Benue State University, Makurdi

POLITICS OF EDUCATIONAL POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR THE UNDERSERVED GROUPS IN NIGERIA

Simon Terzungwe Guda
Department of Educational Foundations and General Studies, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi

Patricia Nguwasen Mando
Department of Educational Foundations and General Studies, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi

Abstract

The interaction of politics and education is not novel in Nigeria. Since the period of colonial administration, the planning, administration and management of education has been under the influence of political arrangements. Successive administrations in Nigeria have been using education through their manifestoes as a political tool. The paper pinpoints that the inconsistency in the education policies and programmes especially for the underserved is as a result of the interplay between politics and education. This paper has identified the underserved groups in education to include those that do not have equitable resources as other students in the education circle and those from minority ethnic groups among others. The paper has also discussed the impact of politics on educational policies in Nigeria. The negative impact of politics as discussed in this paper seesm to overweigh the positive impact as could be seen in inadequate funding of education, poor school mapping and others. It is also observed in this paper that most of the education policies especially for the underserved have political undertone. The political class does not show sincerity of purpose in ensuring that these policies are fully implemented for the benefit of all. Such policies are only used as campaign tool. Based on this discovery, the paper recommends that political issues on education should be made sustainable by implementing educational policies of the previous governments. Full implementation of educational policy should be a matter of priority by the government in power among others. The paper concludes that education policies should be pursued with vigour and should not only be used as “votes catching baits” by the political class.

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