REALIZING THE OBJECTIVES OF CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION: THE NEED FOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF TEACHERS AND COUNSELLORS

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1 REALIZING THE OBJECTIVES OF CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION: THE NEED FOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF TEACHERS AND COUNSELLORS ABSTRACT A.N.G. ALUTU (PhD) / C. J. IFEDILI (PhD) FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA. P.O. BOX 10073, UGBOWO, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA. Citizenship education has come a long way in Nigeria since its introduction into the Colleges of Education curriculum as a major subject in This paper addresses the need for collaborative roles of teachers and counsellors in the realization of the objectives of citizenship education in Nigeria. The concept of citizenship education was discussed and a paradigm to illustrate the pedagogic and counselling process of impacting citizenship education on the students was proposed. In Nigeria, the need for citizenship education is glaring, therefore viable machineries should be set up to complement the ones on ground in order to achieve our national development goals. Keywords: Realizing ; Objectives ; Citizenship Education; Need ; Collaborative ; Effort ; Teachers; counsellors INTRODUCTION The terms citizen and citizenship are so commonly used in our society, yet most individuals are not aware of their rights, privileges and the rule of law as stipulated in the country s constitution. In practical terms, the concept of citizenship is not taken into consideration in our day-to-day response to the needs and demands of the individuals in the society. A citizen of a country is one born in a given country in which the parents originated from also by birth. Such an individual is accorded all the rights and privileges guaranteed under the state and federal government. One of the major objectives of citizenship education is to awaken the consciousness of the people to their civic responsibilities in the promotion of national unity and to encourage the people to take part actively and freely in discussions and decisions affecting their general welfare. In Nigeria, citizenship education has been informally addressed during the pre- COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 571

2 colonial and part of the post-colonial governance. This approach left the people ignorant and noncommitted to the content and practice of good citizenry. Since 1963 when Nigeria became a republic, she has been be-set with protracted military rule whose rulership was based on decrees, which is more or less dictatorial, and so the issue of people s rights and privileges was not the focus. Citizenship education is in high demand now in our country especially because of unprecedented increase in moral decadence, crime and other corrupt practices. Transparency International has rated Nigeria as the second most corrupt country in the world (Punch, 2003). There is need for a re-orientation of the general attitude of the Nigerian populace if we should exist as a nation with a future. Several commissions were set up to review the existing educational structure and social studies was introduced in the school curriculum as a school subject with a view to train primary and secondary school children to be patriotic, honest, hardworking and disciplined citizens. In 1990, the federal government in collaboration with the National Teachers Institute (NTI) introduced citizenship education in our Colleges of Education in order to realize the objectives of citizenship education. In a democratic nation like ours citizenship education should be basic in order to involve the populace in governance. In South Africa for instance, the participation of the youth in the constitution making process have proven to be fruitful. South Africa has recommended both locally and internationally as good constitutional model for developing countries. It is rather unfortunate that the youths in Nigeria have little or no contribution in the constitution making process of our country. Through citizenship education and awareness, the youths can be integrated to contribute their quota in future development of Nigeria. The youths can be sensitised about constitution through citizenship education. This is expedient in view of the fact that the youth constitute quite a substantial percentage of the population. Involving the youths through education and counselling will not only enhance stability and good governance but will also increase their commitment to initiatives of the government of which they are the leaders of tomorrow. If the constitution making process is inadequate or erratic, it is reflected on the overall national development. Since democracy lays emphasis on the society, such a society should be the context of the constitution making process. However, in Nigeria, the populace is not well represented especially the youths and students. Any constitution that does not emerge from widespread consultation with all nationality and interest groups cannot be regarded as legitimate. In other COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 572

