INTRODUCTION

1.8 Background to the Study

Early Childhood Care, Development and Education programme plays significant role as it helps children in successful completion of Basic Education. It provides the foundation for all-round development and enables the child to understand various issues. Children at the early stage of learning need to be encouraged to develop positive attitude through child to child interaction. The early childhood education is designed carefully to provide wholesome growth and development of children. Children that receive quality early childhood education are more likely to succeed in school and in life (Harkness and Super, 1991). Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE) is therefore an integral part of child rearing experience provided by any agency for all children. Providers of Early Childhood Care, Development and Education in Nigeria and Sokoto state in particular include; day care centers, Nursery schools and kindergarten centers. The Early Childhood Care, Development and Education programme is one of the components of Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) Scheme as enshrined in the (FRN, 2000) (UBE Implementation Guidelines, 1999).

Parents and teachers/caregivers play an important role in the Early Childhood Care, Development and Education. Their involvement is linked to children’s total learning. Parents believe that three to six is the right age for children to receive early childhood education, as the child is able to understand things well, thereby removing the child’s illiteracy (Corner, 1991).

Nigeria is among the E-9 countries; the nine countries in the world with largest concentration of illiterate adults and which are committed to total eradication of illiteracy within the shortest possible time and equally committed to the development of care and education services for young children. To accomplish this effort, the Federal Government of Nigeria in September, 1999 introduced the Universal Basic Education Programme (UBEP) as a means to overcome problems associated with the education system in the country, with much emphasis on basic education. UBE Programme is a reform aimed at tackling inequality, opportunities and improving quality in education at the basic level. It is said that the programme was introduced by the Federal Government in order to remove distortion and inconsistencies in basic education delivery and to reinforce the implementation of the National Policy on Education as well as to ensure access, equity and quality of basic education throughout the country (Tahir 2006).