Contribution Of Social Studies In Inculcating Citizenship Values In Jss In Gwagwalada Area Council Abuja

1.1    BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

It is believed that education is an effective instrument for socializing the young children through the promotion of desirable socio-cultural values, creation of citizenship values which prepares the youth to perform their functions to the nation effectively as they grow up as adults. DuBey (1972) emphasized that educational institutions in Nigeria are recognized as playing a very important role in socialization of the Nigerian school children. Jaros (1973) too claimed that schools are specifically designed to communicate citizenship values to the children.

It is emphasized that education serves as a potent force in finding solution to social problems and for the development of the potentialities and aspirations of a nation. Briggs (1930:143) in Ukeje (1966) stressed that education is an investment by the society to make itself a better place in which to live and a better place in which to make a living. Dewey (1916, 1938, 1952) and Conant (1959) in Okam (2004) endorsed that schools in a socio-political system must enable learners develop a philosophy of life and a social outlook through genuine educative participation. Dewey (1916) in Okam (2004) irrevocably linked democracy and education. He forged the link between democracy, as a social process, and education as a democratic way to prepare citizens to make intelligent decisions about social change. 

Dewey (1916) saw democracy and education as part of the same process of growth. His reflection was that the new responsibility of education for democracy, particularly in such a social system as the United States of America, fell heavily on the school. He noticed that the basic problem of educators largely impinges on how schools would be geared at providing a distinct curriculum for each individual that would meet both personal and social goals. He endorsed that subjects should be included in the curriculum only if they had immediate value for the present needs and growth of a student.

The need for full orientation of students in the national citizenship life of Nigeria, being a democratic nation, is a desirable goal. Social Studies, as a curriculum instrument, is assigned a key role in the successful implementation of the nation’s citizenship goals. Adaralegbe (1980) and Mafuyai (1980) maintained that Social Studies can provide students with the necessary skills for articulate citizenship, preparation for future participation in democracy, citizenship literacy and responsibility. DuBey and Barth (1989) and Okam (1998) contended that the basic goal of Social Studies is the preparation of the pupil for full responsible citizenship. Okam (1998) pointed out that Social Studies has to be seen as a modern attempt at an interdisciplinary study of a topic, a problem, an issue, a concern or an aspiration. In this function, it is a problem approach discipline through which man studies and learns about problems of survival in his social environment. It is geared at fostering better understanding of the movements, events and personalities that have influenced the history of a given social setting. The ultimate objective of Social Studies programmes is the development and improvement of social living generally, not merely in the classroom, but in the community, and in the world as a whole. These programmes have to be seen in terms of the grooming and production of intelligent, responsible and self directing citizens (Joof and Okam, 1998; Okam, 1998). The essence of Social Studies programmes, therefore, is expected to provide young learners with insight into the use of various knowledge structures and procedures that have relevance in modern civilization (Okam, 2002).

The relevance of education to the social, economic, political and technological development of Nigeria is recognized by educators in this country. The National Policy on Education (1998) identifies education as a dynamic instrument of change and has expressed great faith in the ability of education to transform the society and lead it to quick transformation in the area of economic, and human development. It is, therefore, the Government’s desire that Nigeria should be a just, free and democratic society, one with full opportunities for its citizens, and one that is able to generate a dynamic economy. Nigeria is to be a society, strong, united and self-reliant. Education is the greatest force, according to Government, that can be used to realize these dreams of unity in Nigeria. To this end, Nigeria’s philosophy of education hinges on the integration of the individual into a sound and effective citizen, the provision of equal educational opportunities for all citizens. For this philosophy to be in harmony with Nigeria’s national objectives, it has to be geared toward self-realization, better human relations, effective citizenship, national consciousness, national unity, as well as cultural, economic, scientific and technological progress.

 The national educational aims and objectives to which the philosophy is linked are reflected as follows:

i-       the inculcation of national consciousness and national unity;

ii-      the inculcation of the right type of values and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the Nigerian society;

iii-     the training of the mind in understanding of the world around; and

iv-     the acquisition of appropriate skills, ability and competences, both mental and physical as equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the development of his society.