Extent of Provision of Infrastructure and Instructional Material for the Universal Basic Education Curriculum in Schools of Cross River State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This paper focused on assessing the extent of provision of infrastructure and instructional materials for the Universal basic education programme in schools of Cross River state. The survey research design was employed for the study; 50 out of the 250 public junior secondary schools in the state were sampled for the study. A simple checklist of required infrastructure (20 items) and instructional materials (33 items) of the requirements of a Standard UBE School were obtained from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and used by the researchers to assess for availability and adequacy in the sampled schools. Data obtained were analyzed using simple percentages and presented in bar charts. Data analysis showed that some infrastructural facilities like school blocks, classrooms, libraries, sitting desks, stores, staff rooms are available but inadequate. But some other facilities like laboratories, sports facilities, school bus, water, toilets/sanitation, dormitories, refectories, clinics were not available. In the same vein, instructional materials like chalkboards, chalks, dusters, exercise books, English and mathematics textbooks, demonstration farms were available but magnetic boards, markers, TVs, DVDs, computers, slides, burners, and beakers were not available. It was recommended that complete school infrastructure as stipulated by UBE benchmark/standards should be provided in all schools to ensure successful achievement of the programme objectives. And secondly that adequate and relevant instructional material should be provided in all schools. Teachers should also endeavor to make use of instructional materials in their lessons and improvise instructional materials locally where the school does not have.