ERIC ED399938: Training School Librarians for the Nigerian School System: A New Perspective.

8 Pages·1993·0.18 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
IR 056 053
ED 399 938
Elaturoti, David F.
AUTHOR
Training School Librarians for the Nigerian School
TITLE
System: A New Perspective.
PUB DATE
93
7p.; In: Dreams and Dynamics. Selected Papers from
NOTE
the Annual Conference of the International
Association of School Librarianship (22nd, Adelaide,
South Australia, Australia, September 27-30, 1993);
see IR 056 045.
Speeches/Conference
Descriptive (141)
PUB TYPE
Reports
Papers (150)
EDRS PRICE
MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.
*Curriculum Development; *Educational Development;
DESCRIPTORS
Educational Legislation; Educational Objectives;
Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries;
Higher Education; *Library Education; Library
Schools; *Professional Development; Qualifications
*Nigeria; *Teacher Librarians
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This paper provides a brief history and background on
Nigeria and its educational system; school libraries in Nigeria; and
increased recognition by the government of the importance of
libraries in education and resultant legislation. The majority of
teacher-librarians in the Nigerian school system do not have
professional qualifications in librarianship, and received their
librarianship training through short in-service courses and
workshops. Some universities and colleges have begun to introduce
programs to train teacher-librarians for Nigerian school systems. The
Nigerian School Library Association is working towards the
professionalization of the teacher-librarian position in schools to
help increase remuneration, improve career prospects, and help school
librarians keep to their designated job instead of acting as
replacements for subject teachers. The paper proposes a curriculum
for the training of school librarians in the Nigerian school system,
including proposed minimum librarianship qualifications for primary
and secondary school librarians, and proposed courses for study. The
librarianship training program would include courses in management
and a teaching subject, for the school librarian to have equal
academic status with other teachers and to assist them in collection
development and reference services to users. (Contains 10
references.) (SWC)
****************A:,AAAAA*****AAAAA***--,,,,,,,c***************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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System: A New
for the Nigerian School
Training School Librarians
Perspective
by
David F. Elaturoti
institutions and
of increase in the number of
Introduction
reference to its
student enrollment but also with
thoughts on new
It gives me pleasure to share
the
geographical spread into all parts of
for
perspectives in developing training programs
The available statistics on
Federation.
school system
school librarians in the Nigerian
34,904 primary
education shows that there are
conference of school librar-
at this international
of 12,721,087
schools with an enrollment
the 24th
ians. As some of us are now aware,
with students'
pupils, 5,868 secondary schools
will be held at
Annual Conference of IASL
special
population of 2,723,791, and 81
I will therefore like to
Abuja, Nigeria in 1995.
disabled
education institutions with 10,000
to give some background infor-
use this forum
Teachers'
children. There are also 249 Grade II
of those who
mation on Nigeria for the benefit
241 Tech-
Colleges with 220,472 students,
with the details of the
may not be conversant
nical/Vocational centers with 117,852 students,
students, 48
country.
21 polytechnics with 60,533
the
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is
for the
Colleges of Education training teachers
largest single African country occupying an area
total
National Certificate of Education having a
(356,669 square
of 923,768 square kilometers
Universities with
of 58,335 students and 32
million.
miles) and having a population of 88.5
over 160,767 students.
14° north
Nigeria lies between latitudes 4° and
shifted
The emphasis on education has
and 14° east of
of the equator and longitudes 3°
technology.
from the liberal arts to science and
Thus, it is entirely
the Greenwich Meridian.
emphasis is to
The objective of the change in
It's climate varies
within the tropical zone.
enable the nation to meet its manpower
sub-tropical
from the tropical at the coast to
social, eco-
requirements in various areas of
There are two well-marked
further inland.
well as devel-
nomic, and political growth as
lasting from April to
seasons, the rainy season
which it aspires.
opment and modernization to
November to
October and the dry season from
facts that
This was one of the fundamental
the coastal
March. Maximum temperature in
in
informed the adoption of the 6-3-3-4 system
37° celcius while the
areas of the south is
which emphasis
the National Education policy
10° celcius.
absolute minimum temperature is
them to choose
is on guiding students to enable
with maxi-
The climate is drier further north
individual is best
the career for which each
45° celcius. The Federal
mum temperature of
the students'
suited early in life, based on
states.
