to children to
play with blocks, pegs etc. Even though, the need for instructional
materials is evident, many schools still lack it.

Other problems facing the development of pre-primary school in Nigeria

include – poor methods of teaching, lack of proper supervision by the
Ministry of Education Officials; wrong medium of instruction, lack of
well-prepared modules to guide teachers amongst others.

(e) Monitoring and Supervision

Monitoring refers to the activity of measuring progress in plan or project
implementation (Fageyinbo, 2003). This is meant to ensure regular and
thorough inspection and evaluation of manpower and materials in the
pre-primary schools. This is in line with section 12 of the National
Policy on Education where the state organ of Education are saddled with
the responsibility of monitoring to see that the private organisations are
following the guidelines on pre-primary education issued by the Federal
Government in 1987 and revised 2004. The outcome of the state
Ministry of Education’s supervision of pre-primary education in Nigeria
was revealed by Adenokun and Okhaware (1996). The study was aimed
at looking into the compliance of proprietors/proprietresses in Kotangora
Local Government with the provision in the guidelines issued by the
Federal Government, these were the outcome.
(a) Generally, the school environments are incompatible with the
guideline.
(b) Staff, though qualified, does not have specialized training in pre-
primary education.
(c) The playing facilities are grossly inadequate to allow a pre-
scholar a conducive learning environment; and
(d) Majority of the school possesses necessary statutory
administrative and academic records, which are expected to be
kept by pre-primary institution.

This finding revealed the inability of the state arm of government to

properly monitor the pre-primary programme. The Ministry of Education
Page | 59
makes more efforts to organize regular supervision of the pre-primary
schools instead of inspection. Supervision is appropriate because it will
help to guide the teachers and proprietors/proprietresses on what ought to
be done to ensure total development of the children.

3.2 Achievements in Pre-primary Education in Nigeria:

Current Status
In the last few decades, a series of international events notably, the 1989
Convention of the Rights of the child, the 1990 Jomien World
conference on Education for All, the 1990 World Summit for Children,
among others have given added visibility and impetus to basic education
(Obisanya, 2001). The main aim of these events was that developing
countries and international agencies should confront the problem of
illiteracy and educational decline by concentrating energies and
investment in basic education, that is life-long and life wide education.
Their initiative include early stimulation, nutrition, optimal interactive
environment, affection, security and early learning through exploration
and discovering. These initiative according to them can start in the home
and be continued in specialized institutions such as Day-Care centers,
pre-schools and in the communities.

These events have led to major reforms and innovations being introduced
into the Nigerian education system recently. The reforms and
innovations are in form of new directions of educational policy. These
include administrative structure and educational contents. For example,
there is greater involvement of Universal Basic Education (UBE) in pre-
primary and primary education. Unlike its predecessor, the Universal
Primary Education (UPE), the policy objectives of the UBE programme
are to provide universal, free and compulsory education for all children
from Early Childhood to Junior Secondary including special programmes
for Nomadic population, out of school, non-formal education etc. Also
pre-primary education which was at the discretion of private
entrepreneurs now attract a measure of Government intervention in the
crucial areas of encouraging training of care-givers and teachers,
standard curriculum development and supervision and quality control. In
addition, Early Child-Care Development and Education was adopted as
basic component of the education.

th
Again, the launching of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) on the 30
of September, 1999 at Sokoto is a definite re-affirmation of
Government’s Commitment to the implementation of the Child Right
Convention i.e providing relevant and qualitative education for all citizen
without discrimination (Johnson 1999).

A component of the UBE Scheme, which is very important and

constitutes the UBE’s foundation is the education and care of the young
children in early childhood stage and development. In the UBE
programme, the following groups of children are to be given special
attention.
i. Children in rural communities and urban high density areas;
Page | 60
ii. Mentally retarded and physically challenged children;
iii. Children in specially difficult circumstances such as children in
motherless babies homes, children of beggars, nomads and
migrant fishermen (Federal Ministry of Education Master Plan
1993). These government efforts supports the fact that the
provision of Early Childhood Education programme is not a mere
slogan but reality.

Another important development at the pre-primary level is the concern of

some international organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGO). Many a time these organisations, like UNICEF, UNESCO,
OMEP etc in conjunction with the Ministry of Education organize
workshops, seminars or conferences which address aspects of pre-
primary education and which some of the proprietors and teachers
attend. These workshops have gone a long way in improving the
administration and teachers of pre-primary schools.

Since the inception of Universal Basic Education, Government has made

frantic efforts to open some pre-primary schools to be attached under the
same existing model primary schools and more so, no fees is being paid.
Even though not all the primary schools are involved, it is hoped that it
will be incorporated into all the existing primary schools.

3.3 Suggestions and Recommendations for the Improvement

of Pre-primary Education in Nigeria
1. Government should actively participate in the establishment of
pre-primary education. Subsidized fees should be extended to
private section of pre-primary education.
2. Government should give financial support to the proprietors by
way of grants/loans for equipments. The government should also
finance the provision of local toys and games for nursery
education to enable proprietors to purchase them at cheaper rates,
this will help them to bring down the high fees paid in such
schools.
3. The Government should translate her intentions in the National
Policy on Education into real action by making it mandatory for
all tertiary teacher training institutions in the country to establish
Departments of Pre-Primary Education where nursery teachers are
trained. Such teachers should enjoy free sponsorship by
Government. These institutions should make available courses in
nursery methods leading to the award of National Certificate in
Nursery Education.
4. The university experts should be encouraged by government to
conduct researches in pre-primary education with a view of
effecting necessary changes in the private sector of such schools.
5. All nursery schools should employ the services of health workers,
social welfare workers, labourers, security guards and other
support staff who help to take care of the children through their
various activities.
6. The government in collaboration with international bodies like
UNICEF, UNESCO; and NGO’s should organize on regular basis
Page | 61
 short term courses, weekend seminars, conferences, in-service
training and refresher courses in pre-primary education to update
teachers knowledge and skills.
7. The Ministry of Education be requested to draw up and control
the curriculum of all private pre-primary school to maintain
standard and uniformity.
8. The Ministry of Education should spell out definite guidelines on
the administrative procedures for all categories of pre-primary
institutions and centers.

4.0 CONCLUSION
Nursery education in Nigeria has suffered much in the hands of private
proprietors and government. Lack of government active participation in
this level of education gave the private sector who are profit oriented the
chance to manhandle the system. Most pre-primary schools lack
qualified teachers, equipment, teaching materials and toys. Some operate
under the trees, garages, warehouse, uncompleted buildings, etc. These
dissatisfying situation has directly and indirectly affected the proper
development of the children, insecurity of the pupils inclusive. Any
society or nation that treats children shabbily and does not recognize and
address positively their needs and aspiration is dead because the future of
a nation is determined by the type and quality of her children’s
development. It is therefore necessary that both government and private
sectors should make adequate efforts to provide all that is needed for
proper training of the children.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, the problems/challenges of pre-primary education in Nigeria
were discussed with more emphasis on government non-challant attitude
to pre-primary education, unqualified teachers handle the children
education, inadequate accommodation and poor supervision by the
Ministry of Education. The achievements currently made in the
development of childhood education was highlighted while suggestions
and recommendations were proffered.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Mention four problems facing pre-primary schools in Nigeria.
(8mks)
2. Mention the caliber of people recruited to teach pre-primary
school children in the absence of qualified teachers. (7mks)
3. Which ministry is responsible for monitoring and supervising
pre-primary education? (7 mks)
4. Outline at least two suggestions and recommendations for
improving pre-primary education in Nigeria. (8 mks) (30 marks)

7.0 REFERENCES /FURTHER READINGS

Adenokun, A. and Okhaware P. (1996). “A Critical Assessment of Pre-
Primary School in Kotangora Local government Area of Nigeria
state. The Beagle.

Ajayi-Dopemu, Y. (1994). Welcome Address Delivered at the Two-Day

Page | 62
 Workshop organized for ECCDE Day-Care Givers.

Eresimadu, F.N.J. (1998). Management of Nursery Staff Personnel in

Anambra State: Problems and Prospects. In: B.O. Igboabuchi and
Eze-Denco 1998 (Ed.) Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria:
Conference Proceedings. Onitsha: Lincel Publishers.

Fageyinbo, M.O (2003). Enhancing Qualitative Pre-Primary School

st
Education in the 21 Century: Problems and Prospects. Journal of
Educational Development.

Federal Ministry of Education and Youth Development (1993). Basic

Education for All in Nigeria by the Year 2000 Master Plan.

Johnson, I. (1990). Pre-primary/Early Childhood Education. A

Component of the Universal Basic Education Scheme in UBE for
Nigeria. Proceedings of the Education Mini Summit, Abuja.
th
Monday 29 November.

Maduewesi, E.J. (1998). Early Childhood Education in Nigeria. In: B.O.

Igboabuchi and Eze Denco (19998) (Ed). Pre-Primary Education
in Nigeria. Conference Proceedings. Onitsha: Lincel Publishers.

