Citation: Suleiman, L. (2025). Governance, Corruption and the Future of English Language Education in North-Western Nigeria: An Examination of the Interface. Tasambo Journal of Language, Literature, and Culture, 4(2), 151-163. www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2025.v04i02.017.
GOVERNANCE, CORRUPTION AND THE
FUTURE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN NORTH-WESTERN NIGERIA: AN EXAMINATION
OF THE INTERFACE
By
Dr. Lawal Suleiman
Department of English,
Federal University of Education,
Zaria, Nigeria
08062293453
lawalsuleiman472@gmail.com
Abstract
This paper investigates the veracity
behind the supposed crossing points between practices in governance, corruptible
behaviors associated with governance, and the impact on the future direction of
English language education as perceived by educators in North-Western states of
Nigeria. The paper consists of three objectives to determine the extent to
which practices in governance, corruption, and the future of English language education
become crucial issues that deserve attention at the moment. Three research
questions guided the conduct of the study. The descriptive survey research
design was employed by the researcher, considering the nature and geography of
the region. The population was made up of 1,897 teachers of English out of
which a sample of three hundred and eighty-two (382) was drawn for the conduct
of the study. A research questionnaire was developed by the researcher. It was
validated by experts in the field of English language education. Cronbach Alpha
was used in determining a reliability coefficient of 0.84. Mean scores and
standard deviations were used to answer the research questions. It was found
that corruption, ineffectiveness, and inconsistencies in policy formulation by
some governments in Nigeria, which are occasioned by willful corruption on the
part of the governments, do considerably affect the quality needed in English
language education in Nigerian contexts. Separating holding of political office
from mismanagement and diversion of public funds to private bank accounts and
other corrupt means used by these leaders is somewhere next to impossible in the
North-Western states of Nigeria. A huge amount of money budgeted for education
is, on most occasions, either slashed or diverted for personal enrichment. It
is recommended that people in Nigeria need to be sensitized to identify,
support and elect people with proven integrity and prudence into power so that
effective policies like English language education could be enacted for
improving the quality of lives of the people. This will in turn affect the
educational, linguistic and economic welfare and wellbeing of the people.
Keywords:
Governance, Corruption, Future in English Language Education in North-Western
states of Nigeria
Introduction
The English language enjoys pride of
place over any of its prominent counterparts such as French, Arabic,
Portuguese, Chinese, German, etc. Attainment of education in the 21st century
depends on how one understands and uses the English language proficiently,
given the global influence of the language in its original home and its
diffusion into world countries and consequent adoption as a national and
official language. The choice of a Nigerian language and, of course, other
native languages in most African countries as national and official languages
could not have been easy due to the ethnic diversity of the teeming
populations. The English language became the alternative official and national
language in various countries. It is the language of secondary and tertiary
education.
Moreover, students have to write
research projects, long essays, examinations, and present assignments mostly in
the English language. Lectures, seminar presentations, books, long essays,
research projects, and even examinations are written mostly in the English
language at both secondary and undergraduate levels in Nigeria. The financial
institutions, macro and microeconomic enterprises, and cross-border commercial
transactions involving payment of tariffs are mostly in English. As such, one
thing that continues to affect effective teaching and learning and, of course,
the general use of the language even at the tertiary level is the
much-talked-about ineffectiveness in policy formulation, coupled with
inconsistent policies, as well as corrupt practices that make it difficult for
teaching and learning to properly take place. It is true that the availability
of teaching and learning materials, adequate classroom facilities, effective
teaching, and a conducive learning environment are prominent factors that affect
both teaching and learning of the English language considerably.
However, one needs to ask why both
teachers and learners continue to live and interact in adverse situations that
call for serious attention on the part of the key policymakers. Some learners
even label the English language as a “tough” or “difficult” subject from
secondary to postgraduate level. From an examination of its system, one can say
that the delicacies and irregularities inherent in English are factors that may
make the acquisition of communicative competence a difficult task even among
some of the teachers of English, especially in public schools in African
settings, where teaching and learning activities are carried out in seriously
adverse conditions and situations, especially in the North-Western states of
Nigeria.