Republic of Nigeria consists of thirty
after the
demonstrated aptitude and potential
Government is at
The seat of the Federal
education
first nine years of continuous
predom-
Abuja. The educational system was
assessment.
inantly British oriented and the
official
government
language both of instruction and
School Libraries in Nigeria
primary
business is English. The provision of
Nigeria
The various education laws in
and secondary education is a shared respon-
provision of school libraries.
are silent about the
federal
sibility between the states and the
School Library
This prompted the Nigerian
the 6-3-3-4
government. The country adopts
Guidelines for
Association to prepare the
of
education system which provides for six years
Libraries/Media
Nigerian Legislation for School
junior and
primary education, three years of
of which were
Resource Centers in 1978, copies
four years in
three years of senior secondary and
Ministries
submitted to the Federal and State
compulsory for
the university. Education is now
the provision of
of Education. The importance of
school level.
the child to the junior secondary
schools
school library media centers in Nigerian
most post-
Tuition is free in all primary schools,
of the education
for the effective implementation
The move in
primary and tertiary institutions.
has been stressed many
program of the school
education free
the education sector is to make
The National
times by Nigerian educators.
at all levels.
force in the
Policy on Education which came into
Education recorded a phenomenal
of the
1980s recognized the important role
only in terms
growth in Nigeria in the 1970s not
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
50
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
Ken Haycock
O This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
2
improve reproduction quality.
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Points of view or opinions stated in this
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
document do not necessarily represent
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
official OERI position or policy.
school library development.
school library media center in the education
Recognition of school libraries has also
program of the school and recommended that all
been achieved through the programs of the
primary and secondary schools, as well as
Nigerian School Library Association which
teachers' colleges, be planned with library
include organizing workshops, conferences, and
media resource centers funded jointly by both
publishing professional literature.
The Assoc-
Federal and State Governments.
iation has succeeded in providing a national
Like many other countries, Nigeria
forum and stimulating interest in organizing
experienced a period of economic growth and
school libraries in various states.
Attempts
relative prosperity during the mid to late 1970s,
have been made to
standards
develop
the "oil boom" years, but this period was
appropriate for Nigerian schools.
Notable
followed by the hard times of the 1980s with
efforts by library professionals to publish
the attendant cutbacks in staff and funding
standards for school libraries include Obi's
slowing down school library development. But
Manual for School Libraries on Small Budgets
the boom of the 1970s resulted in only modest
(O.U.P. 1977), Ogunsheye's Manual for Nigerian
there are probably
gains for school libraries.
School Libraries (Abadina Media Resource
First, available funds
several reasons for this.
Centre 1978), and Elaturoti's Developing a
went into a rapid expansion of education at all
School Library Media Centre (Onibonoje 1990).
levels, most dramatically the introduction of
The Federal Ministry of Education (1992)
Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1976.
published Minimum Standards for School
Funds that could have been used to develop
Libraries in Nigeria.
school library services were expended on crash
programs to provide classrooms and teachers for
Teacher-Librarians in Nigerian School
the increasing primary school population. A
System
second reason is perhaps that there was
In the Nigerian school system, teacher-
insufficient demand for school libraries either
librarians are qualified teachers who possess in
because of lack of library awareness or because
addition to their teaching qualification any of
the educational system being practiced, the
system, rendered them
a degree, diploma, or certificate
"chalk and talk:
the following:
in librarianship or credits in librarianship
superfluous.
They are basically teachers who in
courses.
addition to their teaching load, run a school
Recognition and Legislation
library without additional remuneration to their
There has been increased recognition of
In recognition of the additional work-
salary.
the importance of libraries in education on the
load of organizing and running the school library
The National Policy on
part of government.
program, they carry less teaching load than
Education (1981) makes reference to school
The teacher-
other teachers where feasible.
libraries as one of the most important edu-
librarians are involved in teaching other
cational service and acknowledges the need to
In schools
subjects in the school curriculum.
supply materials and train staff for school
where there are shortages of teachers, the
libraries. Government has participated in stud-
teacher-librarians carry a full load of teaching
ies and organized workshops to further the
leaving no time for the library work.