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UNIT 4 THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF PRE-PRIMARY
EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 The Mission of pre-primary Education in Nigeria
3.1.1 The Vision of Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria
3.1.2 More Recognition for Pre-Primary Education
3.1.3 Provision of Computer Facilities
3.1.4 Ethical Oriented Curriculum
3.1.5 Provision of Library Facilities
3.1.6 Reading Culture
3.1.7 An Improved Supervision/Inspection
3.1.8 Human Capacity Building
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
By now, you can discuss the various problems confronting pre-primary
education in Nigeria. You would recall that such factors are traceable to
government, proprietors as well as parents who form the sources from
which the problems of pre-primary education are traced to. It is expected
that we should proceed to have a cursory look into what becomes of this
important section of the educational system in the nearest future. Our
attention in this unit shall be devoted to this attempt.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Suggest three things you foresee happening to pre-primary education in
Nigeria between now and 2010.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, the student should be able to:
 explain the basic expectations of early childhood education
 mention some expectations of future nursery education (Vision)

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 The Mission of Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria

3.1.1 The Vision of Pre-primary Education in Nigeria

Having highlighted the government policy with respect to early
childhood education and some of the flaws in the prevailing practices, a
number of questions arise. These include what are the future prospects of
early childhood education in Nigeria? What do we intend to achieve as
far as pre-primary education is concerned by the year 2015 and beyond?
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What vision do we have of the average Nigerian child who has been
exposed to early childhood education?

3.1.2 More Recognition for Pre-Primary Education

Pre-primary education will have more recognition in future like other
levels of education. The awareness of the importance of early childhood
education as a critical stage where children form and develop habits have
been created. Hence parents both literates and illiterates send their
children to nursery schools to acquire all round development. It is
perceived that in the nearest future more government and privately
owned nursery schools will be established. It is hoped that communities
would be encouraged to set up nursery schools. These schools will be
standard and will be established in both rural and urban areas. It is also
envisioned that government owned nursery schools will be free to all
citizens. This assertion is in line with the Nigeria National objectives of
having “a land of bright hope and full opportunities for all citizens”. The
privately owned nursery schools will still exist for those who can afford
it.

In future the pre-primary education will be well co-coordinated and

monitored in such a way that the children will be encouraged to attend
the one nearest to their residence instead of the prevailing practice of
parents sending children to nursery schools that are far from their homes
because of the dissatisfaction with the ones nearest to the homes. The
government would in future commit communities through the help of
Parent-Teacher Association (P.T.A.) in the establishment of nursery
schools and pre-primary schools will be established in every village.
Because of the envisaged increase in number of pre-school children,
more teachers will be trained to accommodate these children and their
qualification will not be less than National Certificate of Education
(NCE). School Certificate holders will be trained as care-givers.

3.1.3 Provision of Computer Facilities

Since the world is becoming technologically-oriented, it is envisaged that
by the year 2015, exposure to computers would commence at this level
of education. The teachers of nursery school children will be computer
literate and part of their teaching will include exposure of these pupils to
carefully designed computer programmes for toddlers. Presently, the
government and proprietors should ensure that adequate computer toys
and gadgets be provided to sensitize these children.

Before 2015, it is envisaged that the curriculum of pre-primary education

will be well planned to lay more emphasis on ethics, good habits
especially health habits.

3.1.4 Ethical Oriented Curriculum

The present generation of primary and post primary school leavers are
not exhibiting the desired code of conduct because they were not
properly trained for it during their pre-primary school ages, hence the
increase in societal ills. We are quite aware that respect for elders by the
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young is greatly dwindling. Able youths sit down during bus rides while
the elderly ones struggle to maintain an erect position. This is because
right from the pre-primary level our children were not properly educated
in these ethical issues. It is therefore necessary that our children be
taught to respect their elders, learn to listen to others without
interruption, learn to wait for their turns and not to jump queues etc.
These additions will be made to the prevailing curricular for pre-primary
education.

3.1.5 Provision of Library Facilities

The nursery school children are filled with curiosities and imaginations
and the present curriculum have been designed to cater for both
manipulative and cognitive skills. The nursery schools of the future
Nigeria children will have libraries filled with books written by
experienced and specialist teachers on Nursery education. These books
will be written in both English and the language of the children’s
immediate environment (mother tongue), while the content will be
relevant to the children’s environment and experience.

3.1.6 Reading Culture

There is need to inculcate reading culture which is seriously lacking in
our children as early as possible. Local materials will be more utilized in
the production of toys, Legos, and other audio-visual materials for the
children. Our future nursery education is also envisaged to serve avenues
of ensuring healthy development of the children. This will be done as
stated early by inculcating the right health habits at this early age of their
lives. Periodic tests of sensory organs such as eyes, nose, ears would be
carried out by medical personnel and qualified nurses would be posted to
every nursery school to assist teachers to maintain sound health habits in
the children. Examination of nails, dresses/dressing and even bodies for
rashes will be enforced.

3.1.7 An Improved Supervision/Inspection

It is expected that in future, the government would intensify its efforts in
the aspects of school inspection and supervision in order to ensure that
the required standards are maintained and teachers properly guided for
the realization of pre-primary school objectives. These institutions would
be properly funded and equipped by the government. Education shall be
free so that every Nigerian child would have access to education which is
supposed to be a birth right and not a privilege.

3.1.8 Human Capacity Building

In service programmes, seminars and workshops would be made
available to member of the staff for the improvement of the system. Fund
should be available for research for the improvement of education at the
pre-primary level.

4.0 CONCLUSION
The challenges of the twenty-first century calls for the need for our
children to have a sound basic education at the pre-primary level. This is

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very important because, developmental psychologists and early
childhood philosophers have confirmed that childhood period is
characterized by rapid development with long term influences on later
life. The children require a great deal of attention, care, stimulation and
encouragement. The desire to provide the children with early stimulation
and encouragement for their optimum development is imperative
because the society is becoming computerized and needs children that
will face the challenges with ease.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, attempts have been made to discuss some expectations or
vision or future pre-primary education by the year 2015 in Nigeria.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
Discuss extensively what you consider as expected future innovations
in the practice of pre-primary education in Nigeria.

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Agboabuch B, O and Eze Denco 1998. Pre-primary Education in
Nigeria. Conference Proceedings. Onitsha: Lincel Publishers.

Aminu, J. (1986). Quality and Stress in Nigeria Education. Maiduguri:

Northern Nigeria Publishing Company, Maiduguri.

Esomunu, N. P. (2005). Pre-primary and Primary Education:

Fundamentals and Operational Methods. Onitsha: STAN (Nig) Co
printing and Publishing.

FGN/UNICEF (1993). Report of the situations and Policy Analysis of

Basic Education in Nigeria (SAPA).

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MODULE 3 CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOME LEADING
PHILOSOPHERS TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-PRIMARY
EDUCATION

Unit 1 Jean Jaeques Rousseau (1712-1778)

Unit 2 John Amos Commenuis (1592-1670)
Unit 3 John Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827) & Montessori
(1870-1952)
Unit 4 Frederich W. Froebel (1782-1852) & John Dewey
(1959-1952)
Unit 5 Plato (427-348 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC)

UNIT 1 JEAN JAEQUES ROUSSEAU (1712 – 1778)

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778)
3.1.1 His Life
3.1.2 Educational implications of Rousseau to Effective
Teaching/Learning in Pre-Primary Schools
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The rationale for studying the contributions of leading philosophers to
pre-primary education is of immense importance to the development of
early childhood education. Their thoughts have been evidently relevant
to the present times and society. Since education is a result of the
accumulation of relevant knowledge, their ideas and thoughts would be a
source of guide to teachers and planners of pre-primary education to
improve the system. It is therefore expected that teachers should adhere
to the principles of teaching and learning prescribed by Rousseau and
ensure that children are assisted to have all round development-physical,
social, emotional and intellectual without much difficulties.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 explain at least three principles of teaching as advocated by
Rousseau;
 state what Rousseau is associated with in education;
 mention at least three educational implications of Rousseau’s
ideas for effective teaching/learning in pre-primary school;
 explain what Rousseau meant by given children freedom of
learning; and
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 mention the name of Rousseau’s famous book

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778)

3.1.1 His Life
Rousseau was born in Geneva in the year 1712. He was brought up by
his father as a result of his mother’s early death. He was sent to a tutor
who taught him Latin and inspired his life as a philosopher at his age of
ten. At the age of twenty-five in the course of a serious illness, he picked
interest and studies literature and science from there he became
acquainted with French writers like Montague, the Port Royalists and
Fenelon, and English writers like Addison, Pope and Locke.

A French advocate of philosophy of naturalism in education triggered off

his writing in pre-primary education. His main contribution to
educational theory is contained in his famous book called ‘Emile’ which
stressed the importance of beginning education early. The message of the
book was based on three major assumptions:
(a) That the child is naturally good and will develop along good lines
if left on his own;
(b) That the adult society is bad and corrupt and therefore influences
children who come into contact with it; and
(c) That the socio-political apparatus in the society affects the
educational system.