Every teacher of English in Nigeria
and, of course, in Africa knows that the English language was left as a legacy
to Nigerians by colonial masters. It is observed that considerations were not
made with respect to the linguistic complexities that characterize the
language, the policies associated with teaching and learning and funding, and
how they enhance rigorous teaching and learning in schools. These
considerations, especially on the part of the stakeholders, among whom the
governments in the North-Western states of Nigeria appear to be at the top of
the range, according to James (2002), are fundamental in English language
teaching and learning. The considerations will not only make the instructional
packages sufficient and effective, but they will also support learners with
poor economic backgrounds. Achieving a high level of competence and performance
is usually attributed to some factors such as the employment of qualified
teachers with commensurate pay, adequacy and relevance of teaching and learning
materials, learners’ economic and academic backgrounds, and so on. The pivotal
role of funding in English language education and the syndrome of corruption
and corruptible practices that cobweb the implementation of policies, as
perceived by the general public, shows the need for analyzing the situation
from the perspective of English language educators in the North-Western states
of Nigeria. Teachers are stakeholders in education and can supply substantive
information on policies, implementation, and irregularities that may hinder the
English education programme from flourishing.
The conundrums in the system of
English studied by scholars to determine if they are sources of learning
difficulties that seriously influence communication/performance due to
difficulty in consistently using surface features that reveal ignorance, confusion,
or overgeneralization of rules are issues of concern, as shown by Lawal (2021).
For this reason, at the WAEC level, Nigerian candidates mostly refer to the
English language as a subject that is “very difficult,” “tough,” “hard to
learn,” etc. Olukpe (2009), Adesida et al. (2011), note that there is poor
communicative competence among students of English at both lower and advanced
levels of education in Nigeria and in Africa as a whole. Previous efforts made
by some scholars show that complex structures inherent in the language are
factors that can make learning difficult. For example, John (2009) observes
that the spellings of English are crazy and could be sources of learning
difficulty, given the fact that certain parts of certain words are not pronounced
by speakers. The gap between those studies and the current one is that, apart
from the spelling system reported in that study, other aspects of the language
such as conjugation processes, stress and intonation, as well as subtlety in
English adjectives, could be sources of learning difficulty as revealed by
students. Those are factors within the language, otherwise known as internal
factors, affecting English language education in African contexts. However,
there are external factors outside the language, as posited by Philips (2017),
who is of the view that learners of English language education will always find
it difficult to learn if they live in an adverse learning environment where
corruption bedevils the implementation of government policies, teachers’
employment, etc.
Theoretical
Framework
In this research, the theoretical
framework considered appropriate for the accomplishment of the objectives of
the study is the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model initiated by
Daniel Stufflebeam, as revised by Mathew (2014). The Context, Input, Process,
Product (CIPP) approach is outstanding among the various theories used for the
assessment of public projects, policies, and programmes of various countries to
assess their level of growth and decay with respect to the main objectives for
which the projects or policies are established. The American scholar
Stufflebeam, in 1966, invented the CIPP model. Some American experts used the
model to evaluate the United States’ funded projects, whose outputs failed to
justify the inputs due to some logistical problems. The American government,
policymakers, and foundation officers of various programmes later adopted the
theory for its effectiveness. It has been seen as one of the few dependable
models of programme evaluation defended in workshops, conferences,
international research, and research institutions (Rogers, 2014). Their
argument is that determining the success or otherwise of a programme can be
very challenging.
Joseph (2017) posits that the CIPP
model has now grown into a general evaluation method across industries,
organizations, and public corporations in various countries. The CIPP model
contains four factors that could be considered for determining the success of a
public policy or programme. These are the context of the programme, the input,
the processes followed, and the product or results gained from the entire
resources invested in a programme (Mark, 2016; and Brock, 2017). The major goal
of the CIPP model is to use observed information about the context, input, and
product to evaluate a particular process of a particular programme, industry,
company, project, establishment, institution, etc. To relate the conceptual
framework of the CIPP model to the implementation of language policy in the UBE
scheme, the various levels of evaluation can be outlined and explained in this
section. They are as follows:
