A Comparison Between The Education System Of The UK And That Of Nigeria

A Comparison between the Education System of the UK and that of Nigeria

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A Comparison between the Education System of the UK and that of Nigeria 2

A Comparison between the Education System of the UK and that of Nigeria

Education refers to the process by which learning is facilitated. It is the means by which

people transfer habits, knowledge, beliefs, values, and skills to others. The transfer is achieved

through the use of methods such as discussions, storytelling, teaching, research, or training.

Educators usually do education, but autodidactic learning also takes place when students educate

themselves.

Education takes place in an education system. Education system is a term used for public

schooling rather than private school. It involves all the activities that take place right from the

kindergarten level to the programs in high schools. Additionally, these education systems exists

in various forms, with schools and school districts being the smallest and countries the largest in

the hierarchy.

Different countries have different education systems. The differences arise from what is

invested in promoting public-schooling at different level such as the community, federal, or state.

Some of the factors that differentiate the education systems between countries include the laws,

regulations, and policies imposed by the respective country. This paper highlights the differences

between the education system in the United Kingdom and that Nigeria. The differences discussed

include those that arise in terms of allocation of resources, public funding, and the criteria used

in the distribution of resources. Additionally, differences in staffing, contracts, human resources,

employee benefits, and compensation are also discussed. What is more, differences in the

education systems of the two countries are because of differences in the teaching resources,

computers, books, and other learning materials used. The purpose of the comparison is to relate

the two countries in terms of funding, organization, and quality of each system.

A Comparison between the Education System of the UK and that of Nigeria 3

Similarities

Several similarities exist between the education system of the United Kingdom and that

of Nigeria. However, this section highlights only three of these similarities. One of the

similarities between the two systems is that “the curricula and syllabi are in British English”

(Barclay, 2006, n.p). The books used for studies are written in proper British English as opposed

to the American English.

The education systems are also similar in that they are “broken down. They are broken

down into three stages depending on the age of the learners. The first stage in both stages

consists of students whose age lies between five and eleven years. The second stage is made up

of children aged from eleven to two twelve years of age. Finally, any learner aged above sixteen

years lies in the third stage” (Barclay, 2006, n.p). The importance of these steps is to assist the

educators in the design of the syllabus to be used in each level. Students at each level are taught

similar content. The complexity of the material depends on the age. It is assumed that learners

with a higher age comprehend faster than their younger counterparts.

The third similarity observable in the two systems is they use almost similar names for

the same stages of school. The names used include the primary school, secondary school, and

university. They depend on the age of the learner. Additionally, the schools are divided into

sessions and terms. One is supposed to attend a particular number of terms and courses to be

allowed to proceed to the next stage. They also sit exams in which they must pass and meet the

standards of the board of examinations.

Differences

There are also exists a number of differences between the UK and Nigeria education

systems. “In the UK, the law prohibits children from joining school until they hit the age of five

A Comparison between the Education System of the UK and that of Nigeria 4

years” (Barclay, 2006, n.p). On the contrary, “children in Nigeria are free to enter school at any

age”. Some join before 5. However, the majority join school below the age of five years.

Additionally, the government of the UK funds the education for learners whose age

ranges between 5 and 16. “In Nigeria, only a subsidy is provided to students” (Ryan, n.d., p.

217). As such, most parents prefer private schools because they offer a better quality than the

public schools. Finally, “the education system of the UK requires one to attain the age of 11 to be

legible to join secondary education, and the age of 18 to enroll for university education” (Ryan,

n.d., p. 217). On the contrary, such laws do not exist in Nigeria. Such laws and limitations do not

exist in Nigeria.

Funding

Funding for public schools in the UK is done by the government. The state government

has introduced a strategy of per-pupil funding. That means that each school receives an amount

corresponding to the number of students enrolled. “The amount allocated to each student was

increased in the financial year 2011-2012, as well as 2014-2015” (Mortimore, 2010, p. 1). On the

other hand, the Ministry of Education in Nigeria also subsidizes education to make it affordable

for most people. It does not fund the entire amount. Consequently, the UK has a high number of

learners while Nigeria has a small number. That is because of the affordability of education.

Organization

In the United Kingdom, education is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and

16. They are supposed to go through five stages of education. The stages are classified as early

years, primary, secondary, Further Education, and Higher Education (HE). “All children are

supposed to go to at least secondary education. Higher education is optional. On the contrary,

education has no age limits in Nigeria” (Johnson, 2008, p. 48). However, it is optional right from

A Comparison between the Education System of the UK and that of Nigeria 5

the early years unlike in the UK. The strategy has increased illiteracy levels in Nigeria and

lowered ignorance and poverty in the UK.

Quality of the Education Systems

“The education system of the UK is ranked the second best in Europe and sixth best

globally”. The country has high quality educators. On the other hand, “Nigeria has a poor

education system because it lacks teachers who are of high quality”. Most learning institutions in

Nigeria lack adequate, requisite educational facilities (Ryan, n.d., p. 215). That has affected the

performance of the students adversely.

Clearly, there are more differences than similarities between the education systems of the

UK and Nigeria. The United Kingdom has a better education system because education is

compulsory and funded. The country also has requisite educational facilities. On the other hand,

Nigeria has a high level of illiteracy because education is not mandatory. Additionally, it is only

subsidized and hence unaffordable to many residents. The country also has a poor quality of

teaching because it lacks requisite facilities and materials for use in learning. As such, the United

Kingdom has a more superior education system than Nigeria.

A Comparison between the Education System of the UK and that of Nigeria 6

Reference List

Barclay, L. (2006). UK law and your rights for dummies. Chichester: John Wiley.

Johnson, D. (2008). The changing landscape of education in Africa. Oxford: Symposium Books.

Mortimore, P. (2010). Ten education issues the new government should address. [online] the

Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/may/04/education-

big-issues-new-government [Accessed 28 Nov. 2015].

Ryan, J. (n.d.). Cross cultural teaching and learning for home and international students.

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