UNIT 1

MEANING AND SCOPE OF COMPARATIVE EDUCATION

WHAT IS COMPARATIVE EDUCATION?

Naturally, human beings are into the business of comparison. Comparison can be initiated by many
factors i.e greed, planning etc. It is a lifelong process relating/pertaining to humans. Comparison takes
place whenever two or more things are concerned at thesame and for the purposes of understanding
the relationship between them.

SOME DEFINITIONS OF COMPARATIVE EDUCATION

1. It is the study of one, two or more educational systems.

2. A study of how the philosophy, objective and age, policies and practices of education in other
countries influences the general development, policies and practices of education in a particular or given
country.

3. A study of how the development of education in the past across the ages and continents have
influenced the development of education in other countries.

4. A study of the school system of two or more countries and the administrative machineries set up to
implement and control government policies at various levels of education.

According to Hood (1962), comparative education is a field of study that deals with the comparison of
current educational theories and practices in different spheres of life.

COURSES IN COMPARATIVE EDUCATION

Some of the courses that makes up comparative education include;

1. Philosophy of Education

2. Geography

3. History of Education

4. Sociology

5. Anthropology

6. Psychology

7. Statistics
 NEED FOR COMPARATIVE EDUCATION

1. To assist/aid in the understanding of one's educational system.

2. To synthesize and understand the factors responsible for changes in education system.

METHOD OF STUDYING COMPARATIVE EDUCATION

1. Case Study Method

2. Historical Method

3. Sociological Method

4. Observational Method

UNIT 2

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN NIGERIA AND THE UNITED STATES

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN NIGERIA

The Federal Ministry of Education controls the educational system in Nigeria. Education in the olden
days prepares one to be a civil servant and not for one's self reliance. The 6 - 3 - 3 - 4 system we now
know and recognize today in the country is as a result of comparative education. Back during those
times, this policy of 6 - 3 - 3 - 4 failed due to unequipped (unskilled) manpower or what some might tag
as the shortage of manpower to carry out the policy in terms of man, money and equipment i.e
machines.

Nigeria was colonized by the British Government and she gained her independence in the year 1960,
October 1st. The curriculum existing as at then was mainly that of the British during the colonial era.
Education made us realize some amazing fact and truth about how we have been unmindful about
things around us (African Poetry). The education of a particular set of people particularly or certainly
determine how wealthy the country would be.

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES

In America, it was slavery that brought Black Men into the States in the years 400 - 600AH, dating ages
ago. There is no significant difference between Nigeria and American educational system. They operate
a federal system of government which also affect their school system. Schools in America are owned by
the Federal, State and Private.
The American education are free but it only pertains to those of nationality i.e citizens of the US as non
citizens can pay. The citizens who don't pay doesn't mean it is absolutely free in all aspects. They shall
make payments for books, uniforms, field trips etc. They are minor

donations from state to state in the US.

The United States (US) school structure is broken down into three (3) namely;

1. Elementary school i.e 6 to 7 years span and it starts in Kindergarten and through to Grade 5 and 6;

2. Middle school i.e 2 to 3 years span and it starts from Grade 6 & 7;

3. High school i.e from 4years and it starts from Grade 9 to 12.

NOTE: These years stated above doesn't imply the age of the children in gaining entry into the school
but rather, it implies the number of years a child is expected to stay in a particular category of school
before graduating or advancing into another.

aOnce a student has completed the Grade 12 of the High school, he/she will receive a high school
diploma but before gaining access to that, such a student must have competwd that level of sSECOND
i.e secondary school

POST SECONDARY (HIGH) SCHOOL EDUCATION IN AMERICA

The Unites States (US) have more than 4500 institutions of higher learning. These institutions are not
centrally organized but are accredited in a national or regional level which makes them unique.

There are many different types of post secondary (high) school education in the US amongst them are;

1. State College

2. Private College

3. Community College

4. Institution of Technology etc

Each type of institution provide the student with unique schooling experience, giving students the
flexibility in choosing their career paths for themselves.

NOTE: African schools are better in terms of morals when compared with the US as they are taught
discipline. Public or state institutions are supported by state or local government.

UNIT 3
 EDUCATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK)

England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales makes up or consists of the four (4) nations that forms
the United Kingdom (UK). A king/Queen is the head of this formal kingdom (at present, King Charles III is
the head, 08the September, 2022). In the educational system of the United Kingdom (UK), they pay little
or nothing as school fees. Across the United Kingdom, there

are five (5) stages of education namely;

1. Early Years Education

2. Primary Education

3. Secondary Education

4. Further Education

5. Higher Education

Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 (from 4 in Northern Ireland) and 16.
Further education is not compulsory as it covers an advanced scope of education. The 5th stage of
education which is the "Higher Education" is a study beyond the GCE "A" level.

