TOPIC 1: MEANING OF EDUCATION

1.0 Introduction

Education and comparative education as concepts can be given different interpretation.

The reason is that different people from different angles will see them from different

perspectives. In other words, there can be as many definitions to the concepts of Education

and Comparative Education.

1.1 Education

The concept education has been traced to two Latin words. The Latin words are (a) educere

and (b) educare. While educere can be interpreted as "to draw out" or "to lead out",Educare

on the other hand means "to nourish" "to bring up or "to raise".

The interpretations of two Latin words no doubt, are more than what can be offered by the

school alone.

Adesina (1985) defines education as: The tool for the integration of the individual effectively

into a society so that the individual can achieve self-realization, develop national

consciousness, promote unity and strive for social, economic, political, scientific cultural and

technological process.

While relating education to culture, Nduka (1982) sees the concept as the process of cultural

transmission of the people at least part of such culture from one generation to the next.

Education, according to Lester Smith cited by Osokoya (1987), is the culture which each

generation purposely gives to those who are to be its successors in order to qualify them for

at least keeping, and if possible for raising the level of improvement which has been attained.

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Horton, cited by Akinpelu (1984) sees education as an enabling agency by which the

Africans could restore their self-confidence, and make those who doubted the humanity of

Africans begin to revise their views and learn to respect Africans.

Education according to Nyerere (1982) is the transmission of accumulated wisdom and

knowledge of the society from one generation to the next and also to prepare the young

people for their future membership of the society in which they find themselves.

At this juncture, we can define education as a process through which an individual becomes

integrated into his society, becomes a promoter of his societal culture, contributor to the

development of his society and becomes an adult who will be able to stand on his own.

1.2 The Meaning of Comparative Education

Naturally, human beings are in the habit of making comparison of the things that are around

them particularly when such things exist in different places. This may be done as a result of

man's desire to know the relationship existing between, or among the things being compared.

Comparison can take place wherever we have two or more things at the same time either for

the purpose of having a better understanding of the relationship existing between them or for

the purpose of having a better choice.

Like other concepts, comparative education is a concept that attracts varied interpretations or

definitions. In other words, there are as many definitions as there are many Educational

Comparativists.

Adeyinka (1994) gives the following definitions for the concept.

(a) A study of two or more education systems.

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(b) A study of how the philosophy, objectives and aims, policy and practice of education in

other countries influence the general development, policy and practice of education in a

particular country.

(c) A study of how the development of education in the past, across the ages and continents,

has influenced the development of education in particular countries.

(d) A study of the school systems of two or more countries, and of the administrative

machineries set up to implement or to control the implementation of government policies at

various levels of education systems.

Comparative Education according to Good (1962) is a field of study dealing with the

comparison of current educational theory and practice in different countries for the purpose

of broadening and deepening understanding of educational problems beyond the boundaries

of one's own country.

From the above definitions, the study of Comparative education allows the person

involved to have a better understanding of the system of education outside his own

country.

To Kandel (1957), Comparative Education is the comparison of various philosophies of

education based not only on theories but the actual practices which prevail. From this above

definition, Kandel is of the opinion that comparative education goes beyond the comparison

of education philosophies but also includes the comparison of the real education practices.

Mallinson (1975) defines comparative education as a systematic examination of other

cultures and other systems of education deriving from those cultures in order to discover

resemblances and differences, and why variant solutions have been attempted (and with what

result) to problems that are often common to all.

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Adejumobi (1994) defines the concept as a critical study of educational similarities and

differences prevailing with a particular society or culture or among various societies and

cultures.

In the same vein, Osokoya (1992) observed that Comparative Education could be the

comparison of educational theory and practice within a society, state, region and nations that

scholars could engage in the comparison of educational programmes, theories and practices

even within one society. Therefore, there could be a comparative study of educational

programmes within the local governments of a state, between states of a country and between

countries of a continent.

Alabietal (1998) sees comparative education as a way of comparing and contrasting different

educational systems at national, infra-national as well as international levels.

The major implications of their definition is that comparison of educational philosophies,

systems and practices is not peculiar to two cultures or countries alone but it can also be

localized as it has been rightly pointed out by the other scholars in the field.

Awolola (1986) defines the subject as the study of aims and objectives of education, the

curriculum methods of teaching, teacher – student relationships, school calendar, mode of

discipline, design of school buildings, school administration among others which may be at

the international or national levels.

TOPIC 2: SCOPE OF COMPARATIVE EDUCATION

2.1 The Scope of Comparative Education

The term "scope" according to Longman dictionary of contemporary English could mean:

(a) The area within the limit of a question, subject, action etc.

(b) Space or chance for actions or thought.

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Scope of comparative education means the area or areas covered by the discipline. The

scope of the subject also connotes the various subjects or disciplines from where comparative

education draws its information directly or indirectly.

As an interdisciplinary subject, its scope covers the historical development of education right

from the Roman as well as the Greek civilization. It also includes the historical development

of non-formal education in any country of study. The discipline has its scope extended to the

purpose or purposes of education systems of the countries being studied, an investigation into

the similarities as well as differences existing in the educational practices of the countries

under investigation.

However, subjects from where Comparative Education draws its contents include the

following:

(a) History of Education

(b) Philosophy of Education

(c) Sociology of Education

(d) Anthropology

(e) Economics

(f) Geography

(g) Psychology

(h) Statistics

(i) Literature

(j) Political geography

(k) Political science and

(l) International relations

The above explanation clearly shows that the subject is not independent of other subjects; it is

a discipline that relates to other subjects for the accomplishment of its aims and objectives. It

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may be reasonably concluded that the interdisciplinary nature of the subject has contributed

to the wideness of the discipline.

2.2 The Purpose of Comparative Education

Comparative education, like other disciplines being offered in the education institutions, has

some goals which it aims at achieving.

Comparative education tries to compare educational problems as well as the solutions applied

to such problems with a view to helping one's educational practices.

The purpose of Comparative Education was given by Mallinson (1975) when he noted that:

To become familiar with what is being done in some countries ... and why it is done, is a

necessary part of the training of all students of educational issues of the day.

Only in that way will they be properly fitted to study and understand their own systems and

plan intelligently for the future which given the basic cultural changes that have taken place

with such astonishing throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, is going to be one

where we are thrown into ever closer contact with other peoples and other cultures.

From the above, it is evident that the study of Comparative Education assists the learners to

understand their educational systems better.

In the same vein, Kandel cited by Hans (1992) was of the opinion that the primary purpose of

comparative education is to discover not only the differences existing in the Education

systems of two countries but also the factors that bring about such differences in the

educational system.

Also, to Hans (1992) the purpose of Comparative Education is to discover the underlying

principles which govern the development of all national education systems.

2.3 Other reasons for Studying Comparative Education include:

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(a) To assist in the understanding of one's educational institutions as well as educational

practices.

(b) To assist in the understanding of the factors that are responsible for various educational

changes.

(c) To educate the students and teachers on the procedure through which educational changes

occur.

(d) To contribute not only to the educational development of the society but also to the

general development of the society.

(e) To serve as an academic discipline.

(f) To assist in solving one's educational problems

(g) To open one's eyes to the educational philosophies, theories and practices of other

countries.

(h) To assist both the students and teachers of discipline in gathering reliable information

concerning educational system.

(i) To assist in the Promotion of international relationship.

(j) To contribute to the formulation of a country's educational systems.

2.4 Conclusion

Comparative education is an interdisciplinary course as it borrows ideas from other subjects.

As a course of study, it has reasons for being taught by teachers and being learnt by the

students.