The book ‘Emile’ was the name of an imaginary boy. The boy, Emile, in
order to avoid the corrupting influence of the society was taken away
from such society and made to grow up in a natural setting where the
society would not contaminate him. In this state of nature, the child, at
infant and childhood stages was allowed freedom to romp and play at
will with objects and things. Through that, he acquired knowledge of
virtue and truth through his own experience, and develops habits,
emotions, needs and curiosities. To him, he stressed the need for starting
child’s education at birth and that children should be allowed to develop
naturally rather than preparing him for life. Rousseau’s fundamental
concept was that self perception is the only true foundation of human
knowledge. He postulated that children proceeded through natural stages
of growth and therefore their learning experiences should be tailored to
suit each stage. He advocated for child-centred education, that children
should never be forced to learn anything which is of no interest to him.
He was of the opinion that the child’s emotion should be appealed to and
considered in all teaching process. He therefore emphasized that
children should be taught through amusement. Rousseau believed that
the child is an innocent being and should be encouraged to enjoy and
learn by observation and play. He advised pre-primary school teachers
to love their pupils, respect their individual nature, guide and advice
them sympathetically. He stressed the need for the teacher to consider
past experience before proceeding to the new lesson. This is pertinent
because of the individual differences among the learners. The child’s
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readiness should determine the content of lesson and teaching methods
to be adopted in teaching the children.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

List the salient features of J. J. Rousseau’s philosophy.

3.1.2 Educational Implications of Rousseau to Effective

Teaching/Learning in Pre-Primary Schools
The concern and interest in pre-primary education have their roots in the
thoughts of early philosophers like Rousseau. He was one of the early
educators who initiated influences of the development of the child
physically, socially, mentally and emotionally from birth. He expressed
sentiments on the importance of the child’s early education in character
formation. He was conscious of the young children’s susceptibility to
environmental experiences and their influences on the course of
development. Rousseau therefore, suggested that teaching should be
child-centred and the methods of teaching to be activity oriented so as to
create amusement and joy to the children. His ideas are strictly adhered
to in the Nigerian education system where proprietors/proprietresses of
pre-primary schools are given the guidelines by ministry of education to
provide sufficient teaching materials that are attuned to the natural
tendencies of children, hence inclusion of teaching methods like – play-
method, activity method, project method, experimental, story-telling
method to mention but a few in pre-primary school curriculum. The
play-way method he advocated makes learning easy and interesting
because children learn by doing and at the same time solve their
problems. Teachers are advised not to force the child to learn rather
teach every lesson with play and activity.

Rousseau also placed much emphasis on the freedom and liberty to

pursue learning. Children should not be forced to learn without their
willing cooperation. His principle is that normal child activities provide
the natural means of development, that the content and method of
education ought to be attuned to the child’s natural growth, and that
education should focus attention on, and be responsive to the changing
needs, interest and ability of children as they develop. To him, unnatural
conditions have created unhappy results and man’s negligence of the
way nature has left him in chain. Education therefore provided to the
children should take cognizance of their age of comprehension instead of
stuffing the children with materials that are uninteresting and of no value
to their age. This may lead to children alienation from school
programmes. Instruction must be made to fit the child’s level of
understanding and his stage of development, cognizance should also be
taken of their immediate experience and group instruction should be
preferred to private instruction because it exposes the children to other
children’s ideas and promote social learning.

Rousseau was credited with having identified and classified the values
and attitudes which is still guiding and directing the thoughts and actions
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of human beings past and present in the world, Nigeria inclusive.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

What are the implications of Rousseau’s philosophy to early childhood
education?

4.0 CONCLUSION
The study of the leading philosophers and their contributions were of
utmost importance to the development of early childhood education.
Rousseau, a great educational reformer provided good principles that
will assist teacher to realize the educational objectives. He believed that
children’s early education is of utmost necessity and should start with the
reconstruction of the society. Besides, education can only be possible in
an ideal state devoid of constant conflict and corruption. His
fundamental concept was that self perception is the only true foundation
of human knowledge and therefore stressed the need for allowing
children to develop naturally without force.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, discussion has been made on the life of Jean Jacques
Rousseau, a great philosopher and an education reformer. To him,
human inequalities are attributed to environment and education. Best
education is possible in an enriched environment of ideal state, hence the
first step in children’s education is the reconstruction of the society. He
believed that children are naturally sound morally but can be corrupted
by their environment, he therefore emphasized that normal child
activities provide the natural means of development and that the
education of the child should be attuned to it.

His educational ideologies were also pinpointed and its implications to

effective teaching/learning in pre-schools were also highlighted.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Explain at least three principles of teaching as
advocated by Rousseau
2. Rousseau is associated with ………………. education.
3. Mention at least three educational implications of
Rousseau’s ideas for effective teaching/learning in pre-
primary school.
4. What does he mean by giving children freedom of
learning?
5. What was the name of Rousseau famous book?

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Maduewesi, E.J. and Akahara, A.A. (1996). Nursery Education in
Nigeria: Understanding and Teaching the Pre-Primary Child.
Onitsha: Mark New-World International Ltd.

Pivotal Teacher Training Programme (PTTP) Course book on Education

Published by National Teachers Institute, Kaduna.

Page | 71
Uzoma, U.A. (1996). Philosophy: Man’s Quest for meaningful Living.
Enugu: Auto-Century Publishing Company Ltd.

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UNIT 2 JOHN AMOS COMMENIUS (1592-1670)

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 John Amos Commenuis – His life as a Great Philosopher
3.2 Commenius Guidelines to Teachers
3.3 Educational Implications of John Commenius
Guidelines to Teachers to the Development of Pre-Primary
Education
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
John Amos Commenuis was one of the leading philosophers who
contributed much in the development of all levels of education especially
the pre-primary education. He believed that early education is necessary
for the character, moral and good habits formation of children. He
provided many guidelines for teachers for effective teaching and learning
in the school. He advocated the use of concrete objects and sensory
training in education – hence activity – oriented programme was
prescribed in children’s learning.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this, you should be able to the following:
 mention two ideas of Commenius on the development of pre-primary
education.
 mention when Commenius was born
 mention two of his books on pre-primary education
 explain two guiding principles of Commenius to teachers
 mention two educational implications

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 John Amos Commenius (1592 - 1670): His Life as a

Great Philosopher
Commenius was born at Nivnitz in Morovia Czechoslovakia in 1592. He
was an educational reformer and theologian. He was a bishop of the
Morovian church who showed interest in humanistic educational
practices. His poor educational background awakened his interest in
education.

In 1616, he became the master of the school of the Morovian Brethren at

Prerau and this gave him the opportunity to put his thoughts into
practice. In Poland, he taught and reorganized the gymnasium of Lissa.
His principles for the guidance of education were explained in a book
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called “the Great Didact” which he translated to Latin and published in
1657. John Commenius in the Great Didact advocated the mother school
for the first six years of life. He outlined four stages of education,
namely infancy, childhood, boyhood and youth, each with a duration of
six years. He also advocated for the establishment of four types of
schools namely, mother school. Vernacular school, Gymnasium or Latin
school and university. The mother school should impact in a child the
rudiments of knowledge necessary for life. He believed that the
acquisition of knowledge emanated from activities followed by
reasoning. He strongly believed in the effectiveness of the age of
concrete objects and sensory training in educational activities. He
resented verbal teaching if true learning were to result. The mother
school takes care of those years between the ages of 1-6years. The
vernacular schools which is for children age 6 – 12 years should give
instructions on those things that may be of use to them throughout their
life. The curricular for this stage should include; reading, writing,
arithmetic, singing, history, geography, arts, morality and religion. The
school of gymnasium should expose the children to acquire knowledge
of four languages and foundation should be laid for the arts and science
while the university should give instructions on all branches of human
knowledge.

Commenius wrote his first picture book for children in 1658 called the
famous “Orbis pictus” meaning the world in pictures. In it, he
emphasized the importance of learning through experience. He strongly
believed in the effectiveness of the use of concrete objects and sensory
training in educational services. The book also provided a guide for
teachers to prepare humanistic and appealing lessons rather than
continuing with formal instructional methods of imparting knowledge.

Commenius made remarkable marks in childhood education by writing

series of other graded textbooks for school use. These books include
“The school of Infancy” a text for pre-primary school age (1-6 years), six
books for the vernacular school (6-12 years) and a text on introduction to
Latin called “The Janua Leriguarum Reserata” (The door of the language
unlocked). These achievements made the Swedish governments to
honour him by commissioning him to prepare text books for their
schools.

Commenius served as a link between the old and the new ideas in the
contributions of leading philosophers to education.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

What are the contributions of Commenius to the practice of pre-primary
education?