In England, all 3 and 4 years old are entitled to 15hours of free Nursery Education for 38weeks of a year.
The Early years education takes place in a variety of settings including State Nursery school, Nursery
classes and Reception classes within primary schools.

Children are entitled to a free part time. At the foundation phase is a holistic developmental curriculum
for the ages of 3 to 7 years. Education starts from pee school where they are provided or made available
by local authority centers or private schools.

In Scotland, the early year education is also called or known as the "Anti Preschool Education".

UNIT 4

EDUCATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK) AND FRANCE

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST BETWEEN EDUCATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK) AND

FRANCE

1. STRUCTURE: In the United Kingdom (UK), there is a definite structure consisting of primary, secondary
and higher education, amongst others. In contrast to this, in France, there is nothing of such.
2. CENTRALIZATION: In the United Kingdom (UK), there exist a decentralized system of

education with each of the four (4) nations i.e England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland having son
autonomy i.e independency in setting their educational policies and curricula. In contrast to this, France
has a centralized system since it's just one nation.

3. LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: In the United Kingdom (UK), English is the primary language of
instruction. In contrast, in France, French is the primary language of instruction and major portion of
language taught is in french except foreign language.

4. STANDARDIZED TESTING: In the United Kingdom (UK), standardized testing such as GCE etc are used
to determine students entrance into higher education. France, on the other hand, has a rigorous means
of standardized testing.

5. VOCATIONAL TRAINING: The United Kingdom (UK) AMD France have different approaches towards
vocational training. The United Kingdom (UK) does these trainings through specialized colleges and
apprehenship schemes. In contrast, France places a strong emphasis on vocational education with
vocational tracks at the "iyzee" level leading to diplomas often known as "Brevets de technicians" and
diplomas' "universe de technicians".

6. HIGHER EDUCATION: In the United Kingdom (UK), higher education are autonomous and they include
universities and specialized colleges. There is a strong emphasis on undergraduate degrees with the
students particularly being specialized in a particular area of studies/subject. In France, higher education
is being divided into "Universities" and "Granding Ecoles", and there exist more emphasis in specialized
degrees.

7. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION: In the United Kingdom (UK) and France, just like in Nigeria, they
operate both private and public education. In the United Kingdom (UK), private schools are known as
"Independent Schools" contributing 24% of the population. In France, private schools including both
circular and religious institutions play a significant role particularly in primary and secondary schools.

8. INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION: In the United Kingdom (UK), universities like Oxford and Cambridge
holds very reputable international recognition across the globe. French universities also holds
international recognition with some nations and institutions.

Overall, whilst both the United Kingdom (UK) and France places a strong emphasis on education, there
are notable differences in terms of structure, centralization, language of instructions, standardized
testing practices, vocational training approaches and higher education. These variations reflects in
various differences in historical, vocational and administrative factors.

COMPARATIVE EDUCATION IN NIGERIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

3 years of senior secondary and 4 years of tertiary education whilst in the Republic of South Africa
follows a 7 - 4 - 2 - 3 system i.e 7 years of primary, 4 years of junior secondary, 2 years of senior
secondary and 3 years of tertiary education.

2. LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: Nigeria uses English as her official language but in the Republic of South
Africa, they use 11 languages including English, African and other foreign languages.

3. ACCESS TO EDUCATION: Republic of South Africa and Nigeria face the same challenge of access to
education however, South Africa has made significant to near access to education. Nigeria, on the other
hand, has a high out - of - school population due to poverty, insecurity and rate of inflation.

4. CURRICULUM: The curriculum in both countries i.e Republic of South Africa and Nigeria is set by their
respective Ministry of Education. In Nigeria, curriculum is based on a national based curriculum some
flexibility for states to adopt it for their specific needs. However, in the Republic of South Africa, there is
a national curriculum framework called "Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement" that sets out the
subject content and specific learning outcome.

5. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION: In the Republic of South Africa, private schools are more
prominent as compared to public school that is, it is more popular and booming as compared with
public schools however, in Nigeria, i would say that public schools are more prominent as compared to
private schools. The challenges faced in education in Nigeria are shortage of teachers, infrastructural
facilities etc while the challenges faced in the Republic of South Africa include shortage of teachers in
certain areas or subjects, inadequate technicalities etc.

6. INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION: Both Nigeria and the Republic of South Africa have gained
international recognition. Universities in South Africa have gained to ranked positions across the globe.
Nigerian universities have also gained certain reputation but are having the major issue or challenge of
accreditation and poor funding.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN EDUCATION IN NIGERIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

1. Both Nigeria and South Africa have established public and private education having it's private schools
more advanced.