A. Evaluating the context in which the policy or project is executed.
This includes considering the effect of the education policies or projects for
determining aspects of the English language that could be adopted in a given
country and the budget specifically made for implementation. An evaluation of
the context of English language education for example, needs to also examine
policy provisions cum implementation, financial input as well as output., the
overall health of the policy;
B. Evaluating the input into the project is by looking at the
information (such as the needed/budgeted financial resources, facilities such
as chairs and desks, as well as books etc. for the language needs of the
learner) the decisions made for the teaching and learning of English from basic
education level to tertiary level are supposed to be catered for during the
planning of, change of policy or project. However, how far this has been
achieved is a fundamental question that needs to be answered;
C. Evaluating the product, that is the expected results of English
language education programme through the language-policy implementation project
(such as developing the literacy and reading ability of the UBE pupils,
accelerating their communicative competence and performance at the SSS level. Develop
sound communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This
stage of evaluation includes appraising the stakeholders’ feedback (in this
case, issues such as political will of the government, attitudes of teachers,
provision of teaching and learning materials etc.; and,
D. Utilizing the information gained from the context, input, and
product evaluation of the English language education programme. The purpose of
this is to determine what can be done to improve the success of the implementation
of the policy or project. The process component of the CIPP includes
identifying problems in the analysis of context (such as prudent allocation of
resources, teachers’ competence, teaching and learning materials, and learners’
entry behaviors. Below is the graphic representation of the CIPP model.
Research
Methodology
For the conduct of this study, three
hundred and eighty-two (382) English language educators in primary, secondary,
and tertiary educational institutions, consisting of both male and female
participants, were sampled from the population in schools of North-Western
Nigeria. The sample was drawn across seven states of the region: Sokoto,
Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, and Jigawa States. A four-point Likert
scale research questionnaire was developed by the researcher, and the results
were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The research questionnaire was
developed and validated by three experts in the field of English language
education, each with more than fourteen years of teaching experience.
Cronbach's Alpha was used in determining a reliability coefficient of 0.83 for
the questionnaire. Mean scores and standard deviation were used to answer the
research questions. The data were collected over a period of two months in the
year 2022 from the English language educators sampled for this investigation,
using four research assistants who are all specialists in English language
education.
From the study, the discussions in
this section provide answers to research questions one and two, while responses
of the educators to the questionnaire provide answers to research question
three. The discussion in this section starts with an examination of the
definitions and concepts of governance, corruption, and the English language
education programme.
Governance:
Concepts and Definitions
Considering the necessity of having
a team of individuals empowered to take major decisions that regulate the
conduct and behaviors of the people popularly known as government, and looking
into the harmful effect of social discord in every human society, it becomes
clear that government is a great machinery that must be provided no matter the
nature of the society where one lives especially at the dawn of the
twenty-first century. Based on the definition of James (2020), governance is
the deliberate process established for controlling, managing, and administering
public affairs in a given polity. James (2020) adds that no society can exist
meaningfully without governance, no matter how it exists and how it is being
operated by those in political authority and power. From this viewpoint, it can
be seen that governance is a process that is followed for shouldering
leadership responsibilities in a community. Given the above, it is noteworthy
to make reference to governance in Africa, how it is initiated, how it is being
operated, how it is seen, and how it accounts for the welfare and wellbeing of
people in African contexts and of course in schools of North-Western states of
Nigeria.
Governance
in Africa; its Effect and Impact
Based on the assertions of political
scientists such as James (2020), governance in Africa becomes the prerogative
of the elite and the educated, who take part in democratic elections by
winning, rigging, and/or doing everything possible to take over power for
personal gains, which are detrimental to the development of the economic,
social, educational, and scientific potentials of society. Although the power
to make policies by those in government exists at federal, state, and local
government levels in various African countries, and of course in the
North-Western states of Nigeria, the major challenges affecting governance in
Africa—and in the North-Western states of Nigeria—are the menace of corruption,
which is pervasive, especially at the top. James (2020) argues that,
considering the necessity of having a team of individuals empowered to make
major decisions affecting the lives of citizens through the production of a
blueprint that regulates the conduct and behaviors of the people from top to
bottom, one can honestly believe that corruption is the order of the day among
most African leaders, who are popularly known as government officials with
defined leadership roles and areas of operation. Some of these leaders are
uneducated, unpatriotic, corrupt, and indifferent to the needs of their people.