His major contributions are summarized as follows:

(1) Human intellect should be developed so that man can study nature
and God. Education to be a birth-right not a privilege since it is an
instrument for achieving one’s potentiality.
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(2) Learning should be activity oriented - use of concrete objects and
sensory training in educational activities. This will develop the
child’s imagination and creativity.
(3) Medium of instruction should be mother tongue.
(4) Psychology of the child should be considered in determining the
content and the purposes of education.
(5) The curriculum of pre-primary should include reading, writing
arithmetic, singing, history, geography, arts, morality and religion
– hence in the course of study presented in his “school of infancy”
first published in German in 1633, contained simple lessons in
objects, taught to know stones, plants and animals; the names and
uses of members of the body; to distinguish between light and
darkness; colours; the geography of the cradle; the room, the
farm, the street, and the field; trained in moderation, purity and
obedience, and taught to say the Lord’s prayer. He further
emphasized that the pre-primary school curriculum should consist
of elements of literacy and numeracy.

3.2 Commenius Guidelines to Teachers

1. Children are usually curious and willing to learn provided they
see the immediate purpose for doing so.
2. He advocated that the learning of children should be without
tears, blows or concern.
3. Children should be exposed to learn through the senses. All aids
to learning are to be used, through drawing, painting, pictures
etc.
4. Memory work should be little, and even then the passage to be
committed to the memory, must first be clearly understood.
5. Instruction must be made to fit the child’s level of understanding
and his stage of development.
6. Subjects should be graded according to progressive degree of
newness and difficulty. Learning should start from known and
go progressively to the unknown.
7. Great attention has to be given to the drawing up of syllabus of
study to achieve “horizontal unity” and “vertical unity”.
8. Classrooms should be well lit, clean, pleasant and well furnished
with education decorative pictures and other learning aids so that
the atmosphere of learning is attractive.
9. The school should be made a house of joy, not a place of torture.
It should be located in beautiful surroundings with good scenery
and a quiet atmosphere.
10. The whole educational structure must be carefully graded so that
the children are grouped according to the stage of development
and taught according to the method appropriate to the level of
understanding. (Akinpelu, J.A. 1984).

Understanding and applying the philosophical ideas of the

leading philosophers like Commenuis on pre-primary education
will go a long way to improve the education system. Commenius
guidelines for teachers will always remain relevant, valuable and
a source of inspiration to any pre-primary teacher for the
improvement of himself and the education system anywhere.
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3.3 The Educational Implication of Commenius Guidelines
to Teachers to the Development of Pre-Primary
Education
Children are priceless gift of God to any society or nation (Ilorah, 1998,
207). They constitute the most valuable resources any nation or society
has. A considerable body of research of (Bloom 1964; Bruner, 1966;
Olatunji 1986 and Gbadamosi, 1993) has demonstrated that the period
from birth to about the age of six is of vital importance to the all round
development of the child especially the child’s future cognitive
development and personality. This period, otherwise known as the pre-
school period caters for the interests of nursery schools, kindergarten and
day-care centers. It therefore deserves proper attention by adhering to the
guidelines prescribed by leading philosophers like Commenius to enable
children learn with ease.

In the Nigerian scene, Fafunwa in his view on pre-primary education

was influenced by the ideas propounded by renowned educators of the
Western world. Fafunwa’s real ingenuity lies in his immense ability to
blend western nursery education practices with the African concept of
child care (Aladejana and Alao, 1993). Because the major focus of the
renowned educators was the nursery or kindergarten, the common
elements contained in their tradition are very useful and relevant in the
Nigerian education system. The proprietors, head teachers and staff of
pre-primary schools should be guided by these time-honoured elements
for effective education and socialization of children in their custody.

Some of these implications include:

1. Teaching at the pre-primary school level aims at inculcating
scientific culture in the child and laying a sound science
foundation for intellectual development during the first six years.
Teachers in this level of education should be aware of this and in
a very practical sense, shift from a monopolist of knowledge to an
organizer and orchestrator of learning opportunities. Accordingly,
the teacher should provide an optimal supportive environment for
the child through many varied encounters with concrete materials
like toys of different types and other familiar objects that expose
the child to rudimentary concepts and phenomena as motions,
equilibrium, sound, weights, colours, shapes to mention a few.
Play, thus becomes the fundamental way of learning in the pre-
school system (Durojaiye, 1977). This is in line with National
Policy on Education stipulation that the main method of teaching
in pre-primary institutions shall be through play; worthy to note is
the culture of the learner. Studies, (Ogunniyi, 1988, Maduabum
1995) assert that for education to be meaningful and functional for
any society, it must relate to the cultural needs and environment
of the people since pre-primary education takes care of children
under six years of age, it implies that it prepares the pupils for
smooth transition from pre-school to primary school. Education at
this level should be child-centred. The environment of learning of
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 the child, the content or materials to be used in teaching and
methods of teaching should all be to the interest of the child. As
Commenius rightly advised that “the school must be made a
house of joy, not a place of torture”. This implies that the school
should in all respects, look like a home. All members of staff
should show a lot of love, affection and concern to the children.
Such attitude would make them to learn naturally and in a relaxed
mood. The environment of the child should be educative and
serve as a resource for learning within the classroom and even at
the playground, there should be sufficient aids to generate
curiosity which leads to learning.
2. The pre-school stage falls within the formative years of the child
when good character and morals together with good habits and
attitudes can be successfully planted in the minds of the children.
The learning by discovery (heuristic) method is a very important
attitude to be cultivated, enough materials to be provided for the
children to generate exploration, creativity and self-activity, such
devices encourage ‘auto education’ propounded by Maria
Montessori.

4.0 CONCLUSION
The contributions of John Commenius to pre-school education are still
relevant to the present school system. His guidelines encouraged the type
of education that should satisfy the child’s natural urge for self-
expression, thus teaching should mainly involve creative self-activity.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, the life of John Amos Commenius as an education reformer
was discussed, his suggestions on the need to start early in the education
of children were pointed. The guidelines prescribed by Commenius to
teachers in the overall education of children were all outlined and the
educational implications of Commenius guidelines in teaching pre-
primary children were highlighted.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Mention two ideas of Commenius on development of pre-primary
education. (8 mrks)
2. When was Commenius born? (7 mks)
3. Mention two of his book in pre-primary education. (7 mks)
4. Explain two guiding principles of Commenius to teachers.
(8 mks)

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Adenokun, A. and Akhaware, P. (1996). “A Critical Assessment of Pre-
Primary Schools in Kotangora Local Government Area of Niger
State. The Beagle.

Bloom, B.S. (1964). Stability and Change in Human Characteristics.

New York John Wiley.

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Brunner, J.S. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge:
Havard University Press.

Eresimadu, F.N.J. (1998). Management of Nursery School Staff

Personnel in Anambra State. Problems and prospects. In: B.O.
Igboabuchi and Eze Denco (eds.) Pre-Primary Education in
Nigeria: Conference Proceedings. Onitsha: Lincel Publisher.

Gbadamosi, T.B. (1993). Effect of Pre-School Education on the

Achievement of Pupils in Primary Schools. Nigerian Journal of
Creativity in Education, 1(1) 9 – 78.

Maduawesi, E.J. (1988). Early Childhood Education and the Nigerian

Environment. In: B.O. Igbobuchi and Eze Denco (Eds). Pre-
primary Education in Nigeria: Conference Proceedings. Onitsha:
Lincel Publisher.

Olantunji, K.M. (1986). A Comparative Study of the Academic

Performance of Nigeria Primary School Pupils with and without
Pre-School Education. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, University of
Ibadan.

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UNIT 3 JOHN HEINRICH PESTALOZZI (1746-1827)
AND MARIA MONTESSORI (1870-1952)

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Pestalozzi (1746-1827)
3.2 Educational Implications of Pestalozzi to pre-primary
Education in Nigeria
3.3 Maria Montessori (1970-1952)
3.4 Educational implications of Montessori to Pre-primary
Education
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Education as a human enterprise aims at inculcating the necessary
attitudes, values, norms, abilities and basic skills in the child to enable
him participate effectively in the society to which he belongs. Pre-
primary education is the foundation of other levels and desires adequate
planning and implementation. The early philosophers made a lot of
useful contributions to the development of pre-primary education. Their
ideas are still valuable since the National policy of education accepted
most of their suggestions.

In this unit, the ideas and philosophy of Pestalozzi and Montessori will
be discussed and their educational implications highlighted.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 describe Pestalozzi and tell us when he was born?
 mention two of his philosophical ideas to pre-primary education?
 describe who Maria Montessori was and what was her profession?
 mention two of her ideologies toward the development of pre-
primary education
 explain two educational implications of both Pestalozzi and
Montessori in pre-school education.