2. Both Nigeria and South Africa have a similar structure for basic education as they both run a 16 years
span of education i.e Nigeria's 6 - 3 - 3 - 4 and South Africa's 7 - 4 - 2 - 3.

UNIT 5
 EDUCATION IN KENYA, GHANA AND TANZANIA

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION IN KENYA

Kenya was colonized by the British and it's kind or system of education is no different from Nigeria.
Kenya educational system follows an 8 - 4 - 4 system i.e 8 years of primary education, 4 years of
secondary education both junior and senior and lastly, 4 years of tertiary education. It is quite
interesting to know however that primary education is free and it is in public schools. In Kenya, primary
education is as well compulsory for all children between the age range of 6 and 14. Also, students
pursue broad subject curriculum like English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Swahili (which
happens to be the national language of Kenya. The aim of this is to provide a solid foundation for
different areas of knowledge. Primary school students in Kenya also sit for national examination which is
the Kenya Certificate Primary Examination (KCPE). The resultant outcome of this examination when
conducted would determine what kind of secondary school would enroll such student(s).

Secondary education in Kenya has/contains two (2) levels; the 4 years of lower secondary (2years is
being drafted from the 8years of primary school) and the other 2 years of upper secondary. The lower
secondary is termed "Junior School" and upper secondary is termed "Senior School". The lower
secondary education introduces students to a wide range of subject such as Mathematics, Languages,
Humanities, Sciences etc. Upper secondary is more specialized as students have the opportunity to
choose between alternatives of either Arts or Science subjects. At the end of this level, students of the
upper secondary level seek for Kenya Certificate for Secondary Examination (KCSE). These examination,
as a result, would largely determine what university or college of education that such students can
attend and the course of study.

Tertiary education in Kenya can be in Universities, Polytechnics, College of Education and Vocational
Education. There are both private and public education in Kenya. Like in Nigeria, Kenya tertiary
education i.e university degree programmed last for 4 years while Bachelor degree programmed last for
2 to 3 years. Tertiary education provides students with skills and workforce to prepare for other areas of
work or professions.

NOTE: In Kenya Education, there is a link of education between the primary education and junior (lower)
secondary education where in the 8 years of primary education, the last 2 years attached is being
drafted and is to be included in the lower secondary school curriculum.

GHANAIAN EDUCATION

Ghana operates a unitary system of government as it involves and runs a small economy. The Ghanaian
educational system faces several challenges that affect it's effectiveness and quality. Some of these
challenges include;
1. INFRASTRUCTURE: Some of the schools in Ghana lacks adequate infrastructure, like in Nigeria. Some
of this include classrooms, toilets provision etc. These inadequate infrastructural facilities hampers
delivery of quality education and it creates unfavorable learning environment.

2. TEACHER QUALITY AND TRAINING: The qualities of teachers in Ghana varies significantly with a
shortage of experienced teachers in the country. The inadequate teacher training and vocational
development opportunities also contributes to the teaching standards.

3. ACCESS TO EDUCATION: Despite efforts to improve the access to education, there are still disparities
in access to education between urban and rural areas where urban areas tends to be well favored as
compared with rural areas as well as between different regions in the country. This shows that some
regions may be well endowed than others.

4. CURRICULUM RELEVANCE: Ghana curriculum is often criticized for being too theoretical and lacking
practice relevance. Their curriculum is not adequately aligned to the needs of the job market making it
difficult for most graduates to gain employment in the society.

5. EXAMINATION PRESSURE: The high state nature of national and external examinations such as WAEC,
NAPTEP, NECO etc contributes to intense pressure to students, leading to a focus on rote learning i.e
Cramming rather than critical thinking and creativity. This exam oriented culture limits the holistic
development of students and may not accurately access their true abilities.

6. FUNDING AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION: There is so much inadequate funding of education in Ghana
which poses a significant challenge. The education sector often receives a lower proportion of the
national budget resulting in inadequate resources for schools, teachers' salaries and infrastructural
development. Addressing these challenges requires a multi - facilitated approach including an increased
development a strategies, improved teacher training and support, curriculum reform etc.

Education a system in Ghana is structured into three (3) main levels which are;

1. Basic Education

2. Secondary Education

3. Higher Education

1. BASIC EDUCATION: Like in Nigeria, they also practice a free primary education i.e Nursery. This pre -
primary or basic level is not compulsory but serves as a foundation for growth in Education.

