Article Citation: Umar MUHAMMAD and Sanusi SULEIMAN (2023). Managing Teacher Education for Achieving Global Security and Sustainable Development in Nigeria. DEGEL: The Journal of the Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, Vol. 20, No. 1 & 2. ISSN 0794-9316
MANAGING
TEACHER EDUCATION FOR ACHIEVING GLOBAL SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN
NIGERIA
By
Umar MUHAMMAD and
Sanusi SULEIMAN
Abstract
The Paper
examines Managing Teacher Education for Achieving Global
Security and Sustainable Development in Nigeria. In attempt to address this,
issues such as, Sustainable Development, Conceptual Framework, Theoretical
Framework, Problems of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), The Need for
Teacher Education in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, Role
of education in achieving Sustainable Development, were
discussed. Conclusively, education for sustainable development is the
process of achieving sustainable development be it economic growth, human
development and environmental protection and conservation. The paper
recommended that, Contemporary sustainable development education should focus
on variety of issues such as health, human rights, conflict resolution, ethics,
gender, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability to mention but a few,
People – students, community members, professionals and practitioners should be
encouraged to develop skills necessary for sustainable development, Promotion
of formal, non-formal informal and casual education for knowledge, attitudes
and skills for poverty alleviation and human development by optimal investment
in quality education in line with UNESCO’s minimum standard of 26% annual budgetary
allocation, should be pursued.
Introduction
Sustainable
global security can only be achieved when education is made a priority by
states and their institutions. When properly realized, education can be a
global asset to fight poverty, inequality, insecurity, and
disease. The teacher is an indispensable tool for sustainable and national
development as this focused on goal 2&3 hence, they are referred to as
(SDGs) Sustainable Development Goals on Education. It is in realization of this
fact that teacher education occupies a position of prominence in the
educational enterprise. There is no doubt that there is need for much improvement
and repositioning of the present day teacher education in achieving sustainable
development goals. Its recommendations include that, government need to be more
committed to the welfare of teachers through regular salaries and allowances,
improved conditions of service, regular promotions and recognition of teachers
in decision making process on matters affecting their profession., Government
should increase the funding of teacher education sector by devoting a minimum
of 30% of its annual budget on the training and professional development of
teachers through in-service training, seminars, conferences, workshops on ICT
programs and provision of infrastructural facilities in Nigeria. Mobility
projects should be integrated into initial and continuous professional
development programmes for teachers.
According
to Imogie (1992), teacher education is therefore a formal programme designed to
produce academically qualified and component corps of personnel who will
continue the process of transmitting worthwhile knowledge to the present
generation through the different levels of the school system. This is aptly
articulated by the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) in the National Policy of
Education when the goals of teacher education were stated as follows:
a. To produce highly
motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for all levels of our
education system;
b. To encourage further the
spirit of enquiry and creativity in teachers;
c. To help teachers to fit
into the social life of the community, and society at large and to enhance
their commitment of national goals;
d. To provide teachers with
the intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment and
to make them adaptable to any changing situation not only in the life of their
country, but in the wider world; and
e. To enhance teachers‟ commitment to the teaching profession
Sustainability:
Sustainability
is the ability to sustain, maintain, provide for or nourish something for an
indefinite period without damaging or depleting it. In recent years, an
understanding of the concept of sustainability has been firmly established by
many scholars and researchers. Sustainability consists of three dimensions: the
protection of natural environment, the maintenance of economic vitality and
observance of specific social considerations about human development. The
notion of sustainability can be understood in various meanings and is defined
in many contexts as a technical term used in forestry; as an ecological term;
as well as a new definition which refers to the development of humanity and of
human societies (Di Giulio, 2006).