3.0 MAIN BODY

3.1 John Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827)

His Life
John Pestalozzi was a Swiss Philosopher, an ardent admirer of Rousseau
in his concept of natural Education. Born in Zurich in 1946 he was the
second son of the three children in a middle class family. He was a
prolific writer and wrote on the social, political and philosophical aspects
of life. In his efforts, he sought a way to make education more functional
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and meaningful to the children. This was demonstrated in his important
book Leonard and Getrude, where he showed how Getrude the wife of a
village mason, taught her children through concrete things found in the
home. His methodology was based on the principles “I will”, “I can”. He
believed that his success was the result of his determination. They learnt
Arithmetic by counting steps and things with motherly talks and
discussions, she trained their minds and character. Gedrude encouraged
the children to observe carefully all things around them like the action of
fire, smoke and water. Pestalozzi wanted to show in this way that the
school should be like a home where learning and instruction have their
foundation in parental love and that teaching and learning should start
with things and not with words. Pestalozzi criticized the teaching method
that expects too much from the child, and emphasized the
encouragement of the development of originality and imagination in
children.

Pestalozzi, like his admirer Rousseau, was a naturalist who strongly

believed that every child has some hidden talents that unfold as he grows
up to become an adult. He advanced a new idea in the area of method to
be adopted in the pre-primary education. In his view, the mind grows in
three marked stages from infancy to adulthood viz:
(a) the stage when sense impressions are vague;
(b) the stage when vague impressions get extinct;
(c) the stage when distinct impressions turn clear

Pestalozzi believed that the child be encouraged to gain knowledge

through his own sensory experience that is education of the child at this
level should involve experiencing of things (i.e sense impressions) which
the child sees, handle or make direct acquaintance with objects. To
Pestalozzi, a lesson is considered suitable to a pre-primary class if it
awakens interest and self-activity of the learners. He view the right order
of learning to that which proceeds by gradual steps from simple to
complex, near to far and known to unknown. The children begin with
learning to count things around them and recognizing what each number
means, from this learning of addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division will be learnt easily. Also in language, the fundamental things to
be done are the elementary sound (letters), syllabus, words, then
sentences.

He contends that the education of the child must harmonize with the
nature and concept of all subjects at this level, any topic to be taught at
the pre-primary school level, must be reduced to the minimum element
and gradually build up step by step for instance, in learning of numbers.

Pestalozzi advocated that children should receive from their parents and
teachers both instruction and discipline for the development of their
potentials. The teacher should direct the process of natural growth and
prepare the children for their roles in the society while the family should
furnish the model for the ideal school. He also suggested that the society
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should aid the growth of the children by providing equal educational
opportunities for every child. He emphasized the need for moral virtue
which is vital to the individual’s constructive role in the society. He held
the view that nature alone does not give social, moral or intellectual
knowledge nor skills and good behaviour. Rather he advocated for a
healthy and supportive environment to be created by both home and
school for the development of young children. In cognizance of the
above contributions/suggestions of Pestalozzi, the philosophy of
Nigerian education as specified in section I of the National Policy on
Education (2004:11) is based on “the integration of the individual into a
sound and effective citizen and equal educational opportunities for all
citizens of the nation at all levels, both inside and outside the formal
school system”. The quality of instruction at all levels, therefore has to
be oriented towards inculcating, among other values, the promotion of
the emotional, physical and psychological health of all children.
Inculcation of such values and virtues cannot effectively be implemented
without a conducive learning environment.

An important by–products of Pestalozzi’s reforms according to Esmonu

(2005:39) was the acceptance of his ideas by the state and the gradual
transfer of the schools from church domination to a Government
supported institutions for the training of its future citizens. Pestalozzi’s
ideas and contributions have positive effects in the management of pre-
primary schools in the Global World and especially in Nigeria.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

1. Where was Pestalozzi born?
2. List two ideas of Pestalozzi about pre-primary education.

3.2 Educational Implications of Pestalozzi’s Contributions to

Pre-primary Education in Nigeria
Developmental and educational psychologists the world over have made
it clear that pre-schools years are the formative period in the life of an
individual. This implies that most concepts and basic principles of life
are ingrained in the child during these early or childhood years. Equally,
behavioural scientists, Bower (1978); Schaimberg and Smith (1982),
have stressed the importance of a healthy and supportive environment on
the all round development of the child. Pestalozzi in his contribution
emphasized that both home and school should endeavour to provide
enriched environment that will stimulate learning. This is necessary
because (Scarr-salapalek, 1975; Skeels, 1966) confirmed that “IQ scores
can be dramatically increased when young children are placed in
enriched and safe environment”. This implies that environment can
promote or hamper growth and development. The teacher should provide
conducive physical environment consisting of objects with which the
children interact with objects with (non-living elements), provision of
enough space for play, learning materials such as books, toys and other
resources that aid learning. He should provide enabling social
environment where children will feel free to interact with peers and

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teachers since the children form their habits, beliefs, attitudes at this
level, good interaction among them and their environment forms the
basis of social environment.

The climate of the school should be based on controlled democracy

which produces children that are well behaved and high achievers due to
good teacher – pupils relationship evidenced by discussions,
supervisions and exemplary leadership in the school.

Pestalozzi believed in considering the age of the learner in planning his

programme, and that lessons should be sequential, children to learn from
known to unknown. This implies that the teacher should facilitate his
lesson by splitting the units of work in small bits for easy comprehension
by the children. Their past experience in the content area to be learnt
should be known and revised before proceeding to new concepts. When
children learn from known to unknown and simple to complex, learning
will be easy, but on the contrary, the children may be alienated from
school. To achieve this, teachers should provide concrete objects and
make lesson practical. Every child should receive equal opportunity in
participating in the lesson. Teacher to ask series of questions to lead the
children to learn.

The government should ensure that education is free at this level and
compulsory so that every child will enjoy education at this level.

3.3 Maria Montessori (1870-1952)

Maria Montessori was one of the earliest pioneers of nursery education.
She was born in Chiaravelle Ancona Province, Italy on August 31, 1870.
After graduating from the University of Rome as the first woman in Italy
to obtain medical degree in 1896, she worked in the University’s
psychiatric clinic. There she became interested in the education of the
mentally challenged children.

Montessori believed strongly that education rather than physical or

mental treatment was the remedy for their ailment. In 1906, she started
work with children living in slum areas in Rome. She made initial
successes in her educational work with mentally challenged children and
consequently opened in 1907 “casa de Bambini” (Children’s House) in
slum district of Rome. She enrolled neglected children aged 3 to 6 years.
The mental and social development of these children in this direction
amazed observers and soon attracted international attention. She
proceeded by writing many texts about her methods and conducted many
courses and workshops in many countries. The Italian physician-
educator, Maria Montessori, originated the method of education that
bears her name “Montessori method” which many proprietors over the
world use for their schools’ name.

Montessori’s apparent success in her kindergarten experiment, made her

give up her medical practice and took to traveling, lecturing, establishing

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schools and teacher training colleges and conducting training courses.
Onibokun et al. (1987:29) observed that Montessori felt that children did
not learn because of bad teaching methods. She felt that teaching
methods adopted by teacher should arouse and sustain the interests of
children, give them the opportunity to work alone and to experiment and
practice whatever they learn in school in their activities at home. Her
method was a system of education and a philosophy of human
development and learning. In this method, Montessori believed that a
child of three, four or five has one intuitive aim of self-development.
Because of this, she organized her classroom around a carefully prepared
physical environment with child-size furnishing and a variety of multi-
sensory, manipulative and self-correcting learning materials. Thus
Lazerson in his comments on kindergarten schools observed that “the
Montessori classroom emphasized personal hygiene and good manners.
Children learn to keep themselves clean, set and serve a table and use
knives and forks to foster this, Montessori radically altered the learning
environment. She developed moveable child-sized furniture, desks, and
wash-basins. She developed her own tools for learning-didactic
apparatus which presented the child with problems to be solved.

The teaching aids which she referred to as didactic materials include

dressing frames, movable alphabet letters, commend cards, rough and
smooth boards, finger prints and clay. Teaching, she believed should
progress always from simple to complex and from the concrete to
abstract. Children should be involved in representative games like
arranging and rearranging of sets of materials with freedom given for
every child to find out what is of interest to him. This method requires a
professionally trained teacher to prepare the environment, observe
carefully and subtly guide every child as he works with the material at
his own pace. This exposure gives the child the joy of discovering and
learning on his own and also enshrine the spirit of self-confidence and
self-discipline that will help him to live well and adjust to his
environment in the society.

Montessori also believed that parents have an important mission in the

upbringing of their children. They alone can and must save their
children. Their conscience must feel the force of the mission entrusted to
them; for in their hands lies positively the future of humanity, life. The
influence of Maria Montessori nursery education was very
overwhelming in the continental countries of Europe. It’s basic
principles of self-motivated learning is applicable at any stage/level of
education since the late 1950’s, private Montessori pre-primary schools
have increased greatly in the United States and this approach focused
mainly on socially deprived children. Present day educational practices
implied by such terms as open classroom, learning center, programme
instruction, ungraded schools etc. took its root from Maria Montessori’s
concepts.

