QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING (EDU 571)

TERM PAPER SUBMITTED BY:

1. Jsasdfbngdadgsjjgdghjsdh 14/345165d/6

2. Jskttyshjdrtayghjstahsgasa 14/34655d/6

3. Ekjgdtywuakhsyhjdgsghsjjsjg 14/346224d/6

4. kgvdghaGStghajSGzrtagSsssfrs 14/36754d/6

5. Jsasdfbngdadgsjjgdghjsdh 14/345165d/6

6. Jskttyshjdrtayghjstahsgasa 14/34655d/6

7. Ekjgdtywuakhsyhjdgsghsjjsjg 14/346224d/6

8. kgvdghaGStghajSGzrtagSsssfrs 14/36754d/6

9. Jsasdfbngdadgsjjgdghjsdh 14/345165d/6

10.Jskttyshjdrtayghjstahsgasa 14/34655d/6

DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

BUSINESS EDUCATION (ACCOUNTING)

APRIL, 2018
INTRODUCTION

The demand for higher education has, therefore, become imperative and is rapidly
increasing geometrically (Fabiyi and Oladipo, 2008). The global perception
agrees that for economic and social development to be derived effectively, there is
a need for advancement in, and application of knowledge. The World
Bank/UNICEF (1996) reported that education in general, and university education
in particular, is fundamental to the construction of the knowledge economy and
society in all nations. The report also identified the fact that the potential of higher
education systems in developing countries to fulfil this responsibility is frequently
thwarted by long standing problems of finance, efficiency, equity, quality and
governance. These challenges are linked to the growing role of knowledge in
economic development, rapid changes in telecommunications and technology and
the globalisation of trade and labour markets (Saint, Hartnett and Strassner, 2004).
Higher education also referred to as post-secondary or tertiary education is the
education given after secondary education in colleges of education, monotechnics,
polytechnics and universities and those institutions offering correspondence
courses (Federal Ministry of Education 2004:30). Defining higher education in
terms of the levels and functions of the educational experience offered, Bernett
(1997) sees higher educational institutions as unique institutions which is
differentiated from others in terms of research and its managers are designated as
Provost, Rector, and Vice- chancellor.

QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION

Quality in higher education refers to the worth of the inputs into higher education
systems, lecturers, instructional facilities and evaluation procedures which
translates to the outputs. Majasan, (1998) maintained that quality education is
value-loaded arguing that quality education should produce disciplined behaviour,
hard work, improved cultural heritage and mutual respect within and outside the
school community. If a society expects quality manpower for rapid development
and transformation, quality education is a must do affair (Majasan, 1998). This he
continued is because quality education is expected to address critical issues like
the dignity of labour, quality leadership and committed citizenship, industrial
harmony, political stability, religious tolerance, self-reliance and security. Quality
higher education entails that the products of institutions of higher education
should be able to perform according to expected standard and compete favourably
with their peers in other countries of the world. Quality education is the education
that produces a complete person. Complete in the sense that the person is
intellectually, morally, physically, emotionally and socially developed. Hence
Akinpelu, (2000) argued that education without quality can even be more
dangerous than no education, stressing that without quality, education has no
value.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Previously, the attention was basically on the concept “Development”. However,

the Bruntland Commission shifted the attention by reshaping and modifying the
concept to “Sustainable Development.” The most interesting aspect of sustainable
development is the fact that it puts in to consideration the present conditions of
people as well as not compromising those that come later. Therefore, the concept
of sustainable national Development remains the modern parameter of measuring
development. The Bruntland Commission, (1987) defined sustainable
Development as “the development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.”

In another definition by Munasinghe (2004), sustainable national Development is

a process of improving the range of opportunities that will enable individual
humans and communities to achieve their aspirations and full potential over a
sustained period of time while maintaining the resilience of economic, social and
environmental systems.

Age (2005:85), identified some objectives which sustainable national

development is expected to realize: increase capital income and employment,
promoting human welfare satisfying basic needs; protecting the environment.
Considering the path of future generation, achieving equity between rich and poor
and participation on a broad basis in development and decision making is
important.

From the above definitions, there are common phenomenon which they all
shared; that is prioritizing the development of the present generation without
compromising the future generation.

QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Having stated above, the various definitions of quality higher education and
sustainable development, it is imperative to examine the relationship between the
two concepts. In all nations, Nigeria inclusive, education remains the instrument
for effective national development. Development is championed through
education, which is often assumed to have significant influence. Education entails
the enlightenment of people in their ways of pursuit in life. Development is
associated with a positive change in the condition of either individual groups,
communities or even a country as a whole (Umoh, 2005:224).