The
development of school library services, most
majority of the teacher-librarians do not have
Currently the
recently in primary schools.
professional qualifications in librarianship.
World Bank Assisted Primary Education Project
Elaturoti (1982) reported that there was
includes the development of libraries in primary
only one qualified teacher-librarian with ALA
Workshops are being organized to
schools.
and a teaching qualification in the 293 secon-
train teacher-librarians for primary school
dary schools surveyed in the former Western
The Local Governments are being
libraries.
State of Nigeria. Fourteen other teacher-librar-
directed to build zonal school libraries, at least
ians had librarianship knowledge through
provide library
one in each Local Government to
workshops. The remaining schools had no qua-
services to schools. The books and other learn-
lified teacher-librarians. Other studies by Bolo-
ing resources for the primary school libraries are
deoku (1979( and Opeke (1980) reported
being evaluated, selected, and purchased by the
similar findings.
Federal Ministry of Education under the World
At
Bank Assisted Primary Education Project.
Training of Teacher-Librarians for Niger-
the secondary schools' level, both the federal
ian School System
and state governments are giving support to
51
for
reasonable length of time in the schools
Hitherto there has been no recognized
several reasons. The post is not a remunerative
by the
training program for teacher-librarians
the school and
one as other duty posts in
in
government for the purpose of employment
therefore there is no incentive to keep them on
teacher-librarian
public schools. The post of the
teachers in
the job. Second, for lack of subject
has not attracted any
as earlier mentioned,
schools,
schools particularly in the secondary
The bulk of the
additional remuneration.
assigned
the teacher-librarians are usually
school system
existing teacher-librarians in the
subjects to teach in the school without any
inservice
have been trained through short
Third, the
reduction in their teaching load.
offered by the Abadina
courses and workshops
teacher-librarians, when promoted to higher
School
Media Resource Center, The States;
work
posts, find it difficult to combine library
of
Library Association, Federal Ministry
transfer
with their new assignments. Frequent
Teachers
Education, State Library Boards, and
schools of
of teachers has also deprived some
More recently, some
Resource Center, Jos.
teacher-
the services of dedicated and qualified
have
universities and colleges of education
librarians.
introduced programs to produce teacher-librar-
of
The lack of continuity in the service
(1991)
ians for Nigerian school systems. Ajibero
the teacher-librarians in Nigeria school system
that offer
listed sic university library schools
of school
has affected adversely the development
but
specialization in school librarianship
of
libraries in Nigerian schools and the growth
have
remarked that not all the library schools
librarians.
the professional association of school
teacher-
good programs for the training of
The efforts made to get the government to
the
librarians as the courses offered centered on
for
recognize the position of teacher-librarian
and the
role of school libraries in the curricula
appointment and remuneration has not yielded
library
need to encourage youth to use the
the desired results due to lack of
qualified
concluded that far more
resources effectively. He
teacher-librarians in the school system.
need to
concerted and well articulated programs
The Nigerian School Library Association
schools in
be introduced in Nigerian library
library
in realization of the obstacles to school
would
order to produce teacher-librarians that
development in the Nigerian schools has
National Policy on
meet the challenges of the
resolved to work toward the professionalization
Education.
schools.
of the position of teacher-librarian in
Some colleges of education up till 1991
facili-
The achievement of this objective would
of the
offered courses in librarianship as one
the position
tate the government recognition of
three subjects studied for the
Nigerian
for remuneration and improved career prospects
Certificate of Education (NCE), a three year
and could help to keep the school librarians on
sub-
post-secondary teachers certificate. Other
The Association has
their job in the schools.
education
jects offered with librarianship are
designation
also proposed to substitute the
The graduates of the
and a teaching subject.
for all
"school librarians" for teacher-librarians
employed in primary or
program are to be
qualified school librarians. It is also our expec-
This
secondary schools as teacher-librarians.
librarians"
tation that the designation "school
right step toward pro-
program is considered a
heads
when adopted would make the school
for
viding adequate qualified school librarians
primary assignment of
more conscious that the
the
Nigerian schools. Contrary to expectations
the school librarian is to develop and run an
the national council
program was phased out by
of the
effective school media program in support
the ground that
on Education in 1991 on
education program of the school.
in
librarianship is not a teaching subject
Efforts being made to restore the pro-
schools.
