CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY  

Different educational television programs help to broaden and deepen the knowledge of various fields, without having individual contact with anyone, or to follow any sort of continuing education course. Continuous education leaves room to be implied the development of other sectors such as: the economy, education, health and technology, enabling the active involvement of citizens in these developmental processes. This kind of education will enable our inclusion in the family of democratic nations. Without inclusion and adapting to advanced countries, we will find ourselves in a situation of social, educational and technological disadvantaged. Our society will deal with major challenges, so to overcome these challenges, our society should be active society, which educated and moving in step with global developments.

A television is a piece of electrical equipment with a screen on which programmes with moving pictures and sounds can be watched (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 2001). In 1959, the Regional Government of Western Nigeria established the first television station in Nigeria and in Africa. Even though it promoted the station as a means to educate the people about development and the world, it initially served as a means for an opposition leader to address the people of

Western Nigeria. The regional governments of Eastern and Northern Nigeria and the Federal Government in Lagos followed and started their own TV stations in the early 1960s. (Soji Alabi: 2010). All four of these stations basically existed to serve partisan political objectives for the various governments. Stations established after these four continued this same political and regionalist heritage. In 1973, a new surge of regional consciousness occurred after the Gowon military Government allowed the division of the country into 19states.

In 1992, a new chapter opened in the history of Nigeria broadcasting, the Federal Government under General Babangida deregulated the broadcast industry by granting licenses to private individuals and organizations to set up television and radio broadcasting stations. Suffice to say, that the licenses granted to private individuals and organizations to own radio and television stations opened a new chapter in the program structuring in broadcasting in Nigeria, their program designs were not influenced by the government. Today, there are over a thousand television and radio stations in Nigeria.

Prior to 1965, film and television research tended to be simple media comparison studies which usually found no significant difference between the effectiveness of a conventionally delivered lecture and the same instruction delivered via moving image (Wetzel et al., 1994). Since 1965, most television research, particularly that which examines the influence of television on attitudes and behaviors, has focused on incidental learning from mass media rather than on intentional effects from classroom presentation of instruction via visual media, and has particularly focused on children's television viewing. Much important work has been done on television's socializing effects on children, particularly the relationship between viewing violence and behaving violently. Other recent research has focused on the area of media literacy.

Before 20 or even more years, when man was educated and prepared for a job, with the knowledge that has earned during his schooling, he was able to achieve results at work. Now is a time of rapid and varied changes, because life itself has become more dynamic, and the man will "lose" in these rapid changes, because the school is not able to prepare enough the individual for changes brought about time.

School besides providing knowledge must prepare the individual to be able to be educated throughout his life, in order to be more successful in dealing with the changes. After completing basic education, in order to achieve success in the profession and to withstand the economic, social and technical – technological changes, it is required to be educated in continuously. Man begins his education since childhood and his education is affected by a range of factors and tools.

Initially he is prepared in the family, later in different institutions, but also during working life in various forms. It is considered that after the acquisition of a certain fund of knowledge, skilled individual should be educated independently, without the presence of teachers. Therefore, this study focuses on the role of television in the advancement of education in nursery and primary schools using a case study of Ifo local government area.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Education is said to be the best legacy that anyone can give to his children, learning is a process and it begins from homes.

Teachers in various institutions of learning have their duty to impart knowledge into their students while the parents at home also have their parts to play, however, some people believe that students should not be allowed to watch television programmes for a long time, as this could get them obsessed and in turn create adverse effects on their education.

On the other hand, some people do not agree with this, rather, they believe that television is a technology which can help students acquire more knowledge to complement whatever they are learning in their various schools. It is believed that students benefit a lot from educative programmes that they watch on the television which reflects on their academic performances in school.

The negative influence of television on children is gradually on the increase become children often imitate the things they hear and see. The lifestyle of young people have been greatly controlled by what they view on the mass media, violence actions on the television affects the temperament of the views and also the view of nudity on the television has also greatly affect the sexuality of so many young people. These problems has make it glaruing that there is a need to carry out a study on the role of television in the advancement of education in nursery and primary schools using a case study of Ifo local government area.

 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY  

The general objective of this study is to examine the role of television in the advancement of education in nursery and primary schools using a case study of Ifo local government area. The specific objectives are:

1.     To ascertain if nursery and primary schools in Ifo LGA uses television to teach their pupils.

2.     To find out the importance of television in increasing the assimilation of pupils in schools in Ifo local government.

3.     To determine the extent at which television is contributing to educational advancement. 

4.     To know the types of television programmes that should be allowed in primary schools in Ifo LGA.

5.     To investigate the relationship between television programmes and educational advancement in nursery and primary schools.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The relevant research questions related to this study include the following:

1.     Do nursery and primary schools in Ifo LGA uses television to teach their pupils?

2.     What is the importance of television in increasing the assimilation of pupils in schools in Ifo local government?