Development
Development
implies change or growth in a people’s life style. It could also mean a change
or an increase in the structural facilities of a people, community or society
(Itari, 1995). But to some scholars, development is the power of the people to
solve their problems with their own wisdom, knowledge, experience and resources
with a view to eliminating poverty, pestilence and starvation. In fact, there
are as many definitions and assumptions about development as there are scholars
on the globe. Even policy measures directed against man and his development are
sometimes described as development initiatives (Onunwa, 2007)
Sustainable
Development
As
observed earlier on, in recent times, there has been a paradigm shift in
defining development and the way it is practiced. This paradigm shift resulted
in the adoption of Sustainable Development (SD), a concept which was
highlighted in the Brunt land Report and at the Stockholm Conference of 1972
(UNECA, 2012). This shift, according to Hopwood et al, (2005) as quoted by
Ahenkan and Osei-Kojo (2014) was borne out of the global link between
environmental problems and socio-economic concerns and, also because earlier
conceptions and approaches to development appeared to focus largely on economic
and physical wealth despite the multi-dimensional and complex nature of
development (Bellu, 2011). The Bruntl and Report defined Sustainable
Development as “development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs”. The
organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2001) as quoted by
Ahenkan and Osei-Kojo (2014) also defines sustainable development as the
development path along which maximization of human well-being for today’s
generation does not lead to the decline in the well-being of the future
generation. These definitions suggest that sustainable development considers
the needs of the future and current generations in tandem, and it is rooted in
the pursuit of the well-being and welfare of the people (Ahenkan &
Oseikojo, 2014).
Sustainable
development is therefore concerned with the creation and sustenance of the
conditions for current and future generations of human to live well on this
planet. Hence, as noted by Sims & Falkenberg, (2013) right from the
beginning a multi-prong approach to the idea of sustainable society was taken
that went beyond concerns for only the destruction of the national environment
to include the concern for meeting the essential needs of all people and those
needs are met in a sustainable way in consideration of the needs of future
generations.
Conceptual
Framework
The
history of the SDGs can be traced to 1972 when governments met under in
Stockholm, Sweden, for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment,
to consider the rights of the human family to a healthy and productive
environment. It was not until 1983 that the United Nations decided to create
the World Commission on Environment and Development which 404 defined
sustainable development as "meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
In 1992 the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was
held in Rio. It was here that the first agenda for Environment and Development
was developed and adopted, also known as Agenda 21.
Theoretical
Framework
The
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially known as transforming our
world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a set of seventeen
inspirational "Global Goals" with 169 targets between them.
Spearheaded by the United Nations, through a deliberative process involving its
194 Member States, as well as global civil society, the goals are contained in
paragraph 54 United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015. The
Resolution is broader intergovernmental agreement that, while acting as the
Post 2015 Development Agenda (successor to the Millennium Development Goals),
builds on the Principles agreed upon under Resolution A/RES/66/288, popularly
known as the Future we Want. The SDGs were in large measure informed by the oft
quoted assertion by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that
"there can be no Plan B, because there is no Planet B."
The
Official Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted on 25 September 2015 has 92
paragraphs, with the main paragraph (51) outlining the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals and its associated 169 targets. This included the following
goals:
a. No Poverty - End poverty
in all its forms everywhere: Poverty is more than lack of income or resources-
it includes lack of basic services, such as education, hunger, social
discrimination and exclusion, and lack of participation in decision making;
b. Zero Hunger - End
hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable
agriculture. Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing
livelihoods for 40 per cent of today’s global population. It is the largest source
of income and jobs for poor rural households. Women comprise on average 43 per
cent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, and over 50 per
cent in parts of Asia and Africa, yet they only own 20% of the land;
c. Good Health and
Well-being - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
An important target is to substantially reduce the number of deaths and
illnesses from pollution-related diseases;
d. Quality Education -
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all. Major progress has been made for education access,
specifically at the primary school level, for both boys and girls. However,
access does not always mean quality of education, or completion of primary
school. Currently, 103 million youth worldwide still lack basic literacy
skills, and more than 60 per cent of them are women;
e. Gender Equality -
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Providing women and
girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and
representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel
sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large;
f. Clean Water and
Sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all;
g. Affordable and Clean
Energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy
for all;
h. Decent Work and Economic
Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment and decent work for all;
i. Industry, Innovation and
Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation;
j. Reduced Inequalities -
Reduce income inequality within and among countries;
k. Sustainable Cities and
Communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable; and
l. Responsible Consumption
and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Problems
of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
a. Wrong assumptions: It
was believed that the poor health indices in Nigeria were as a result of
poverty and lack of resources. Because of this, central funds were released and
injected into the „healthcare system‟ to
overcome these inequalities. It was also assumed that individuals appointed to
manage the funds had the requisite qualifications, the interest of the nation
and the program at heart, as well as the capacity to manage the funds
successfully towards the achievement of the SDG targets. It was also assumed
that the systems were in place to support the activities towards the
achievement of the SDGs, but this was not the case. The outcomes were far from
what was expected.