Some educators in Africa, like Lawal (2014), posit that those leaders are
unfortunately saddled with the task of managing the financial resources of
their people. They devour the resources, cut corners, and want to live affluent
lives at the expense of the economic, political, social, and scientific
development of their people.
The electorate need to ensure that
those to be elected into various government positions are people who are known
for accountability, patriotism, transparency, and effective service delivery so
that, at least, the downtrodden can kiss the glamour of the new dawn. Based on
the definition of James (2020), governance is the deliberate process
established for controlling, managing, and administering public affairs in a
given polity. James (2020) also adds that no society can exist meaningfully
without governance, no matter how it exists and how it is operated by those in
political authority and power. From this viewpoint, it can be seen that
governance is a process followed for shouldering leadership responsibilities in
a community. Given the above, it is noteworthy to make reference to governance
in Africa, its performance/delivery, and impact, particularly in educational
policy formulation and implementation, in which English language education
appears instrumental in learning from primary to university.
Meaning
of Corruption
Considering the harmful effect of
corruption and corruptible practices on governance and project implementation
processes in Africa, both the educated and the unlettered, men and women, young
and adult, rural and urban populations always talk about corruption and its
dangerous effect on lives generally. According to Joda (2011), corruption is
not only about stealing or extorting money and property by leaders, as commonly
found in societies today. It includes any form of behavior that deviates from
ethics, morality, tradition, law, and civic virtues by any individual or group,
regardless of their status in society. In Africa, there is corruption in the
political processes leading to the emergence of new governments most of the
time democratic elections are being conducted (Joda, 2011). Therefore, there
are challenges of corruption with the electoral processes that catapult
candidates into political positions. There are challenges of corruption
associated with political parties that have the power to conduct primaries to
determine their flagbearers. There are challenges in how they initiate
economic, educational, and other policies. There are challenges of corruption
with respect to how they operate the system, how they see it, and how they use
the system to account for the welfare and well-being of people in the
North-Western states of Nigeria and other African contexts.
For the English language education
programme to flourish, the financial resources budgeted for education must be
accounted for, for example. There have been seminars, workshops, etc., under
the auspices of agencies mandated to train and retrain professional basic
education teachers for the attainment of the objectives of the
teacher-development programmes and to achieve better results (Nakpodia, 2011).
According to Kazeem and Ige (2010), the use of professionals to coordinate such
programmes will help in accomplishing the goals of the programmes. There have
been provisions for improvement in supervision and support, continuous
teacher-professional development, and support for teachers and school
administrators, as well as full involvement of the members of the teaching
profession in achieving the set goals (Federal Ministry of Education, 2005).
Other provisions are the establishment of new schools, provision of new
equipment, and the use of new strategies introduced by donor countries and
development partners to increase enrolment, improve quality, and ensure the
security of school properties.
From the above, it is clear that
English language education is part of the basic education package that is
supposed to be given attention. As shown in the foregoing, there have been
provisions for improvement in supervision and support. The question is: how
many of these provisions are being supervised and effectively supported by the
government through effective budget implementation, especially in the
North-Western states of Nigeria? It was shown that there would be continuous
teacher-professional development and support for teachers and school
administrators, as well as full involvement of the members of the teaching
profession in achieving the set goals (Federal Ministry of Education, 2005).
Are teachers enjoying the opportunities given for their professional
development through in-service training even today in primary, secondary, and
tertiary institutions, especially in the North-Western states of Nigeria? Other
provisions include the establishment of new schools, provision of new
equipment, and the use of new strategies introduced by donor countries and
development partners to increase enrolment, improve quality, and secure school
properties. How many new schools are being established, and what equipment has
been made available so far, and when, in the North-Western states of Nigeria?
This is part of what James (2020) calls “paper policy,” with implementation
hitches through slashing down the figures and sometimes complete diversion of
the resources already budgeted for the programme.