Proposed Curriculum for Training School
successful. However a few
gram have not been
Librarians for Nigerian School System
librarianship courses have been integrated into
The proposed program by the Nigerian
the
the general studies program to equip
of
School Library Association for the training
students with the knowledge of organization
the
school librarians takes into consideration
of
and use of library resources. The phasing out
librarianship qualifications that are equivalent
librarianship as a subject for the NCE program
to the minimum teaching qualifications approv-
provide
has brought some set back to efforts to
ed by the government for the primary and post-
Nigerian
qualified teacher-librarians for the
primary institutions in Nigeria.
school system.
The Diploma in Librarianship is being
There has been a problem of retention of
school
proposed as minimum qualification for
job for a
qualified teacher-librarians in the
52
observation during library practice
librarians in primary schools.
The Diploma is
an equivalent of the Nigerian Certificate of
Education Courses (Compulsory)
Education, the minimum qualification pre-
scribed for teachers in the nation's primary
Psychological foundations of education
Introduction to the history and policy on
schools.
The Bachelor of Library Science is the
education
minimum librarianship qualification proposed
Psychology of learning
For teachers who
for the secondary schools.
Educational psychology
want to train as school librarians after the
Education Courses (Required)
Bachelor's degrees in a teaching subject, the
Sociological and philosophical foundations of
Master of Library Science has been proposed for
The rationale for proposing
such teachers.
education
Principles and practice of education
these qualifications for school librarians is that
they should have equal status with other
teachers in the school to be able to relate to the
teachers as members of faculty in the discharge
Teaching Subject
of their duties as the media resource specialist
The candidate will be offered one
in the school setting.
The courses for that program were
teaching subject in related departments in the
university which would be studied for two years.
designed in collaboration with the heads of the
library schools in Nigerian universities. Three
Bachelor of Library Science for School
areas of competencies are identified for inclusion
Librarians
Librarianship, educa-
in the course program:
tion and teaching subject in the sciences,
The course will be a four-year degree
The candidates would be offered
program.
humanities or social sciences. The librarianship
courses in librarianship, education and one
courses were selected from the existing courses
offered in the library schools with some new
teaching subject in either the humanities, social
The courses offered are
sciences, or sciences.
additions. The education courses were selected
from the existing courses in the departments of
listed as follows:
education in the Nigerian universities that are
Librarianship Courses (Compulsory)
relevant to the needs of school librarians with or
Society development and libraries
without education background. For the various
Learning resources in education
programs the following courses are proposed:
Reference sources and user services
Two-Year Diploma in Library Science for
Cataloguing and classification
School Librarians
Collection development
Administration of school libraries
Librarianship Courses (Compulsory)
Computers in libraries and education
Library practice
Libraries and society
Library survey
Library resources
Cataloguing and classification
Librarianship Courses (Required)
Library routines-Technical and readers services
Technical routine processes
Library work with children and young adults
Literature and library services to children and
School and education libraries
young adults
Compilation of bibliography
Bibliographies
Library practice
Media technology
Librarianship Courses (Required)
Indexing and abstracting
Interlibrary loan and cooperation
AV resources management
Subject information sources in science, social
Librarianship Courses (Elective)
sciences and humanities
The handicapped and library services
Library methods in education (Primary Schools)
Education Courses (Compulsory)
Librarianship Coursed (Elective)
Psychology of learning
General principles of curriculum and instruction
Long Essay: Submission of a paper based on
53
5
with teaching qualifications. In the selection of
Sociology of education
the courses we have been guided by the reports
United Kingdom's
of the following bodies:
Education Courses (Required)
Library and Information Services Council's
Introduction to the history and policy of
Working Party on School Library Services
education
(1984), IFLA (1985), and Canadian School
Sociological and philosophical foundations of
Library Association (1985 & 1989). The reports
education
indicate the areas of competence on which
Psychological foundations of education
to be given as
education,
training
is
Introduction to special education
For the
librarianship, and management.