3 words, the basis of constitutional legitimacy must be measured by the extent to which the masses form part of the process of compacting the constitution. In Nigeria, we still have a long way to go to achieve the objectives of citizenship education. Democratic leadership and rulership come from years of tutelage and experience. Through citizenship education the major players in a democratic leadership should be sensitised in order to gain their contribution and compliance to the rule of the law. Constitution making in Nigeria dates from the day of amalgamation 1914 and four phases can be identified. The last constitution in operation now was drafted in Through citizenship education, the youth and populace should be made to know their constitutional rights and defend them. According to Ngwenyana (2003), the paramount reason for constitutional reforms in Africa has generally been to establish and authenticate democratic values, good governance and accountability. Most African countries are making positive strides to reform and improve the constitution by involving the youths and educating them for a brighter future. Zimbabwe, Ghana, Uganda and South Africa are some of the examples where some kinds of revolution have moved the government forward. At present, in Nigeria, the culture of corruption and mismanagement of resources call for a reform of our constitution. Section 17(2a) of the 1999 constitution states that every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligation and opportunities before the law. In practice, however, this is not implemented due to level of corruption and ignorance. In order to achieve the said objectives of citizenship education, this must be addressed holistically through pedagogic and counselling procedures. The Concept of Citizenship Education Citizenship education is a universal concept, which varies from society to society depending on their specific needs and problems. The nature and objectives of citizenship education in any given society is dependent on the presenting indicators in the social environment. Since virtually all human beings possess hedonistic character, the desire to train for good citizenship is universal. There is a strong biological tendency to wish to stay alive and feel fulfilled. This paves the pathway for a society to accept mass mobilization, training, education and counselling for good citizenship, which is urgent in Nigeria in order to restructure our mundane attitudes and ideas. Citizenship education has come a long way in Nigeria since The federal and state government have set up machineries, which aim at mobilization of the masses to make them aware of their duties, rights and responsibilities. In 1973, the Federal Government introduced the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to instill the spirit of patriotism in our youths. Operation COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 573

4 Feed the Nation and the Green Revolution were introduced in 1976 and 1981 respectively and the major objective was to mobilize the masses towards food production. Among the machineries put in place under the Directorate for Social Mobilization (MAMSER) in 1987 and War Against Indiscipline (WAI) brigade. War Against Indiscipline stipulated the expected code of conduct of all citizens particularly in the public for cohesion and harmony. The WAI brigade was established as a voluntary organization of committed and disciplined patriots. This later metamorphosed into WAIC (War Against Indiscipline and Corruption). The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is a corporate body, which emerged from the merging of public enlightenment, WAI brigade and a division of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture with MAMSER. The NOA was formally established by decree No. 100 of 1993.The major objective was to ensure that the general public better understands government programmes and policies. One of the major efforts of National Orientation Movement was mass mobilization for self-reliance economic recovery and social justice. The major problem associated with these movements has been poor coordination. In addition to this, the prospective secondary school teachers during their teacher training receive lectures on citizenship education to equip them for teaching in the primary and secondary school levels. Role of Teachers in Citizenship Education Teachers generally are referred to as nation s builders. A good teacher is one that is resourceful, possesses a sound knowledge of human psychology, communicates effectively and is genuinely interested in the welfare of the students. He guides and motivates the learners by the use of innovative methods of pedagogy. The teacher s job does not just end with imparting content knowledge, but he uses his pedagogic skills to impart good morals and values in the students. The group value affects the group behaviour because it is these values that express what the group regards as a good, ideal desirable or undesirable. A model teacher is a value bearer who transmits socially acceptable values to his students. The knowledge of a student s sub-culture group will help the teacher to organize his teaching methods accordingly. The teacher s job also includes assessment of the relative standing of his/her students in the taught courses. This information is usually stored in the cumulative record folders of students and is used by the counsellors to assist the under-achieving and maladjusted students. Generally speaking, teachers act as pacesetters, facilitators, mentors, guides and motivators to the students so they are major resource persons for imparting citizenship education. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 574

5 Guidance Counsellors Role in Citizenship Education The term guidance simply means a process of helping individual to understand themselves and their world. Counselling as a service is subsumed under the guidance program. In school and out of school settings, Guidance Counselling is in operation to help in the adjustment process of normal individuals. Counselling is a process, which involves mutual relationship between the counsellor and the counselee. It can be one-to-one as n individual guidance or the counsellor to a group of students / clients with similar needs as in group counselling. Guidance services are generally designed for a group or class of students in the school system or in the community. Counselling within the school involves the interaction of the counsellor with student teachers, administrators, parents and other stakeholders in the community. However, the central group are the students without whom other school personnel cannot function. The counsellor offers counselling services to students so as to prepare them for a socially, useful and satisfying living in the society. An effective counsellor, therefore, should possess some basic characteristics that will attract clients to him or her. A counsellor must be highly skilled, informed and well adjusted in order to meet the needs of the students and clients. The counsellor is not a classroom teacher but is more concerned with the psychomotor and affective domain of students. The counsellor s major role is to assist in inculcating the right values in the client and modification of behaviour that are not desirable. Akinpelu (1974) indicated that guidance and counselling has the highest index of effectiveness as a way of promoting moral growth of students. Other school personnel for counselling and follow-up services should refer difficult students in the school system to the counsellor. There is therefore the need for the teacher and counsellor to work collaboratively in order to meet the total needs of the client. The paradigm below illustrates the pedagogic and counselling process that will be put in place in the school system to achieve the aims of citizenship education. It must be noted however, that in many educational institutions in Nigeria, teachers fill in the gap for the counsellors due to the inadequate number of trained counsellors. This calls for the urgent need for Guidance and Counselling to be taught as a course in the first degree which is not the case at the moment in many Nigerian Universities. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 575