In 2014, the federal tier of the
government of Nigeria intervened in the UBE scheme with 2% of its Consolidated
Revenue Funds, as indicated by Mark (2016). From 2005 to 2014, the government
of the federation contributed ₦493,902,151,000.00. The Millennium Development
Goals Agency (MDGA) contributed a total of ₦51.8 billion for the implementation
of the UBE scheme. In 2014, the first and second quarters of the year saw a
total of ₦95,229,729,730.00 as a cumulative allocation of the matching grants
for the success of the UBE enterprise in all the states of the federation and
the FCT (Mark, 2016). The question is: how has this colossal amount of money
been utilized to improve teaching and learning in schools, part of which is the
provision and distribution of teaching and learning materials for English? This
is apart from other important educational infrastructure needed in basic and
post-basic education.
Moreover, the first and second
quarters of the 2014 allocation by the Universal Basic Education Commission,
put at ₦16,837,500,000.00—part of which ₦455,057,056.00 was allocated per
state—was a good step for the practical realization of the set objectives. In
2009, the Commission received a huge amount from which it constructed 41,009
new classrooms and renovated over 59,444 old ones across the country (Mark,
2016). The Universal Basic Education Commission constructed 14,769 toilet
facilities and provided over one million office and classroom furniture items
to schools. The Commission provided for the training of over 1.5 million basic
education teachers from 2005 to 2009, according to UBEC records of 2014.
Statistics show that states of the federation were able to access the 2013 UBE
intervention funds. The purpose of the intervention is to enhance human
resource development, which has consistently ranked low in the past years, as
noted by Nakpodia (2011) and Okiy (2004). However, the major question to ask is
how the English language policy has enjoyed recognition through the provision
of materials for teaching literacy and reading in UBE schools across the
federation. Research needs to find out if such funds have been judiciously used
for teaching and improving the performance of learners in English language
education programmes, so that learners can attain the required levels of
literacy and reading in schools. This was done in this research, where teachers
supplied the necessary information needed for this investigation.
English
Language Education and its Contribution to Economic and Educational Development
in North-Western states of Nigeria
Based
on the arguments put forward by linguists and English language educators,
English language education has the capacity to bring about changes and
improvements in the educational and economic development of a given society,
especially in the North-Western states of Nigeria. Lawal (2021) posits that
every learner is entitled to English language education skills and competencies
to be able to carry out commercial transactions in marketplaces. Information on
the buying and selling of goods and services is documented in English in most
African schools.
As
a key learning area, English language education seeks to develop learners’
English proficiency for study purposes, securing white-collar jobs, and even
leisure. It provides them with opportunities for personal and intellectual
development and extends their knowledge and experience of other cultures
through the English medium. English language education helps learners overcome
the challenges of a rapidly changing society, such as those found in the
North-Western states of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. It gives them the avenue
to engage with and participate in the competitive, knowledge-based African
society so they can function economically well and live happily.
James
(2020) believes that Economics, being a branch of the social sciences,
describes the factors that determine the production and consumption of goods
and services. It focuses on the behavior and interactions of economic agents
and how economic activities are initiated, operated, and pursued for earning a
living in a given community - often through the medium of the English language.
It involves the even development of human capital by increasing literacy rates,
improving critical infrastructure, and enhancing health, safety, and other
areas that aim to increase the general welfare of citizens. This includes
equipping children, especially in the North-Western states of Nigeria and
across Africa, with English language skills that will facilitate both online
and offline business interactions, thereby improving their standard of living
in diverse communities.
However,
from a cursory examination of economic development and what it entails in
practical terms, one can argue that the English language has always enjoyed a
privileged position in the economic landscape over the indigenous languages of
Nigeria and Africa as a whole. It plays a vital role in the economic
development of individuals and groups in these countries.
It
is in this light that this paper analyzes the triangular nature of the concepts
of governance, corruption, and progress in English language education. A smooth
interaction among these elements can serve as a tool for sound educational
achievement, which in turn paves the way for substantial economic development
in the North-Western states of Nigeria and the African region.
