Community Education Needs of Community-Based Organizations Leaders in Anambra State, Nigeria
Chapter One
Purposeย ofย theย Study
Theย mainย purposeย ofย thisย studyย wasย toย ascertainย theย communityย educationย needsย ofย communityย basedย organizationsย leadersย inย Anambraย State.ย Specifically,ย the ย study ย sought ย to ย findย out:
- The extent to which community based organizations leaders need basic
- The extent to which community based organizations leaders need social
- The extent to which community based organizations leaders need political
- The extent to which community based organizations leaders need economic
- The extent to which community based organizations leaders need cultural
CHAPTERย TWOย
REVIEWย OFย LITERATURE
ย ย Conceptualย Framework
Conceptย ofย Community
Communityย accordingย toย Coxย (1997)ย isย viewedย asย placeย inย which people live (villages, cities, etc); or reflecting a populationย groupย bearingย similarย characteristicsย (ruralย dwellers,ย urbanย residents, old people, children, and young adults); or as a trait orย concernย commonlyย sharedย byย peopleย (religiousย freedom,ย statusย ofย women,ย statusย ofย theย poorย andย downย trodden, etc). Bensmanย (1994)ย viewedย communityย asย aย relativelyย smallย isolated centresย with a stable population, in which all economic and social servicesย necessaryย toย lifeย canย beย maintained.
The term community according to Wikipedia (2011) has twoย distinct meanings: one confined to living organisms used in biologyย and the other referring to a group of human beings. In biologicalย terms, a community is a group of interacting organisms sharing aย populated environment with regard to humans, possibly living inย closeย proximity,ย andย oftenย refersย toย aย groupย thatย sharesย someย commonย values,ย andย isย attributedย withย socialย cohesionย withinย aย shared geographical location generally in social units larger than aย household. The word can also refer to the national community orย internationalย community.ย Inย humanย communities,ย intent,ย belief,ย resources,ย preferences,ย needs,ย risks,ย andย aย numberย ofย otherย conditions may beย present ย and common, affecting the ย identity ofย theย participantsย andย theirย degreeย ofย cohesiveness.
Hegmon (2002) noted that community is used in two ways inย archeology,ย parallelingย usageย inย otherย areas.ย The ย first ย is ย anย informal definition of community as a place where people used toย live. In this sense, it is synonymous with the concept of an ancientย settlement,ย whetherย aย hamlet,ย village,ย townย orย city.ย Theย secondย meaningย isย similarย toย theย usageย ofย theย term, ย in ย other ย socialย sciences. A community is a group of people living near one anotherย whoย interactย socially.ย Socialย interactionย onย aย smallย scaleย canย beย difficult to identify with archeological data. Most reconstructions ofย socialย communitiesย byย archeologistsย relyย onย the ย principle ย thatย socialย interactionย isย conditionedย byย physicalย distance.
Anyanwuย (1999:1)ย definedย communityย as:
A population living within a legally established area;
A group of people who communicate;
A group of people living in a given geographicalย ย Such groups may include: the family, the village, the town or clan, and the tribe, state or nation in which people share in common the basic conditions of life. Anyanwu further stated that, a community, therefore, is a social group, occupying a more or less defined geographical area, and based on the feelings people have for one another. Such feeling can accommodate the facility to identify a common sentiment, the ability to share a recognized way of life, and the possibility of living wholly within such group.