6 Collaborative Role of Teachers and Counsellors in Citizenship Education This paper has dwelled on the concept of citizenship objectives and the machineries to realize the objectives. It is notes worthy that the major agents through which information on citizenship education can be disseminated in the school are the teachers and counsellors. The constitution document spelt out the expected duties and responsibilities of a citizen of any country. Every individual is expected to perform these duties in the interest, peace, service, cohesion and overall development of the nation. These duties and responsibilities should be imparted in the citizenry formally through teaching and counselling in order to equip them in assisting to develop the nation. According to the 1999 constitution (Chapter 2 sub-section 24), Nigerian citizens are expected to perform these duties: 1. Abide by the national constitution. 2. Assist to enhance the power, prestige and good name of Nigeria. 3. Recognise the existence of other citizens of Nigeria and respect their dignity. 4. Contributing positively and usefully to the advancement, progress and well being of the communities they live in. 5. Declaring his or her income honestly to appropriate lawful agencies. 6. Pay his or her taxes promptly and regularly. 7. Giving assistance to law enforcement agencies like the Nigerian Police, state security services and other lawful agencies in the maintenance of peace, law and order in the society. The teacher and the counsellor should understand the constitution very well so that they can act effectively as facilitators and role models to the students. Without such complimentary effort of the two major players in imparting the citizenship education, the realization of the objectives of citizenship will be elusive. Fundamental rights of the Nigerian citizen should be collaboratively imparted to the students by the teachers and counsellors. These are stipulated in chapter V of the 1999 constitution: 1. Right to life. 2. Right to dignity of human. 3. Right to personal liberty. 4. Right to fair hearing. 5. Right to private and family life. 6. Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. 7. Right to freedom of expression and press. 8. Right to peaceful assembly. 9. Right to freedom of movement. 10. Right to freedom from disciplined to acquire and own immovable property. The figure that follows, presents a paradigm adapted from Reische (1987) and modified by the authors to illustrate the pedagogic and counselling modes of imparting citizenship Figure 1: Pedagogic / Counselling Paradigm for Citizenship Education COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 576

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8 Conclusion The greatest asset a country can bestow to her citizens is good education. Schooling for citizenship education and national development has been emphasised in this paper. Nigerian government needs to reflect the interest of majority of its citizens especially the youths in reviewing its constitution. The specific roles of teachers and counsellors in the school system were addressed. This paper noted that for the realization of the objectives of citizenship education, there is need for collaborative efforts of teachers and counsellors in the school system. This will complement the social mobilization machineries that have been put in place by the Federal and State Governments. Recommendations The government should organize workshops, conferences and seminars on the importance of cooperative effort between counsellors and teachers. This will create better awareness on the importance of collaborative efforts of teachers and counsellors. There should be citizenship education both in primary and secondary institutions. This is because it is always better to catch the citizens young. The youths should be included in drawing up the policies that affect them. This will help in compliance to drawn up policies so that the problems usually encountered would be minimized. Every School should have a trained counsellor and by this, it is also recommended that guidance and counselling should be taught as a course in the first degree. This will ensure adequate supply of full time counsellors for the moral, social and educational growth of the students. Workshop should be organized for the members of National Assembly on the importance of good citizenship in performance of their duties. This is because some of their behaviours while seating to take a decision are at variance with what is expected of them. The young ones watch them and they are expected to show good morals and good behaviours. They should be role model for the youth. Citizenship awareness should be publicly made so that the masses will live up to the expectation. This will make people to respect the laws of the land and also respect their fellow human beings. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 578

9 References Akinpelu, J.A. (1974). Avenue for moral education in some Nigerian secondary schools: a survey. Journal of Moral Education.3, Alutu, A.N.G. (2003). Students discipline and conduct: a joint enterprise for parents, teachers and counsellors International Journal of Counselling. Alutu, A.N.G. and Egbochuku, E.O. (2000). A handbook on counselling practicum. Benin City: Ambik Press. Ifedili, C.J. (2003). 100 moral codes for students. Benin City: Ambik Press. National Orientation Agency (1994). The new direction. Abuja: NOA. Ngwenyana, T. (2000). The role of the youth in constitution. A CDRH Publication on Constitution, Democracy and Rule of Law. Lagos:Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR). Okorodudu, R.I. (1996). Education and reorientation for good citizenship in nation building. Benin City: Osasu Publishers. Punch (Oct.8,2003). Transparency ranks Nigeria second most corrupt nation, Pg.3. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 579