CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The content of Nigeria education must reflect the past, present and future of the dynamic Nigeria society in terms of the role the individual is expected to play in the present modernization process. Primary education, which is the basic of this study, is the education given in an institution for children or pupils between the ages of 6 and 11 years plus. Since the rest of the education programme activities and system are based upon it, primary education, therefore, is the key to the success or failure of the whole education system program. Since the end of the Nigeria – Biafran civil war on 1970, academic excellence has been on the decline. This appears to be more pronounced in primary schools. Poor academic performance has constituted a big problem, not only for schools but also for the dynamic Nigerian society. Enugu-South primary schools for more than two decades has been faced with problems of poor academic performance. This problem is mostly reflected in the common Entrance Examination results. Millions of naira is being pumped into Education in Nigeria in general are and in Enugu State in particular.

Notwithstanding this the issue of poor performance in Education has continued to persist.

Mbakwe (1980) highlights the important of Education when he says “Education is the greatest industry in Imo State”. Statistical report from Appendix 12 of History of Education in Nigeria by A. Fafunwa (1985) observed that enrollment into primary schools has been on the increase since 1970. But events have shown that primary schools’ performance have been on the decline. Primary six pupil gain little or nothing from what is offered to them in schools and hardly can one see an elementary six pupil write correctly simple letter, express himself / herself in simple speech or converse effectively amongst colleagues in English.

Having a knowledge of the common time table in mathematics is a Herculean task.

In Enugu State, Enugu-South Local Government has thirty Nine (39) primary schools, there are also private schools recently opened in each zone and schools for nomads, with qualified teachers. But then these have not helped matters. Constant research in curriculum development and introduction of continuous assessment are yet to take care of this issue of poor academic performance in primary schools in Local Government Areas.