The Role of English Language Education in Educational
and Economic Development
Magaji
(2019) argues that English language education is a cardinal instrument in
achieving economic sustainability, particularly because Nigeria, as a
multilingual nation, compels its citizens to learn and use English for both
receiving and delivering systematic instruction—especially in contexts
involving new or cross-cultural interactions. It is an undeniable truth that
English serves as the language of education, commerce, and legislation. In the
twenty-first century, English has maintained its prime position among African
languages and continues to be the preferred medium for sophisticated commerce
across the continent.
Sophisticated
commerce refers to trade involving significant financial investments and
profits, extending beyond local and ethnic boundaries to national and
international levels. Business transactions worth millions or even billions of
naira are frequently conducted in English among Nigerians and with counterparts
in other African countries. This highlights English language education’s role
not only in local but also in international trade across Africa and the globe.
As
the language of the petroleum industry—which remains Nigeria’s major revenue
source—and many other sectors dealing with exported and imported goods and
services, English is a vital tool for economic communication. The widespread
adoption of English in Nigeria and across Africa complements indigenous
languages and contributes significantly to economic growth.
English
language education has also helped mitigate the divisive impact of tribal
politics that once dominated Nigeria’s political and economic systems. Without
a unifying language like English, national unity and peace would be more
difficult to achieve. In fact, the absence of English as a common language
might have triggered violent reactions from marginalized groups, potentially
leading to civil conflicts capable of crippling Nigeria’s—and by extension,
Africa’s—economic development.
In
this regard, Lawal (2021) asserts that English seems inextricably linked to
Nigeria’s destiny. Any attempt to replace it with an indigenous language risks
igniting socio-political unrest that could endanger the continent’s cooperative
existence and devastate its economic potential.
Moreover,
English plays a crucial role in the education sector. Most African countries,
including Nigeria, operate educational systems that require students to study
and pass English as a prerequisite for employment in both national and
international contexts. Nigeria, for instance, has reaped significant benefits
from modern technological advancements. Nigerians can access, interpret, and
apply technical information across various fields—such as medicine,
agriculture, communication, transportation, and the arts—largely due to their
proficiency in English.
While
technology does present some challenges, its advantages far outweigh the
disadvantages. Economic development in any nation depends heavily on access to
information, and information dissemination requires a functional language
medium. English language education, therefore, serves as a unifying force and
plays a central role in Nigeria’s and Africa’s political, educational, and
economic development.
Governance, Corruption, and Their Impact on the
Future of English Language Education in Nigeria
Magaji
(2019) posits that there are some problems militating against English language
education in Nigeria. The major challenges that are currently affecting English
language education programme and its future advancement in Africa, as mentioned
by James (2020), are as follows:
a-
Government factors dealing with slashing down
or diversion of the financial resources budgeted for the development of
education in the country, which, if it persists, will negatively affect the
future performance of both teachers and learners in the English language
education programme. This is why books and research documents in education
continue to make reference to political corruption and its contribution to the
insufficient fund allocation to education. Corruptible behaviours of some
government officials charged with the task of financing education from federal,
state, and local government levels are just some practical examples of the
manifestation of corruption that affects the future of English language
education in North-Western states of Nigeria;
b-
Quality and quantity of teachers; it has been
noted that the processes involved in the recruitment of teachers of English as
a second language in Nigeria, payment of their salary packages, allowances,
professional training, and even the processes through which qualifications are
obtained are not unconnected to corruption in Nigeria. Full-time, part-time,
and NCE, as well as the undergraduate courses by correspondence, affect
negatively the future performance of teachers and learners in English language education
since the modes of the programmes and commitment of teaching staff and learners
as a whole vary considerably;
c-
Lack of building facilities such as classrooms,
English language laboratories, and libraries are crucial factors that inhibit
the English language education programme from being an effective and conducive
learning environment for better results in the future performance of both
teachers and learners in the North-Western states of Nigeria;
d-
These factors affect the teaching and learning
of English to a great extent at the moment and will considerably destroy the
future of effective English language education and, by extension, the
educational system in the North-Western Nigerian states;
e-
Prevalence of corruption in Nigeria and Africa
in general is on a massive scale and has become the obstacle and target for
conflict, competition, and corruption, where funds meant for education are
diverted to personal accounts of government functionaries for self-enrichment,
and this, by extension, affects the quality of education in Nigeria and other
parts of Africa.