History and policy of education in Nigeria
training program being proposed for Nigeria,
management will be part of the librarianship
Teaching Subject
Provision is made for a teaching
courses.
The candidate would be offered at least
subject to be offered in other departments. The
the humanities,
one teaching subject in either
school librarian needs the teaching subject for
social sciences, or sciences in other departments
equal academic status with other teachers. The
to study for four years.
knowledge of a teaching subject would help
them in collection development and reference
services to users.
The Master of Library Science for School
Librarians
Effort is now being made to organize a
master's
the
The candidates
for
national conference on the training programs
librarianship
program will be offered courses in
Participants at the conference
later this year.
The subjects studied for
and education only.
Library educators, librarians,
would include:
the bachelor's degree would be sufficient for
officials of the federal and state ministries of
required subject background. The candidates
education, the National Librarian, Nigerian
would be offered more courses in library science
Library Association, officials of the teaching
to give them the professional competence.
service commissions, national university
commission, representatives of the Nigeria
Librarianship Courses (Compulsory)
Union of Teachers, Conference of Principals of
Collection development
secondary schools and headmasters of primary
Cataloguing and classification
schools, school librarians, and other interested
Automation in libraries, archives and informa-
bodies.
tion centers
The conference would examine and
Administration of school library media center
deliberate on the course content of the training
Reference sources and user services
and
programs to determine their relevance
Working with children and young adults
adequacy and to make recommendations to the
Independent study (project)
appropriate organ of government for their
Practical work in libraries
adoption for training school librarians for the
Nigerian school system. It is our hope that the
Librarianship Courses (Required)
Nigerian School Library Association would
History of archives, libraries and information
receive the needed support from the related
systems
sectors in education to make the proposal a
Subject information sources
reality.
Indexing and abstracting
Audio visual resources
References
Ajibero, M. I. (1991) "Provision for Training
Education Courses (Compulsory)
Teacher-Librarians in Nigerian Library
Philosophy of education
Paper presented at 12th Annual
Schools."
Psychology of learning
conference of Nigerian School Library
Principles of curriculum design
Association, Sokoto. Mimeograph.
Education Courses (Required)
Dike, V. W. (1991) "School Library Services in
Research methods in education
A Perspective."
the 1990s and Beyond:
Paper presented at 12th Annual Conference
The admission of students to these
of Nigerian School Library Association,
candidates
programs would give preference to
6
54
Sokoto. Mimeograph.
Elaturoti, D. F. (1982) "Survey of Secondary
School Libraries in Oyo, Ondo and Ogun.
States," Nigerian Journal of Library &
Information Studies 1 (1) 52-65.
Elaturoti, D. F. (1991) "Developing Curricula for
Training Teacher-Librarians for Nigerian
Schools." Paper presented at 12th Annual
Conference of Nigerian School Library Assoc-
iation, Sokoto Mimeograph.
Federal Government of Nigeria. National Policy
on Education. Revised ed. Lagos, Federal
Government Press, 1981.
Hamza, Y. (1990) "The Management of Change-
Education in Nigeria Under the Austerity
and Structural Adjustment Programmes in
the 1980s," Education Today 4 (1) 3-17.
Lagos, Daily Times
Nigerian Year Book 1992.
12-20.
Marinho, H. (1991) "Basic Education and
National Development," Education Today 4
(2), 17-27.
Nzotta, B. C. (1991) "Provision for Training
Teacher-Librarians at Ibadan."
Paper
presented at 12th Annual Conference of
Nigerian School Library Association,
Sokoto. Mimeograph.
Prospectus of Departments of Library Science of
Nigerian Universities.
7
55
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