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3.4 Educational Implication of Montessori’s Philosophy on
Childhood Education
Montessori believed that education rather than physical or mental
treatment was the remedy for the mentally challenged children’s ailment.
She hence suggested child’s self-development by the provision of
enriched educative environment. This implies that school environment
especially for pre-school children should have a variety of equipment
and learning materials that help children establish neuro-muscular co-
ordination and gain control over their bodies.

A suitable pre-school environment should consider the need and

characteristics of the children. Pre-school children are characterized by
curiosity as such, the pre-school environment must provide opportunities
for children to explore and apply their natural curiosity. The teacher
should make every necessary effort to provide a variety of suitable
equipment that will motivate the children to develop their hidden
powers. This must be properly guided and supervised. According to
Durojaiye (1979), “failure to learn with some basic materials at any early
age may prevent learning with more advanced materials which are built
on them”. Therefore enriching the pre-school with materials and basic
but concrete objects are of prime importance, since these materials
constitute the child’s environment and represent in the special way the
child’s world, and how he perceived it.

From the view of Montessori, the pre-school can be defined as a

structured environment in which learning and growing occur naturally.
This implies that the school for pre-primary school children should be in
a conducive environment, well programmed and primarily suit the
educational and developmental needs of the children. By this assertion,
school environment should be enriched socially, emotionally,
intellectually and physically.

4.0 CONCLUSION
The challenges of the twenty first century calls for the needs for our
children to have a sound basic education at the pre-primary level. Efforts
were made to highlight the contributions of Pestalozzi and Montessori to
the development of pre-primary education. Both believed that children
should be guided to learn with concrete concepts to help them obtain all
round development. They stressed the need for an enriched educative
environment socially, physically and intellectually. To Montessori, the
provision of conducive/stimulating environment during this crucial and
sensitive period will give the children the opportunity of learning
gradually on their own for self-development and discipline.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, efforts were made to explain the philosophies and
contributions of both Pestalozzi and Maria Montessori. Pestalozzi’s
principles on his famous book “Leonard and Getrude” were highlighted
to include teaching the children using step-by-step methods. He
emphasized that the school should be like an ideal home where love, care
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and concern are shown to the little children. He criticized the method of
teaching which expects much from the children and encouraged the
natural approach to the education of pre-school children.

Maria Montessori on her part believed that proper education is the best
treatment for the mentally challenged children than physical treatment,
hence her advocacy for enriched stimulating environment with adequate
suitable instructional materials of various types of young children. She
was of the opinion that the teacher should give guidance and supervision
to the children as they explore their enriched environments. She believed
that self-direct direct activities will help the child to be self-equipped and
discipline to face life challenges. She also believed that parents have
important mission in the upbringing of their children, and therefore
should create enriched environment in their homes too for effective
natural and guided learning of their children. The educational
implications of both educational reformers were pin-pointed for teachers
use.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Who was Pestalozzi and when was he born?
2. Mention two of his philosophical ideas to pre-primary
education?
3. Who was Maria Montessori and what was her profession?
4. Mention two of her ideologies towards the development of
pre-primary education
5. Explain two educational implications of both Pestalozzi and
Montessori in pre-school education.

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Bower T.G.R. (1978). Human Development, San Francisco: W. H.
Freeman and Company.

Durojaiye, M.O.E. (1979). A New Instruction to Educational

Psychology. Ibadan: Evan Brothers.

Onibokun, O.M. et al (1987). Nursery Education: Heinemann

Education Books (Nig.) Ltd.

Scarr-Salapalek, S. (1975). “Genetics and the Development of

intelligence” In: F.D. Horowitz (Ed.) Review of child
Development Research Vol. 4 Chicago, University of Chicago.

Skeels, H.M. (1966). “Adult Status of Children with children with

contrasting Early life Experience”. Monographs of the society for
Research in Child Development, 31 (Whole) No. 105.

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UNIT 4 FREDERICH W. FROEBEL (1782-1852) AND
JOHN DEWEY (1959 – 1952)

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Friederich W. Froebel (1782-1852)
3.1.1 Froebel’s Educational Ideologies
3.1.2 Educational Implication of Froebel’s Ideology
to Pre-Primary Education
3.2 John Dewey (1959 – 1952) His Life:
3.2.1 Educational Implication of John Dewey’s
Philosophy of Early Childhood Education
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References /Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The founding fathers of pre-primary education based the education of the
child on the total development of the child. They advocated for a
“wholistic” approach to the education of the child. To them education of
the child is viewed as life itself rather than a preparation for life. They
suggested that the educational objectives should be developed from the
child’s immediate environment based on his experience of the
environmental conditions. The teachers at this level of education should
encourage the pupils to learn by doing and not by memorization. This
should be achieved by teachers’ ability in creating an enabling school
environment that will stimulate and motivate the child to unfold his
hidden talents.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 list two contributions of Froebel to pre-primary education;
 mention two ways a teacher can provide conducive and rich
environment in his classroom;
 describe John Dewey and mention two of his contributions
 to the development of childhood education;
 compare the contributions of John Dewey and Froebel to pre-
primary education
 mention two methods advocated by John Dewey in teaching pre-
primary school children

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3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Friederich W. Froebel (1782-1852)

3.1.1 Froebel’s Educational Ideologies

Friederich Froebel was influenced by the works of Rousseau and
Pestallozi, his masters whose attention were centred on the education of
the pre-school children. In Froebel’s views, education was considered as
a process of self-activity and evolution in which the in-born endowments
of the individual naturally unfold. The inborn endowment represent the
inner or what is inside an individual while the external environment
represents the outer sector. He compared a child to an animal or plant
that grows by the two-fold process of making the outer, inner and the
inner-outer. This implies that childhood education involves making the
inner and outer sectors because the child unfolds his natural nature
through acting on the external world, men and things. The environment
influences him as he interacts with it. The child observes his
environment, grasp objects, plays with them at will and through this
interaction, he expresses his inner being. Froebel then suggested creating
an enriched viable environment free from corruption, for the child’s
healthy learning. He advocated also, an enriched environment where
teachers will expose the children to play with concrete objects like toys,
games, geometric holms egg-balls, and blocks, sizes, shapes etc. that will
help in intellectual development.

Froebel believed that all things are unified by God. In his book, The
Education of Man (1948), God forms part of physical nature and man’s
spirit. Each person or object, like his maker, has three-fold nature since
he or it is individual, diverse and universal. Whatever a child did was
inspired by God through the divine element in him. Based on these ideas
of Froebel, he further developed new ideas on pre-primary education –
He believed that the child is self-active by the divine element even
though he is incomplete, but that his self-activity will always result into
growth. He believed that children’s education demands mainly to adjust
to the society of which they are members, and that teachers should not
interfere arbitrarily with the spontaneous growth. The teacher should use
play-way method as the main strategy to attain this development in the
children. He should engage the children in active experience in the
natural environment.

Froebel, as one of the espousers of Naturalism, in his view of the child

and his education advocated for freedom for the child to explore on his
own and for adult to give support as well as monitor. It also represented
a departure from the steadfast insistence of John Lock school of thought
which based child’s learning on adult’s standard. He rather emphasized
that children should be taught through play and amusement and not
force. Froebel known as the father of kindergarten, built his own
kindergarten schools and espoused the virtue of play as a logical means
to meaningful experience by the child. His theoretical framework which

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influenced the practice of pre-primary education in the continental
Europe and the world around become the point of reference for
humanistic early childhood education in the country.

3.1.2 Education Implication of Froebel’s Ideology to Pre-

Primary Education
Froebel suggested that pre-school children be given freedom to learn
naturally. This implies that the role of the teacher is not to instill or
indoctrinate the children through rote learning or memorization rather to
encourage the children in self-development, experiencing and interacting
with rich environment. This concept together with the ideas of self-
activity and the child’s need for co-operative activity constitute the core
of the kindergarten. He also recognized the need for a conducive
environment, which takes cognizance of the child’s needs, interest,
aspiration and experiences in the development of self-active interests.
Teachers should strive at providing enabling environment and materials
that would stimulate self activity. This view is in line with Maduewesi,
(1998) assertion that is in the consciousness of current early childhood
professionals, the early childhood classroom is not a play-room where
care-takers wipe noses and clean children’s dirty hands, it is rather a
workshop of intellectual stimulating activities suited to, and tuned to the
frequency of the children’s developmental stage.

Froebel’s suggestion is that children should be adequately equipped

through their senses by providing concrete objects for learning and play
is in consonance with Piaget’s theory that the major mode of learning for
child is through sensorimotor and concrete experience. A good teacher
respects the play initiated by the children, she contributes his own quota
by providing material and experience. For instance Toys can be provided
for play house, water play equipment, puzzles (graded) games, in
learning numbers, calendars, measuring cups, spoons, containers, play
money, scales, rulers, tape measures, yardsticks etc. In Audio visual
facilities – materials like films strips, flags, record players, globe, maps,
pictures, picture books, costumes, magazines to mention but a few.