b. Absence of true and
validated baseline data: since independence, Nigeria has survived on public
health “guesstimates”, rather than informed estimates. There is no single
dependable, reliable, validated and easily verifiable public health dataset in
Nigeria. Even organisations that ought to have these datasets like the National
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) do not have a validated, verifiable dataset of
those enrolled into the insurance system. All attempts to have national ID
cards, proper censuses and nationwide surveys have failed to deliver verifiable
results. This account for seemingly “150 - 200%” coverage rates on National
Immunization days, even when there are obvious deficiencies in the process. The
basis for most calculations and projections are very faulty.
c. Absence of formative,
midcourse and proper end-line evaluation: These evaluations, audits and
consequent corrections were never carried out. Rather, the program depended on
oral reports, informal adhoc data from program managers designed to make the
National President and the world happy, as well as positive newspaper reports
of opening of new healthcare centres, donation of medical equipment and
increased employment of healthcare workers. These were wrong measures of
success.
d. Sequential healthcare
workers’ industrial actions in Nigeria: in a recent study, conducted by our
organization and presented at the 38th/39th West African College of Physicians
Annual General and Scientific Meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, there were more than
10 different healthcare workers‟ strikes in Nigeria
over a 36-month period. These paralyzed the healthcare industry, resulting in
avoidable mortality and morbidities, as well as catastrophic health expenditure
and resultant outgoing medical tourism. Children and pregnant women were the worst
victims of the healthcare worker industrial action. Without access to
affordable healthcare services, deaths were inevitable. Claiming to have
reduced mortality and morbidity in Nigeria, therefore, needs detailed and
verifiable epidemiological data to the contrary.
e. Boko Haram insurgency in
the north, and kidnapping in the south: the upscale of social discord, killings
and bombings in the northern part of Nigeria; and kidnapping in southern
Nigeria reversed the gains of so many years of investments in healthcare in Nigeria,
especially in affected communities. Today, there are several hundreds of
thousands of internally displaced persons who are current victims of
communicable diseases, malnutrition and several other social problems. This
figure was estimated to be 1,538,982 as of April 2015 by the
internally-displaced monitoring centre. As these people live on charity, have
limited access to healthcare services, school enrolment and healthy shelter,
their health and emotional conditions are far from ideal. These people are also
denied access to quality care, even when they could afford it. Sexual
exploitation and harassment has led to several unwanted pregnancies and
maternal deaths. Fear of attacks has led to mass exodus of healthcare workers,
closure of healthcare facilities and deserted communities, resulting in
difficulties in accessing healthcare during emergencies, outbreak of
communicable diseases, and many avoidable deaths and complications.
f. Absence of National
Health Insurance Scheme: as at mid-2012, NHIS still covered only about 3
percent of the population (that is about 5 million individuals). By the time of
this report, less than 6 percent of Nigerians have access to health insurance
schemes in Nigeria. Again, this figure is not verifiable, nor is it reliable.
People pay for services from out-of-pocket expenditure, accounting for more
than 60% of healthcare costs in Nigeria. This results in various types of
delays including accessing care, seeking care, receiving care at the health
facilities, obtaining prescribed care, and delays in leaving the healthcare
facility after treatment has taken place. These delays deepen the physical
challenges of the patients and facilitate nosocomial infections, which usually
results in additional associated cost of care.
g. Verticalization of the
healthcare system: vertical programs may deliver immediate positive change, but
they are neither effective, nor sustainable. For decades, the world and donor
agencies have depended on this strategy, but with the same inadequate results.