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Anyanwu (1999:3) further stated the six principalย characteristicsย ofย communityย as:
Shared territory: A community occupies a territorial area, within which its members live and develop the ย ways of life that give the community the unique features that ย tend ย to make its identity easily recognizable;
Shared beliefs: These are the beliefs which are nurtured andcherished by the people in the development of their commonย ideals,ย objectives,ย attitudes,ย andย values;
Shared bond of fellowship: This is a feature that distinguishes one people from another. It may be typified by the demand of obligations from citizens and the conferment of benefits upon them;
Set standards or pattern of behavior: The idea behind this characteristic is that a community arises from the living together of humanย ย The psychological situation that ensues from such living together is that people perform mutual actions and reactions towards one another. Such interaction is incessant; and no citizen can wholly cut himself off from such social relations;
Common culture: This is the aggregate of the social, ethical,intellectual, artistic, governmental and industrial attainments of a community, and by which it can be distinguished from any otherย ย It includes the ideas, traditions, customs, usages, institutions, associations, and material objects characteristic of such community;
CHAPTERย THREE
RESEARCHย METHOD
Thisย chapterย presentsย theย proceduresย thatย wereย usedย inย carryingย outย thisย study.ย Theyย areย describedย underย theย followingย sub-headings:ย Designย of the ย Study, ย Area of ย the ย Study, ย Populationย ofย theย Study,ย Sample ย and ย Sampling ย Technique, ย Instrument ย forย Dataย Collection,ย Validationย ofย theย Instrument,ย Reliabilityย ofย theย Instrument,ย Methodย ofย Dataย Collection,ย andย Methodย of ย Dataย Analysis.
Designย ofย theย Study
Descriptiveย surveyย designย wasย usedย forย theย studyย inย determining the community education needs of community leadersย inย Anambraย Stateย ofย Nigeria.ย Accordingย toย Nworguย (2006),ย descriptive survey design is concerned with collecting data from aย sampleย ofย aย populationย inย orderย toย describeย conditionsย orย relationships that exist, opinions that are held, processes that areย goingย on,ย effectsย thatย areย evidentย orย trendsย that ย are ย developing.ย Thisย researchย designย wasย consideredย appropriateย forย theย studyย becauseย itย helpedย theย researcherย toย obtainย relevantย informationย fromย theย respondentsย onย theย communityย educationย needsย ofย communityย leadersย inย Anambraย State.
Areaย ofย theย Study
Theย study was carried outย inย Anambraย State ย which ย is ย madeย upย ofย threeย senatorialย zones,ย namely,ย Anambraย North,ย Anambraย Central, and Anambra South. These three senatorial zones have 21ย localย governmentย areas.
Anambra State is an industrial cum commercial state whereย majority of the community leaders take education as a secondaryย aim. This is because evidence of basic education is not shown inย their children as they hawk during school hours. The leaders, whoย should have been the agents of change in the areas of education,ย health, politics, among others, fail to sensitize their people on theirย educationalย needs.ย Thisย mayย beย thatย majorityย ofย theย leadersย areย educationallyย disadvantaged.
Populationย ofย theย Study
The population of the study comprised all the 1,701 executiveย membersย ofย theย 189ย registeredย Autonomousย Communityย Basedย Organizations (ACBOs) set up by the communities within the 21ย local government Areas that make up the three senatorial zones ofย Anambraย Stateย namely:ย Anambraย North,ย Anambraย Central,ย andย Anambraย Southย (Seeย Appendixย B,ย p.96.ย ).
CHAPTERย FOUR
RESULTS
In this chapter, the results of the data analysis based on theย fiveย researchย questionsย andย threeย hypotheses ย that ย guided ย theย studyย areย presentedย inย tables.ย Outย ofย theย 1,701ย copiesย ofย theย questionnaire distributed and returned, 26 copies were badly filledย and discarded while the remaining 1.045 copies were ย presentedย andย analysedย inย tables.
CHAPTERย FIVE
DISCUSSION,ย RECOMMENDATIONS,ย ANDย CONCLUSION
This chapter presents discussion of findings, implications ofย theย study,ย conclusion,ย recommendations,ย andย suggestions forย furtherย research.
Discussionย ofย Findings
Fromย theย analysisย ofย dataย collectedย inย researchย questionย one,ย itย showedย thatย theย respondentsย agreedย to ย the ย basic ย educationย needs that would make them perform better in their communities.ย This is in agreement with the views of Lynette and Babara (2010)ย thatย basicย educationย refersย toย allย thoseย programmesย withย fundamentalย education,ย asย wellย asย thoseย programmesย withย alternativeย curricular,ย includingย areasย suchย asย basic ย health,ย nutrition,ย familyย planning,ย literacy,ย agriculture, ย and ย otherย vocationalย skills.