These teaching aids make lessons lively and concretize learning. The
pupils will see, touch/feel and do. However, play activities should be
appropriate to the developmental level of the children in the group and a
balanced programme should be provided and equipment carefully
selected. A good nursery school teacher should also asks the children
questions, make suggestions and encourages them as they explore the
enriched environment. She should give them guided freedom rather than
interference. Although play is fun for children, it is also work for them.
The children therefore need resourceful, creative guidance, adequate
space, materials and equipment to help in their all round development.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

List out the major contributions of Froebel to pre-primary education.

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3.2 John Dewey (1859 – 1952)

His Life
John Dewey was a pragmatic educator. He was born on a farm near
Burlington, on October 20, 1859. He graduated from the University of
Vermont in 1879 and taught in Pennsylvania and Vermont for three
years. He was a prolific writer and published his first philosophical
articles in the journal of speculative philosophy.

A great American philosopher, Dewey was the most influential

American Thinker of his time. He wrote Democracy and Education in
(1916) where he related philosophy and education. His philosophy of
“instrumentalism” and his writings and teaching in general profoundly
affected not only philosophy and education theories and practices but
also psychology, law and political science.

John Dewey’s Educational Philosophy

Dewey sees knowledge as the outcome of an individual interaction with
his environment. His philosophy is reflected in his educational theory in
its emphasis on the importance of “learning by doing” and its opposition
to the stress on dogmatic and authoritarian teaching methods and on rote
learning. He emphasized that education should develop children’s ability
to handle future problems hence he encouraged that children should be
taught skills that would enable them handle their problems. He
advocated laboratory and workshop courses, which he felt would foster
creativity and co-operation among the pupils.

Dewey was of the opinion that the democratic society must instill in its
citizens the habit of free inquiry and on antipathy to rigid dictatorial
methods. To him, for education to be most meaningful, it must have a
practical outcome. He stressed that schools should relate the experiences
children have at home with that of the school. This idea calls for the need
to encourage transfer of knowledge. The school should not be a part of
the community but the community itself, where the pupils exercise group
living.

According to Dewey, curriculum should be based on the social life of the

people and should consider the psychological and sociological problems
of the child. This implies that curriculum of pre-primary education
should consist of all the experiences of living which the child undergoes
in the school. Moreover, the curriculum must be child-centred and
appealing to the needs, aspirations and interest of the child. It should also
be flexible to accommodate the individual differences in the children and
should be subject to constant revision to reflect the changing
circumstance.

On methodology, Dewey stressed the learning method of “Learning by

doing” and discouraged group work. He emphasized the problem solving
method which is scientific method and involves problem identification,
formulation of hypothesis and verification, or testing. This is the same
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thing as activity method which places emphasis on what the children do
and not what the teacher does. The teachers’ role should be to organize
and motivate learners as they learn by doing.

Other methods Dewey advocated were, the project methods where pupils
learn by doing under proper guidance by teachers, and the discovery
method where the children are guided also to discover their own truth
and test their validity based on experience.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

List out the major contributions of John Dewey to pre-primary
education.

3.2.1 Educational Implications of John Dewey’s Philosophy of

Early Childhood Education
Dewey was a pragmatist philosopher who believed in the use of practical
methods in teaching the pupils. The implication for teachers is that they
should direct the attention of the children’s understanding for learning
materials through observations, experimentation, etc rather than
encouraging the children to memorize facts. What is taught to them
should be presented physically for them to see, touch and do. This will
help them to remember their previous experiences and internalize what is
being taught.

Teachers should also provide the children with a very stimulating

environment including extensive playground with large toys in which
children learn to control their actions and obtain some knowledge of
special relationship. Smaller toys should be available for imaginative
plays, construction, sorting, grading and counting. Domestic toys such as
baby dolls and costumes for play acting, encourage modeling and
imitation, water, sand, blocks, paints, pencils and crayons provide for
expression of feelings and representation.

Children in pre-primary school should be encouraged to put their actions

into words, and thus, develop the vocabulary which is vital for symbolic
representation. Teachers have a vital role to play in answering children’s
many questions and in conversing with them, this allow for learning to
take place. Children should not be introduced to abstract concepts at this
stage as this may confuse them. In teaching mathematics for instance, the
teacher should apply practical methods and involve the children actively.
In teaching volume, the teacher may provide different boxes of different
sizes. The pupils are then asked to find out which box holds more bricks
than others. The same activity can be done with different sizes of
measuring cups and water. Through these practical activities, children
will understand what volume is and know how to measure it.

As children are individuals, they all, at different levels of both cognitive

and other parts of development have different rates of assimilation. Their
rate of learning may not be the same even though they are of the same
age, other factors could influence them. Some may be thinking at the
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pre-operational stage, others at the intuitive (4-5years), while others may
be at the concrete operational state (6-7years). A good teacher therefore
should design or plan activities appropriately to suit the children.
(Individual differences to be considered)

According to Dewey, childhood education should be active and related

to the interest of the child. This concept imposes the “child-centred
school” where learning activities are determined by the child. It refers to
the development of “the whole child” hence, an wholistic learning
system. Thus it does not disregard any aspect of the child’s life.
Education from this perspective is viewed as life rather than a
preparation for life. For within the child’s present life, there are problems
and interests that are both of social significance, and with potential for
future problem (WOKOCHA, 1992). Any attempt therefore to bypass
these in order to deal with the problems of the future exposes the child to
an abnormal education and indeed to an incomplete education.
Acceptance of the child-centredness in education by teachers will aid the
child to grow in learning as he solves his current problems in education,
therefore he is growing leading to further growth in life, in capacity and
ability to solve future problems.

Teachers therefore, should design the activities of the children to be

developed, considering the child’s immediate environment based on his
experience of the environmental conditions so as to relate his learning
experiences to his everyday experience in his environment.

4.0 CONCLUSION
The development of pre-primary education started by John Dewey and
Froebel. They maintain that children are precious gifts from God and
their education must start early. This is because the early stage of life is
curial for character and habit formation. They suggested the provision of
stimulating environment, free from threat and torture for smooth and
natural growth and development of the “whole child”’. They viewed
education of the child, as life itself, rather than a preparation for life,
therefore in planning the educational programme for pre-primary
schools, their immediate environment must be considered. Besides, the
child should be taught by “learning by doing” so that they can acquire
essential knowledge and skills through experience.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we discussed the ideas of Friederich Froebel and John
Dewey to pre-primary education. It was found that Froebel was a
naturalist who believed that the unborn has hidden powers that will be
unfolded if given conducive and stimulating environment. He advocated
the use of play-way method of teaching. Schools to be made house of joy
and free from torture for healthy and easy learning.

John Dewey, a practical philosopher was also discussed. He was a

pragmatist who encouraged learning by doing. He believed in thinking
about, or treating things in the practical ways rather than in theory, hence
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his philosophy of “Learning by doing” was advocated in teaching of pre-
primary education. He opposed the stress on dogmatism and
authoritarian teaching methods, rather, he encouraged that the children
should be taught skills practically that would enable them to handle their
problems. Dewey also suggested that the society should instill in its
citizens the habits of free inquiry and an antipathy to rigid and dictatorial
methods. The educational implications of both Froebel and Dewey were
also discussed.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Name two contributions of Froebel to pre-primary education
2. Mention two ways a teacher can provide conducive rich
environment in his classroom.
3. Who is John Dewey? Mention two of his contributions to the
development of pre-primary education.
4. Compare the contributions of John Dewey and Froebel to pre-
primary education.
5. Mention two methods advocated by John Dewey in teaching
pre-primary school children.
6 marks each = 30 marks

7.0. REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Igboabuchi, B.O. and Eze Denco (1998). Pre-Primary Education in
Nigeria: Conference Proceedings. Onitsha: Lincel Publishers.

Maduewesi, E.J. (1998) Early Childhood Education and the Nigerian

environment in: B.O. Igboabuchi and Eze Denco (Eds.) Pre-primary
Education in Nigeria: Conference Proceeding. Onitsha: Lincel
Publishers.

Pivotal Teacher Training Programme (PTTP) for Universal Basic

Education Course Book on Education. Kaduna: National Teachers’
Institute Publication.

Wokocha, A.M. (1992) Philosophical Foundations of Childhood

Education.

World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI 2000) Anambra

Branch Interdisciplinary Education Journal (INTEJ) VOL. 2 NO. 2
(3-11).