Using the available resources to fight a single disease or group of diseases is
programmatically interesting, but economically unsound, as other conditions are
often forgotten or under-resourced as a result. This practice fails to enjoy
the economy of scale, common with integrated services. Also, it cannot leverage
on the competencies and equipment from other disease managers. New personnel,
equipment and facilities are built in some cases to accommodate these vertical
projects, resulting in increased workload to the inadequately-skilled and
already overstretched existing healthcare workers.
The Need
for Teacher Education in achieving Sustainable Development Goals
Teacher
education is policies and procedures designed to equip prospective teachers
with the knowledge, attitude, behaviors and skills they require to perform
their tasks effectively in the classroom, school, the church and the local and
wider unity. Although, ideally it should be conceived of and organized as a
seamless continuum, teacher education is often divided into these stages:
a. Initial teacher training
(a pre-service hour before entering the classroom as a fully responsible
teacher;
b. Induction the process of
providing training and support during the 1st few years of teaching or the 1st
year in a particular school; and
c. Teacher development or
Continuing Performing Development (CPD) (and intensive process for practicing
teachers).
Therefore,
the role of education in sustainable development can be summarized as follows:
(1) Education
is here regarded as an instrument of social change which could transform the
society in significant ways. Education is paramount when trying to enable a
change in values and attitudes towards sustainability. The report of UN’s World
Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) (1987) recognized that
“sustainable development requires changes in values and attitudes towards
environment and development” and that education plays a central role in
achieving those changes in values and attitudes (Sims & Falkenberg, 2013).
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is one of the most important tools
for raising awareness about the environmental issues within a sustainable
development context.
(2) Education
for sustainable Development grows form a variety of sources and it is delivered
through casual, informal, non-formal and formal strategies. Topics of
sustainable development usually addressed here include but not limited to,
conflict resolution, human rights, ethics, gender equity, poverty alleviation,
peace, human security, citizenship, democracy and governance, energy, health,
water, rural and urban development, corporate social responsibility, social and
environmental effects of globalization, production and consumption patterns,
cultural diversity, biological diversity, ecological principles and
eco-systems, natural resources, management, climate change and disaster
prevention (Bedawy, 2014).
(3) Contemporary
sustainable development education is therefore expected to be focused on the
above issues and must be oriented on future development, ensuring proper
quality of present and future life. In addition, sustainable development
concepts/issues should be taught formally and informally so much such that they
form part of the core of the people’s lives in ways that the people develop
skills necessary for sustainable development. Educational providers are also
encouraged to provide sustainable training to professionals and practitioners
and should encourage research on sustainable development issues.
(4) Education
for sustainable development involves learning how to make decisions that
considers the long term future of the economy, ecology and equity of all
communities. UNESCO argues that education has a special responsibility to
generate the knowledge needed as well as communicate this knowledge to decision
makers and the public at large. (UNESCO, 2001, 2003). As a result, the body
calls on all relevant stakeholders to review the programmes and curricula of
schools and universities, in order to better address the challenges and
opportunities of sustainable development. Therefore, British Journal of
Education contemporary sustainable development education is expected to orient
on future development, ensuring proper quality of present and future life.
(5) Education
empowers people for their roles in society. Therefore, formal, non-formal and
informal types of education are key actors in education for sustainable
development. Formal education cannot implement education for sustainable
development alone. Because education for sustainable development is a life-long
process, the formal, non-formal and informal education sectors should work
together to accomplish education for sustainable development goals and
objectives (Ilechukwu et al 2014). It is important just as the adult for young
people to be educated for sustainable development because they are our future.
Doing this will provide them with the opportunity to begin to value the world’s
cultural diversity and appreciate the issues facing our world and of the impact
they have on those issues (Davidson, 2003).