Result of research question two showed that social educationย needs were agreed to a very great extent by the respondents. Thisย meansย thatย theย respondentsย needย socialย education ย to ย establishย goodย relationshipย inย theย community,ย communicateย effectively,ย restoreย peaceย andย harmony,ย improveย theirย family ย life, ย amongย others. This agrees with the view of Davis and Gibson (1997:12)ย whoย notedย socialย educationย as:
Anyย individualโsย increasedย consciousnessย ofย himself-ย ofย hisย aptitudeย and ย untapped ย resourcesย and of the relevance of these to others. It enhancesย theย individualโsย understandingย ofย howย toย formย mutually satisfying relationships, and so involves aย searchย forย theย adultย forย waysย ofย helpingย aย youngย person to discover how to contribute to as well asย takeย fromย hisย associationsย withย others.
Socialย educationย here,ย isย emphasizedย asย a ย particular ย type ย ofย processย directedย atย aย specificย task-theย socialย developmentย ofย adolescents.ย Here,ย educationย andย learningย areย seenย asย gerund-ย wordsย whichย canย beย usedย asย aย nounย orย aย verb.ย Learningย can,ย therefore, be viewed as either an internal change in consciousnessย orย asย theย processย ofย acquiring ย knowledge, ย feelings, and ย skills. Inย this context, then, social education is a particular type of learningย processย and/orย anย attemptย toย achieveย anย internalย changeย ofย consciousnessย suchย asย theย achievementย ofย maturity.
ย Conclusion
From the foregoing, it can be concluded that one of the majorย indices of development in any society is education of its citizenry.ย Communityย educationย becomesย aย panaceaย for improvingย theย qualityย ofย lifeย inย theย community.ย Itย embracesย allย rangeย ofย developmentย activitiesย inย anyย communityย undertakenย by theย people,ย theย governmentย orย non-governmentalย organization.ย Community development, therefore, relies heavily on communityย leaders who are the real agents and catalysts of social change andย improvementย ofย theirย communities.
For community leaders to perform very well in their expectedย roles, community education programmes are of utmost necessity.ย Suchย programmeย ofย community education include: ย basicย education,ย socialย education,ย politicalย education,ย economicย education,ย andย culturalย education.ย Itย isย assumedย thatย whenย theyย acquire these educational programmes, the decline in their rolesย willย beย reversedย andย aย desiredย setย ofย conditionsย setย in.
Recommendations
Based on the findings, the following recommendations wereย made:
The agency for mass literacy, adult and non-formal education in Anambra State should mount campaign ย in ย the ย rural communities on the need for community education programmes. This is to sensitize community leaders to ensure their popular participation in educational programme activities that are designedย forย themย toย improveย theirย qualityย ofย life.
Theย governmentย shouldย fromย timeย toย timeย organizeย workshops, seminars, and symposium for community leaders andย adultย educators.ย Thisย willย goย aย longย wayย inย strengtheningย theย leadersโย knowledgeย andย skillsย inย developmentalย programmesย especiallyย whenย newย innovationย inย educationย isย made.
Community education centres should be established in ruralย communitiesย andย qualifiedย adultย educatorsย employed.ย Thisย willย enableย theย peopleย toย integrateย intoย theย wholeย spectrumย ofย developmentย programmesย andย toย meetย theย demandย ofย bothย theย non-literateย andย functionallyย illiterateย adults to ย improveย themselvesย educationallyย whichย guaranteesย aย leverageย toย betterย livelihood.
The policy makers and other administrators in mass literacy,ย adultย andย non-formalย educationย shouldย reflectย theย needsย ofย theย community in policy formulation. This will make the people see theย educationalย programmesย asย theirย ownย andย thisย willย makeย themย participateย inย theย learningย exercise.
REFERENCES
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