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UNIT 5 PLATO (427-348 BC) AND ARISTOTLE (384-322BC)

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Life History of Plato
3.1.1 Plato’s Contribution to Primary Education
3.2 Aristotle’s Life History
3.2.1 Educational Implications of Plato and Aristotle’s
Contributions to Pre-Primary Education
3.3 The Educational Implications of Plato and Aristotle’s Ideas
to Pre-Primary Education
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor -Marked Assignment
7.0 References /Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Researchers have confirmed that a number of renowned educators on the
education of young children include; Plato and Aristotle, these
philosophers contributed immensely to the development of early pre-
primary education. Plato and Aristotle called attention mainly to the
“pliable character” of the young children and therefore the value of good
influence at that age. Both believed that at birth the mind of the child is
impressionable and affected by the environment, hence the need for both
parents and teachers to provide an ideal and enriched environment that
will promote growth and development.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the unit, you should be able to:
 mention two educational contributions of Plato in pre-primary
education
 name two contributions of Aristotle to pre-primary education
 describe two educational implications of both philosopher’s to
childhood education

2.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Life History of Plato

Plato, a disciple of Socrates, was one of the greatest thinkers the world
has ever produced. He was an Athenian and was born about 427 BC. in a
distinguished family. His father was Ariston, while his mother was
Perictione. Plato’s real name was Aristocles, but he was nicknamed Plato
because he was of stocky build, and had broad shoulders (for the word
‘Platos’ in Greek means breadth).

This Great philosopher called Plato was a splendidly gifted man and he
used his gifts with studious diligent. He was among others a poet, a play
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wright, and observant traveler, a literary stylist of the first rank and a
philosopher of repute (Uzoma 1996). He lived in the flourishing portion
of Athenian culture where he received a cultured education. According
to Aristotle, Plato was acquainted in his youth with a Heraclitan
philosopher called Cratylus where he probably learnt that the world of
sense-perception is a world of flux, and so, not the right subject matter
for true and certain knowledge. Plato believed that true and certain
knowledge is attainable on the conceptual level. He was interested to
embark on a political career but the brutal actions of his relatives in
Oligarchy discouraged him. After the death of his mater, Socrates Plato
took shelter with Euclid and travelled many places Egypt, Cyrene then
back to Athens where he established a school of Academy. Plato’s
Academy may rightly be called the first European University for the
studies done, they were not confined to philosophy alone but extended to
a wide range of auxiliary sciences like mathematics. Physical Sciences
and Astronomy. His aim for the establishment of the Academy was to
produce trained and disciplined politicians who would not be
opportunists time observers, but men who will act courageously and
fearlessly in accordance with convictions founded on external and
changeless truths. His philosophy was to produce ‘statemen’ and not
‘demagogues’ hence, his advocate for an ideal society where every child
should be reared and educated together from pre-primary, kindergarten
and primary education at the end of which they would be streamed
according to their individual abilities.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

List out the major contributions of Plato to pre-primary education.

3.1.1 Plato’s Contribution to Pre-primary Education

Plato advocated that education should be an instrument for re-
construction of the state for development. He emphasized on adopting a
national ideology which may invariably mean designing an appropriate
educational system where all the children will be trained together to
cultivate good character and habits that will help them to live and adjust
in the society they may find themselves. His idea is relevant in the
Nigerian educational system where the National policy on education
continues to undergo series of review as time changes for the
improvement of human beings and the society.

Plato acknowledges the need for teachers and educational planners to

consider the ability of the child at the end of pre-primary education,
which will determine streaming. This has a psychological consideration,
which involves assigning appropriate contents to the learners according
to their abilities and capabilities. He suggested that pre-school children
be exposed to sports, games, basic elements of reading, storytelling for
moral and spiritual development. His ideology is vital because studies
have confirmed that sports and games help in the quick and overall
development of the child’s motor ability. He also appreciated the value
of environment in learning. A good environment is made up of elements
of the social environment (human beings with their various levels of
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interaction), and the physical environment which include equipments,
materials, various aids for learning, as well as buildings that house many
of these objects and persons. Good environment is necessary for
effective learning, Plato advocated for the production of men who are
“beautiful in mind and in body” is still of relevance in pre-primary
education. This implies that both the cognitive, psychomotor and
effective domains must be trained for the development of the educated
man.

3.2 Aristotle: His Life History

Aristotle was one of the most outstanding students of Plato. Born in 384
B.C to the family of physicians at Stagira a town in Thrance, a Greek
colonial town on the Aegean sea near the Mecedonian border. At the age
of seventeen, Aristotle abandoned his ancestral calling and went to
Athens where he joined Plato’s Academy to continue his studies. That
was in the year 367 BC when his master, Plato was sixty years of age.
By this time, Plato was away and his Academy was being managed by
the first professor and the school Eudoxus. In 364 BC, Plato came back
to Athens to continue his directory work in the Academy. Plato was
much impressed for the outstanding intelligence of Aristotle that made
him to retain Aristotle as the teacher of rhetoric. His various anecdotes
recount how Plato who was forty-three years old, called the young
Aristotle. “The mind” “The clear intelligence”, “The Reader” and “ The
Mind of The School”. Aristotle was deeply influenced by Plato’s
thoughts and Personality.

Aristotle, a close disciple of Plato, held a similar view with him as

regards pre-primary education especially in matters of intellectual
disciplines. He advocated that pre-school children should be helped
through education to be the best he could be as an adult. This is very
important because their minds at birth are impressionable and they
should be instructed to be the best they can be.

Aristotle advocated that for a life to be complete, it must combine the life
of academics for intellectual studies with practical living. He suggested
that children be provided with enough activities for the overall
development. In modern pre-primary education, development of both
psychomotor and affective domains are emphasized. Aristotle believed
strongly that the main aim of education should be for self realization
through the development of the potentials of the individuals, hence he
suggested that pre-primary school progammes should be structured to
provide opportunities for children to explore or apply their natural
curiosity to develop their hidden powers.

With liberalization of education, the Universal Basic Education placed

emphasis on pre-primary education in the National policy on Education
(2004), pre-primary school education has assumed a cornerstone in
Nigeria’s Education System. Considering this awakened interest in, and
emphasis on pre-primary education, based on the realization of its

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importance in human development, the nation concern should not merely
be how many pre-primary schools are in the country, but more
importantly the effectiveness of the existing pre-primary schools in the
attainment of the objectives of pre-primary education as stated in the
National Policy on Education.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

List out the major contributions of Aristotle to pre-primary education.

3.2.1 Educational Implications of Plato and Aristotle’s

Contributions to Pre-Primary Education
Both Plato and Aristotle advocated for an appropriate educational system
that will provide good opportunities for the children’s character, moral
and habit development. This is in line with the National Policy on
Education prescription of providing suitable educative programmes full
of activities for pre-primary children. The Government should therefore
be more committed to the planning and implementation of Pre-Primary
Education as done in other levels of education.

They also stressed the need of considering the child’s ability in planning
and teaching of pre-primary children. Teachers should ensure that
children’s age and ability are considered before exposing them to various
learning activities. This is necessary because, age and ability of the child
determine to a great extent what he will achieve. If higher or more
complex activities are given to the children, they will not perform well.
In the area of exposing the children to sports, games etc. the teachers
should provide enough teaching materials and sports equipments for the
children to be involved in physical training. This is necessary because at
this particular time, the children are very hungry for physical activities
e.g. running, jumping, pushing, throwing, kicking, pushy, bouncing,
catching. The play experiences of the young children serve as the
primary vehicle by which they learn about their environment. The
teacher should therefore provide an enriched physical environment that
will give the children good opportunities to explore their environment
and develop manipulative skills adequately.

3.3 Educational Implications of Both Plato and Aristotle

to Pre-Primary Education
Plato is reported to be the first person to suggest that the education of
children should start as early as possible. This according to him is
necessary because, it is during the early childhood period that any
impression which one may desire to communicate is most easily stamped
and taken (Akinbote, Odulowu and Laral, 2001). Psychologists and
childhood educators have also stressed the need to provide children with
the opportunity to explore their environment and manipulate various
objects around them. It is through this exploration and manipulation of
their environment that, children’s creative abilities are manifested and
developed. Man alone has within him, the creative powers. However, the
ability to develop and tap this unique powers depends on the amount and
quality of stimulation and encouragement received by the individual. In
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other words, the chances of the child fulfilling his potentials could be
affected by the type of environment to which he is exposed. The teacher
is a major factor in the success or failure of all the activities that go on in
the classroom. He therefore should play an important role in the
stimulation, encouragement and development of creativity in children.
The teacher should be able to encourage the children to exercise their
natural curiosity, independence and self reliance.

4.0 CONCLUSION
In this unit, the contribution of Plato and Aristotle to pre-primary
education include production of men who are beautiful in mind and
body, which implies all round education for the child, liberalization of
education which suggests that education should be free for all children
irrespective of class, religion or tribe. They also advocated for good
environment that will stimulate the children to learn with ease. Their
contributions are still relevance in the present system where much
emphasis is placed on rich academic environment equipped with
adequate teaching aids to assist in the all round development of the child.

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, the life history and contributions of Plato and Aristotle were
discussed. The educational implications of their ideas to the
improvement of pre-primary education were highlighted.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Mention two contributions of Plato to pre-primary Education
2. Name two contribution of Aristotle to pre-primary Education
3. Explain two Educational implications of both philosophies to
Early Childhood Education.

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