(6)
Education for sustainable development functions to educate, train and undertake
research to contribute to the sustainable development of the society. For
example the training of people in monitoring of targets and detection of
sustainable concerns andgraduates with skills, knowledge and attitudes to make
sustainability contribution (Pearson et al 2005, Bedawy, 2014)
(7) In
addition education should provide learners with skills, perspectives, values
and knowledge to live sustainably in their communities. Education also produces
leaders of the country who manage the affairs of government and private sector
industries who constitute the stake holders of sustainable development. By so
doing, the educational system creates a “vanguard group” of leaders in each
sector of society who will take primary and leading roles in promoting the
values for sustainable development (Bedawy 2014).
(8) To
enhance learning about sustainable development different teaching methodologies
should be adopted throughout all levels of the educational strata. Methods that
will helpdisseminate information quickly and easily to learners should be
applied and should be combined with other methods for effectiveness. Doing so
will facilitate learners, involvement, communication skills and critical
thinking about sustainable development issues.
(9)
Educational institutions play a leading role in building more sustainable
societies and creating new paradigms as they have the mission to promote
development through both teaching and research. But it should be noted that
sustainable development can be practiced only through a teacher who himself has
been trained on values and perspectives of sustainable development. Therefore,
teacher education is seen as an important actor or agent of change in promoting
the social, economic and environmental values of sustainable development in the
society (Johnson, 2007).
Conclusion
Conclusively,
education for sustainable development is the process of achieving sustainable
development be it economic growth, human development and environmental
protection and conservation. Accordingly, the paper recommended that:
i. Contemporary sustainable
development education should focused on a variety of issues
such as health, human rights, conflict resolution, ethics, gender, poverty
alleviation, environmental sustainability to mention but a few.
ii. Sustainable development
issues/concepts should be taught formally and informally in ways that they
become the core of people’s lives.
iii. People – students,
community members, professionals and practitioners should be encouraged to
develop skills necessary for sustainable development.
iv. The reorientation of
existing education at all levels to include principles, skills, perspectives
and values of sustainable development.
v. The education and
professional development of those who are responsible for implementing
sustainable development.
vi. Promotion of formal, non
formal, informal and casual education for knowledge,
attitudes and skills for poverty alleviation and human development by optimal
investment in quality education in line with UNESCO’s minimum standard of 26%
annual budgetary allocation.
This
paper has discussed the development of teacher education in achieving
sustainable development goals. In addition, the challenges confronting teacher
education in its quest for national development ranging from intake and
appraisal of students, quality control, teaching practice, in-service
education, system of institutional accreditation, poor funding to
professionalization of teaching were ex-rayed. There is no doubt that there is
need for much improvement and repositioning of the present day teacher education
in achieving sustainable development goals. The quality of education in Nigeria
has been a source of concern to all stakeholders in recent times. It has been
observed that there is poor quality of products from all levels of the
education system. It is accepted that teachers constitute the most important
input in the system that determines the quality of output, more important than
the amount of resources on ground.
Recommendations
From the
foregoing discourse on development of teacher education in achieving
sustainable development goals, the following recommendations are made:
i. In view of the
invaluable role of teachers in the life of any nation the government should
increase the funding of teacher education sector by devoting a minimum of 30%
of its annual budget on the training and professional development of teachers
through in-service training, seminars, conferences, workshops on ICT programs
and provision of infrastructural facilities.
ii. There is need to
re-organize the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) as presently
constituted to be more proactive in enforcing the code of ethics and standard
of the teaching profession.
iii. It is recommended that
if the suggestions as spelt out in this paper are strictly adhered to, there
will be an improvement in teacher-education programme in Nigeria.
iv. Government need to be
more committed to the welfare of teachers through regular salaries and
allowances, improved conditions of service, regular promotions and recognition
of teachers in decision making process on matters affecting their profession.
v. Mobility projects should
be integrated into initial and continuous professional development programmes
for teachers.
vi. Teachers themselves
should guide against unhealthy rivalry and disunity among its members. A major
weakening force in the teaching profession today is the proliferation of
organizations within the parent body of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)
such as All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (NACOPSS),
Conference of Primary School head teachers of Nigeria (COPSHON), National
Association of Classroom teachers (NACT) and the latest being the Academic
Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS).
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