AVAILABILITY OF TEACHERS AND ADEQUACY OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM FOR BASIC EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the availability of qualified teachers and educational resources necessary for implementing the English language curriculum for basic education in Kaduna North and Kaduna South Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State. A sample of seventy (70) teachers from twenty-eight (28) junior secondary schools, comprising eighteen (18) schools in Kaduna North and ten (10) schools in Kaduna South, participated in the study. The findings indicated that in Kaduna North LGA, 42% of the English teachers were qualified, while 58% lacked the necessary qualifications. Additionally, 75% of the teachers in this area reported that the number of available English language teachers was insufficient, with only 25% indicating an adequate teacher supply. In Kaduna South LGA, 65% of English language teachers were identified as qualified, whereas 35% were not. Here, 45% of the respondents perceived the availability of English teachers as adequate, while 55% deemed it inadequate. Further analysis revealed a significant shortfall in essential educational resources across the schools surveyed. Items such as student’s textbooks, teacher’s guides, charts, slides, projectors, audio and video tapes, CDs, and DVDs were largely insufficient, and language laboratories were completely absent in all institutions visited. The study recommended that Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, Local Government Education and school authorities should ensure the provision of adequate educational resources in all schools to enhance the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process. Moreover, there is a need to recruit and deploy a sufficient number of qualified English language teachers to promote the successful implementation of the basic education curriculum and to improve educational outcomes in Kaduna State.