Television As An Instrument For Educational Advancement. In Nigeria; An Indepth Study Of An Abs Onitsha Programme “science For Schools”

TELEVISION AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT. IN NIGERIA; AN INDEPTH STUDY OF AN ABS ONITSHA PROGRAMME “SCIENCE FOR SCHOOLS”

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

The word Education could be defined in various ways. In very broad sense, it could be defined to include every agency which enables an individual to master his physical and social environment of which he is a member. It could well be defined as an act of techninology bringing up, instructing or enlightening.

    But for the purpose of this study, Education will be defined as an organized and formal instruction which is given in educational establishment  s such as schools, colleges, and universities. 

    Education in Nigeria today, has assumed an important position as the country’s development programmes. That is why the present government introduced the Universal Basic Education. programme  free and composery education for pupils from primary one to Junior Secondary three. This is to show that education has an important role and play in the economy of the nation and government is investing heavily in it.

    The most important economic function of education is ensuring that the labour force need of the country is satisfied. Nigeria with its growing economy, needs not just a greet deal of manpower, and quantity and quality of this manpower are to a large extent, controlled by the educational system.

    Education also has a political role to play in the Nigeria society. The stability of any autonomous political unit depends upon two criteria – consensus of opinion about the assumptions underlying the system and the leaders from within itself. In both cases education has an important role to play.

    Furthermore formal education in Nigeria is no longer confirmed to educational institutions only. The macho have in recent time now, taken a bold and positive step towards enhancing educational development as the country through its educational programme. An example us the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Un-Air programme.

    Mass media communication comprises the institutions and Techniques by which specialized groups employ technological devices – that is the press, television, radio, films to disseminate information to large corporation and television – WNBC/TV – Ibandan in 1964. Later in the same year educational broadcasting stressed to Kaduna, the then sect of the Northern states. Although, television remains conformed primary to urban areas and to relatively elite populations, the number of television receivers has expanded rapidly in many third would countries.

    According to Uphamedu (1992:2) introductory film slide or film strips presentation, television programmes do help teachers in stimulating the students interest, open up possibilities for further investigation, present meaningful information and create room for new activity.

    In 1965, the Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Service/Television- ENPC/TV started what looked like educational broadcasting with the help of the Eastern Nigeria Ministry of Education, but the programming then was mainly informed. A typical ENBC/TV programme in this category was the “Tortoise Club” a programme for very young children.

    This type of programming contined until the out-break of the civil war in 1966. Later in 1973, NTV Lagos revived its educational programme by introducing some foreign films  on science it was meant for children between the ages of ten to fifteen. It was at this point that the idea of schools broadcasting in science come up and was introduced in many of the Nigerian television stations in the country.

    The ABS channel 27 Onitsha, when one of the television stations that introduced schools broadcast in science subjects in its programme schedule. However, in 1983, the station started a formal education programme which they called “science for schools”. This programme was than jointly produced by the station and the Ministry of education Headquarters, Enugu, later the co-operation shifted from the ministry to the Modern Aids to Education centre under the principal education officer.

    The format for the production of the programme was mainly provided by the centre. But in the early part of 1992 (after the creation of Enugu State) the educational unit of ABS Onitsha because autormons with a graduate in science heading it. And from then the format for the production of the programme become the responsibility of the unit.

    The programme is made up of lectures in Chemistry and Biology. It is broadcast weekly on Mondays at 5.30pm and last for thirty minutes. The production is serial, one subject matter leading to the development of another. The scheme is drawn a long side the school certificate syllabus in Chemistry/ Biology. It has as its target audience, students in classes four, five and six in secondary schools who are offering Chemistry and Biology in the school certificate examinations and other O’ level external related certificate examination.

    In addition to the already mentioned point relating to the programme, audio-visual and has a high rate of starting information in the students, students will not easily forget anything they saw on a television things that a  sciences teacher, cannot teach his students he supplements for it through video film that is related to such a theory. It also makes teachers work not to be much loaded by sharing the students places or film or processes of production which could have taken a reasonable time for the teacher to explain, it in addition stores information for a period of time and can be used b sets of students.

1.2  OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of these study is to evaluate television as an instrument for educational advancement in Nigeria the specific aims of the study include:- to evaluate how the programme “science for schools enrich the teaching / learning of science subjects in our secondary schools; to fund out how well the programme has forced among the listeners and its overall impact in our educational pursuit, thereby determining its total contribution to Nigeria educational system.

1.3  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

    According to the programme producer, the programme is designed to:-

1) Enrich the teaching of science secondary schools. The students through this formal educational programme, are encouraged to develop greater interest in science subjects for higher technological advancement.

2)    Compliment and supplement classroom education.

3)    Broaden and deepen knowledge in science.

4)    Encourage intellection development

5)    Provide tutorial on curriculum subjects.