Partnership that works: a study of the educational-web in school management

College Student Journal, Dec, 2008 by Kolawole Kazeem, Noah Musa

Educators are becoming aware that between the school, government and the home is an important link, which must be utilized or harnessed for children's learning and educational development. The situation of teaching and learning in most public schools in Nigeria shows that there is a considerable difference in the level of involvement of the Government, School and Home in the child's educational development. In this study we found that the home is under-utilized in the business of educating the child in school. The paper argues that irrespective of the level of education and expertise of the parents, they have a lot to contribute to education of their ward. Efforts should be made to introduce parental education programme, as a way of giving parents the needed skills required for effective performance of the new roles being advocated for them in teaching and learning delivery in schools.

Background to the study

Most people today take education to be what goes on within the four walls of a house called a school, having somebody called a teacher and a set of people referred to as learners. A description of education in this manner has robbed the society of valuable input from other major players (most importantly, the home) in children education. This perhaps made scholars of Illich's school of thought to call for the abolition of the school. Although the Illich proposition has been ineffective and unable to convince policy makers and educators to scrap the school, the substance of the argument however is that education is more than what goes on in a classroom or a designated place called a school.

In the traditional African society, education is the business of everybody in the community. Both the young and old have a role to play in the education of the individual. There was no specific place/institution reserved solely for education. The society was the school, the individual parent and the extended family served the role of present day teacher in school and the various traditional institutions in accordance with the dictates and demands of the environment, determined the type, content and value to be inculcated in the individual members of the society. As Omolewa puts it:

"... in the traditional African setting, the center of the learning process of education, ... was the home. This was where everybody learnt the basic requirements of life. The home provided thus, the setting for a holistic approach to education. Here-in the home-the brain, the mind and indeed, the hand are trained (2001:4).

Responsibility of education in the present day setting in Nigeria is not completely different from the scenario described for the traditional society above. It (education) still serves the same role as it does in the traditional societies, though with some modification to its structure, nature and organization. These modifications, particularly with regard to the educational structure and organization have impacted on the general standard and quality of education. For the general description of education in Nigeria presently is that both moral and academic standard bequeathed by the pioneers of western education (Christian missionaries) have virtually collapsed. Examination malpractice has escalated and cherished moral standards are being eroded on a daily basis.

It should be remarked however, that if the substance, goal and design of education is still the same as it was in the traditional setting, the institutions responsible for its administration are supposed to be based on a 'triad'--the home, the school, and the government (society/community). Educators are becoming aware that between the school, government and the home is an important link, which must be utilized or harnessed for children's learning and educational development. For, before the goals of an educational programme can be achieved, curriculum designers and educational administrators must take into account a combination of constituent needs- including community, schools, teachers and students. This is because communities and regions are different, student groups vary, schools differ, and teachers are not all alike, the idea of one prescribed curriculum for everyone may be limiting (Hansen, 1995).

A review of the existing relationship between the main organs, the home, the school and the government becomes necessary if the declining quality of education and moral standard in Nigeria is to be arrested.

Concept of Educational Web:

The concept of the educational web in the context of this study is derived from the nature of the spider, which produces an interlocking web- whose linkages can neither be identified, nor determined. The WEB encapsulates the expected relationships between the respective organs responsible for the entire educational enterprise- the home, the school and the government. The parents, the students and the teachers as the key actors, represent these major organs in the education business.

In an efficient system, the boundaries between these organs are supposed to be blurred by their cooperative roles and contributions to the overall efficiency and functionality of the system. In other words, these organs are expected to work so interdependently, that when one segment is defaulting, the entire system is in a serious jeopardy.