A Comparative Study of the Implementation of Pre-Primary Education Policy in Nigeria and Cameroon

Abstract

The study was carried out in Nigeria and Cameroon to compare the implementation of pre-primary education in both countries. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population comprised pre-primary school teachers and head teachers both in Nigeria and Cameroon. The sample size was 1,200 respondents. A researcher- designed questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was structured on 4 point rating scale based on real limit of numbers. Three research questions and three null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. Mean and standard deviations were employed in analyzing the research questions while t-test statistic was used in testing the stated hypotheses. The findings included that in Cameroon, professional pre-primary certificate Grade I and A-level certificate holders form the predominant teachers qualifications while in Nigeria, WASC and T.C.II holders form the bulk of pre-primary school teachers. Most Teacher training colleges in Cameroon offer special programme on education for pre-primary teachers as against few in Nigeria. In Cameroon, in-service training is granted teachers in pre-primary school while this does no apply in Nigeria. Infrastructural and instructional facilities are provided both in the urban and rural areas of Cameroonian pre-primary institutions as against what is obtained in Nigeria. The researcher made a number of recommendations among which were that government should come up with intervention policy to train more teachers for pre-primary education in Nigeria.

Keywords: pre-primary education, policy, implementation, Nigeria, Cameroon