Results
from the Questionnaire Distributed to Teachers in North-Western Nigeria on
Issues of Governance and Corruption that are affecting the future of English
language Education
Table 1. Gender
Distribution of Respondents
|
Gender |
Number |
Percent |
|
Male Teachers |
202 |
52.7 |
|
Female Teachers |
180 |
47.3 |
|
Total |
382 |
100.0 |
From the table above, it can be seen that after the analysis of
responses given by the respondents as regard their gender, it is clear that 202
of the respondents are male and this represents (52.7%) of the sample regarding
the male while 180 of the respondents representing (47.3%) were females among
the respondents. This analysis clearly shows that the majority of the
respondents to the research questionnaire were males who aired their individual
views on their knowledge of the fact that governance and corruptible practices
are crucial factors that seriously affect the future of English language
education programme in North-western states of Nigeria.
Table 2. Years of Teaching Experience of Respondents in the Study
Area
|
Qualification |
Number ear |
Percent |
|
1-4
Years |
7 |
1.8 |
|
4-9
Years |
82 |
21.4 |
|
10-14
Years |
73 |
19.1 |
|
15-19
Years |
227 |
57.7 |
|
Total |
382 |
100.0 |
From an examination of the contents of the table above, it is clear
that the findings regarding the years of teaching experience of the respondents
show that 7 (1.8%) of the respondents have been working as teachers between 1–4
years, 82 (21.4%) of them have been between 4–9 years, 73 (19.1%) of the
respondents have been between 10–14 years, while 227 (57.7%) of the respondents
have been between 15–19 years in their teaching. This indicates that the
majority of the respondents revealed that they have been between 15–19 years of
teaching in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions in the study area
during the periods in which data for this research was obtained. As such, they
confidently understand governance in theory and practice and its importance in
the political, educational, and economic development of people, as well as the
dangers of the menace of corruption and how it affects English language
education in the region. Below is the table that presents the analysis in
respect of the third question in the questionnaire given to the teachers across
educational levels selected at random in the North-Western states of Nigeria.
Table 3. Data on the Effect of Governance and Corruption as they
affect English Language Education in the Study Area as Given by Respondents
|
S/No |
Items |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
MEAN |
STD |
|
1 |
There are English language educators, who have only the paper qualification
necessary for teaching in the North-Western
states of Nigerian primary, secondary and tertiary
levels of education, but they are not qualified. |
103 |
65 |
128 |
84 |
2.4948 |
1.12417 |
|
2 |
English language educators are sometimes not employed on merit due
to corruption by agencies established for recruitment of teachers in North-Western states of Nigeria. |
175 |
75 |
72 |
60 |
2.0445 |
1.12970 |
|
3 |
The remunerations, salaries and allowances paid to teachers of
English language education are not commensurate with the work they do in the North-Western states of
Nigeria. |
101 |
83 |
109 |
89 |
2.4869 |
1.11708 |
|
4 |
Most English language educators in schools of North-Western states of Nigeria have problems with provision of sufficient teaching
materials for effective service delivery. |
67 |
47 |
167 |
101 |
2.7906 |
1.02366 |
|
5 |
Most Nigerian English language educators have challenges in the
area of getting relevant learners’ materials needed in the schools for
effective learning in
the schools North-Western states of Nigeria especially in rural schools. |
82 |
55 |
177 |
68 |
2.6047 |
1.01344 |
|
6 |
Most English language educators experience problems with
learners’ enrolment where high populated classrooms become the order of the
day and hinder effective teaching and learning. |
79 |
64 |
151 |
88 |
2.6492 |
1.05118 |
|
7 |
The challenges of recruitment, untimely payment of remuneration
and deductions as well as lack of provision of better working conditions and
many others are factors that are caused by corruption in governance in North-Western states of Nigeria. |
113 |
45 |
151 |
73 |
2.4817 |
1.10756 |
|
8 |
When Nigerians elect transparent and accountable individuals as political
leaders, they will make befitting policies that will reinvigorate English
language education in schools of
North-Western states of Nigeria. |
102 |
25 |
168 |
87 |
2.6283 |
1.10738 |
|
9 |
Lack of effective education policy implementation, enough funding
and supervision are issues that cobweb effective English language education
in schools of
North-Western states of Nigeria. |
87 |
49 |
146 |
100 |
2.6780 |