Education and sustainable national development are interwoven, intertwined, and

interconnected. While on the one hand, development is geared towards producing
or creating something new or more advanced for the society and its members. On
the other hand, education is a tool which can enhance the desired sustainable
development. Umoh, 2005 therefore, refers education and sustainable
development as two sides of the same coin.

The fact that education and sustainable development shows glaring connectivity
probably explained why scholars emphasized the need for education for the
purpose of achieving the desired sustainable development. Only human capital
can sustain growth (Kors, 2008). World Bank (2004) argued that higher education
is fundamental to all developing countries if they are to prosper in a world
economy where knowledge has become a vital area of advantage. The quality of
knowledge which is generated in institutions of higher learning is critical to
national competitiveness. It is only quality education that can sharpen the minds
of the individual and help transform the society economically, socially and
politically. Countries can achieve sustainable development by improving through
training in higher level, the skills of their human capitals. From a global
perspective, higher level manpower training has been recognized as a primary
tool for national development. Such high level educational provision enables the
citizens to acquire skills and techniques which are ploughed into human
productivity, creativity, competence, initiative, innovation and inventiveness
(Ehiametalor, 1988)

CONCLUSION

In the last three decades, higher education in Nigeria has witnessed significant
growth in terms of expansion of access through increase in enrolment and the
establishment of additional higher educational institutions. However, it is
saddening to note that many of the indices that can guarantee quality higher
education are not taken into consideration in the country’s quest to meet the
quantitative target. It has been observed that political factors are the main motives
behind many of the expansion policies, especially in the University system. The
supply of education services in Nigeria is market blind. Admission policies of
university education, he observed, are not related to labour demand requirements,
nor to individual student interest, but mainly to secondary school grades. The
result was pressure on the available limited resources thereby resulting in
downward pressure on staff salaries together with deteriorating working
conditions. The effects include a high degree of “brain-drain” among the
academic staff, incessant strikes, student riots, etc. All of these have contributed to
a precipitous fall in the quality of university education.

For Nigerian higher education institutions to remain vibrant, competitive and

justify their enormous costs, there is an urgent need of a reform package, which
should have components dealing with funding and strategy. The products of
higher education institutions need to be creators of employment rather than
seekers of jobs. Institution of higher learning, therefore, need accept the fact that
there is direct connection between scholarship and the world of work.

It is simply impossible for higher education institutions to thrive with the present
funding arrangements and too much emphasis on teaching and less of research.
Already quality has been declining largely because of underfunding of the
institutions. An effective and mutually beneficial linkage between the institutions
and industry can go a long way in ensuring robust academic activities, innovative
practices and increased inflow of financial resources to tertiary institutions, and
only then can Nigerian Higher Educational Institutions compete favourably with
sister institutions across the world.

REFERENCES
Age, E. (2005). Objectives of Teaching Education in Nigeria. London, British
Council.

Artzt, E. L. (1992). The total quality forum: Forging strategic links with Higher
Education. Report of the proceedings August 1991, Ohio.

Bruntland Commission, (1987). Development Report on Sustainable

Development,
Newyork.

DuBrin AJ (1979) Fundamental of organization behaviour: An applied approach.

Cincinnati: south west college publishing.

Ebong, E. (1996). Fundamentals of Technology and Vocational Education. Enugu

Cheston.

Ehiametalor ET (1988) Perspectives on National development: A book of

readings.
Benin: University of Benin press

Fabiyi, A. I. and Oladipo, S. A. (2008). Resource and Policy as Determinants of

Access to University Education in Nigeria. Journal of the World
Universities Forum. 1(4), 25-34.

Kalusi JI, (2001) Teacher quality for quality education Nigerian Journal of
Educational Philosophy 8 (2): 62-72.

Majasan JA, (1998) Quality education and development. Ibadan: Spectrum

books
limited.

Munasinghe, S. (2004). Effective Instructions Through Dynamic Discipline.

Ohio,
Charles E. Merill.

Olubademo, S.O. (2006). Contemporary Issues in Nigerian Education. Lagos CSS

Books hops.

Saint, W., Hartnett, T. A. and Strassner, E. (2004). Higher Education in Nigeria: A

Status Report. World Education News and Reviews.

UNESCO (2000). Nigerian Human Resource Development and civilization:

Education and world Affairs, Newyork. Washington D. C: World Bank

World Bank (1999) World development report, knowledge for development.

World Bank (2004) Improving Tertiary education in Sub-Sahara Africa: Things

that work. Report of a regional training conference, Accra, Ghana.

World Bank/ UNICEF (1996). Senegal: Pilot female literacy project. Staff
Appraisal Report. No.15517-SE. World Bank. Washington, D.C.