Under the basic education, thereis primary education and it is compulsory. It spans from ages 6 - 11
years but in Nigeria, it spans from 6 - 12 years, which is subject to changes based on the growing
economy in Nigeria. At primary school stage, students are introduced to core subjects like English,
Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. The junior secondary school, after primary school sees
students undergo 3 years of junior high school between ages 11 - 14 years. They offer subjects like
English, Mathematics, Basic Science etc

2. SECONDARY EDUCATION: This follows the junior high school and offers 3 years of academic

schooling for students between ages 14 - 18years. They offer three (3) main tracts; General Arts, General
Science and Business & Vocation. Technical and Vocational Training are also offered. Practical skills are
taught in various areas such as Agric, Engineering, Business and Hospitality. It aims to equipped students
for relevant and available job market. Some schools also offers International Paccalaurete (IP) diplomatic
program as an alternative to national curriculum. The secondary education contains two (2) levels; the
junior high school, as already mentioned, which spans for 3 years and the senior high school which also
spans for 3 years, just like in Nigeria's curriculum. The senior high school was introduced in 2007, which
now expanded the system to four (4) years in exception to the usual 3, otherwise changing the
curriculum. In this school, students takes subjects like English, Mathematics, Integrated Science and
Social Studies.

3. TERTIARY EDUCATION: Ghana has numerous universities offering undergraduate and postgraduate
programmed. They also have polytechnics which provides technical and vocational education up to
Bachelor degree level. They focus on practical training of education as a means for developmental skills
and acquisition for the Ghanaian people. These institutions offers the teacher training program,
primarily or mainly for primary and junior high school teachers. Former polytechnics has been upgraded
to technical polytechnics which offers technical and vocational education.

Like in Nigeria, Ghanaian education is oversee or monitored by external officials for national
examinations and it operates a 6 - 3 - 4 - 4 system at present.

TANZANIAN EDUCATION

Tanzania education is oversee or monitored by their Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Their educational system has the following features;

1. They consist of pre primary, primary and secondary education. Pre primary education is not
compulsory and it is for children between ages 5 & 6 years.

2. Primary education is compulsory for all children in Tanzania from age 7 - 13 years. It curriculum
include Mathematics, English, Swahili, Science, Social Science and Physical Education.

3. Secondary education consist of two (2) levels; lower and higher. The lower level i.e "O" level stays for
4 years from Font 1 to Font 4 and it leads to the Award of National Examination Council of Tanzania
(NECTA). The higher level i.e "A" level is optional and it lasts for 2 years from Font 5 to Font 6. It
prepares students higher education and it leads to the Award of "Advanced Certificate of Secondary
Education (ACSEE)".
4. Vocational education is also offered by Tanzania as well as training and programmed. These
programmes proffers or gives professional skills and knowledge to prepare students for specific skills
and knowledge, occupation or trade etc

5. Higher education in Tanzania consists of several universities offering several degrees. These

higher education include universities, vocational training programs and higher learning institutions. The
Tanzania Commission for Universities regulates and coordinates the learning in the universities. English
and Swahili are the primary languages of instructions and communication in Tanzanian schools although,
local languages are meant to be used in primary levels. In recent years, there has been a push to
increase access to education in Tanzania. These include efforts to improve or increase learning in schools
and vocational education.

UNIT 6

JAPANESE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

At the heights and eyes of Japanese power and administration, the educational system of Japan is very
important. Japan is an industrialized nation and world power. Their economic doggedness and resilience
is extraordinary. In 1945, after the closure of the Eastern World War, the Japanese was an industrial
power well recognized. In same year, the Japanese government was in a period where their economy
blossomed. The capitalist nature of their government took them from their shame of defeat in war to
becoming the king of modern day electronics and this as well reflect in their educational system. In
short, the Japanese education a system is a well established system and it has shown drastically in their
economy.

BASIC FEATURES IN JAPANESE EDUCATION

Some of the basic features present in Japan include;

1. Total reliance on technology.

2. Free education unto the age of 15 years.

3. Judicious funding of their education.

4. Centralization of their educational system.

5. It is a competitive means of education with all the qualities.

STAGES OF EDUCATION IN JAPAN

These stages include;

2. Primary Education

3. Secondary Education

4. Post Secondary Education

1. PRE PRIMARY EDUCATION: It is a free education and as well, a business enterprise privately owned
and thus, free of government ownership. It is from age 3 - 5 years and it is well established.

2. PRIMARY EDUCATION: This is in two (2) phases; Basic and Higher Education. This stage of education
has a certificate attached and it is very competitive. It is from age 5 - 12 years.

3. SECONDARY EDUCATION: This stage of education in Japan is split into the junior high schools which
covers the seventh (7th) through to ninth (9th) grade and the senior high schools which mostly covers
grade ten (10) to twelve (12).

4. POST SECONDARY EDUCATION: This is likened to the Japanese universities, including graduate schools
and colleges. The course of study/instruction normally are for four (4) years of universities and colleges
(except for medical schools, which are for six (6) years) ans between two (2) to three (3) years for junior
colleges.
SUMMARIZED BY HASSAN