1.09568 |
|
10 |
Lack of making periodic assessment of the implementation efforts
concerning English language education in schools of North-Western states of Nigeria is a problem that is generating the murky one in terms
of effective performance. |
90 |
63 |
169 |
60 |
2.5209 |
1.01864 |
|
|
Cumulative
mean |
|
|
|
|
3.08 |
1.051 |
The table above shows the perception
of respondents on the relationship between governance, corruption and progress
in English language education programme in schools of North-Western states of
Nigeria. The finding from the study revealed the cumulative mean response on
all the ten (10) items, 2.69, which was found to be higher than the
decision/standard mean of 2.5000. The table shows the standard deviation of
1.000, which implies that English language educators in the study area consider
governance as a herculean task that can facilitate or inhibit the English
language education programme in North-Western states of Nigeria.
Discussions of Major Findings
From the data collected and analyzed
above, one can see that items 1, 2, 3, 5 - 7 and 10) show the submissions of
the English language educators to the fact that the menace of corruption in
governance has serious negative effect on the abysmal performance of both
teachers and learners of English in African schools. The aspects of teachers’
qualification, employment, payment of salaries and allowances, provisions of
teaching materials and conducive learning environment are great factors in need
of attention in the North-Western states of Nigeria. From the question, it can
be seen that the menace of corruption as highlighted by the respondents are
making English language education programme difficult to implement. This is an
indication that the political will and competence level required of government
officials, transparency in the disbursement of funds by the concerned agencies
of education, prudence of schools’ managers etc. are instruments that can
accelerate performance of both teachers and learners in North-Western states of
Nigeria and other African contexts.
Recommendations
a- There is a need for electing sound leaders in African countries like
Nigeria who understand the economic, physical, mental and academic challenges
of teachers and learners so that competence in English can improve in the North-Western
states of Nigeria;
b-
Teachers of
English need to be tested, examined and assessed to determine their mastery of
the subject matter as well as commitment and passion for the job for better
results in English language teaching and learning in North-Western states of
Nigeria.
c-
Teaching of
English from the primary school level to undergraduate level should be done in
a conducive learning environment, in which there is the provision of learning
materials, educational trips and exposure for effective learning in
North-Western states of Nigeria:
d-
There is a need
for effective periodic assessment of the programme by the government's
educational agencies to identify areas in need of support to poor learners at
all levels of education in the North-Western states of Nigeria.
Conclusion
This paper exposes the evil
tendencies and complexities associated with the effect of corruption as it
relates to bad governance in the North-Western states of Nigeria, and how
corruption, which is a symbol of bad governance, diminishes expected returns in
the English language education programme in the region, as indicated by English
language educators. The findings will go a long way in helping the teachers and
learners understand the effect of corruption on English language performance
and how they can devise ways to obtain materials and provide a more conducive
learning atmosphere for improvement. The determinants of an effective English
language education programme, such as teachers’ qualifications, processes
associated with employment, payment of salaries and allowances, provision of
teaching materials, and a conducive learning environment, are critical factors
in need of attention in the English language programme in North-Western states
of Nigeria, as shown in the foregoing. From the questionnaire, it is apparent
that the menace of corruption, as highlighted by the respondents, is one that
continues to generate murkiness in the English language education programme in
the North-Western states of Nigeria. Hence, this indicates that political will
and the competence level required of government officials, the effectiveness of
classroom teachers, and transparency in the disbursement of funds by the
concerned agencies of education, as well as the prudence of school managers,
are instruments that can accelerate the performance of both teachers and
learners in the North-Western states of Nigeria for better economic and
academic development.
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