The Imperatives of Institutional Research and Development in Sustaining and Improving the Quality of NonFormal Education Programmes in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Non-formal education programmes are immensely vital for the socio-economic advancement of nations. That is why measures are taken by governments to ensure that these programmes are functional and of good quality. Several researchers and international organisations have developed quality assurance frameworks that can guide educational institutions in sustaining and improving the quality of their programmes. This paper addresses the gap between international best practices in quality assurance and the quality assurance system of State Agencies for Mass Literacy Adult and Non-Formal Education (SAMEs) in Southeast Nigeria. It was concluded that Institutional Research and Development/Procedures for Improvement as a quality assurance phase/procedure need to be made more regular and robust in State Agencies for Mass Literacy Adult and Non-Formal Education (SAMEs) in Southeast Nigeria in order to sustain and improve the quality of their programmes.

Keywords: Quality Assurance, Institutional Research and Development, Non-formal Education.