NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

VOLUME 1 NO 1, 2010

THEME:
THE RELEVANCE OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

PUBLISHED BY:
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
 Nigerian Journal of Educational Philosopy
www.peansec.org

Editor: Prof. Abeke Adesanya

Adekunle Ajasin University
Akungba Ondo State, Nigeria

Associate Editors:
Prof. A. Owan Enoh Dr. Kola Babarinde
Faculty of Education University oflbadan
Cross River University of Technology Ibadan, Nigeria
Calabar, Nigeria

Dr. A. A. Bagudo
UsmanDan Fodio University
Sokoto, Nigeria

Consulting Editors
Prof. D. E. Denton Prof. Philip Rothman
Univeristy of Kentucky, USA Antioch Col1ege, Ohio, USA

Prof. 1. N. Omatseye Prof. J. D. Okoh

Univeristy of Ben in Univeristy ofPortHarcourt
Nigeria Nigeria

Prof. Ayo Adewole Prof. Orona Oroka

Univeristy of Jos Delta State Univeristy, Abaraka
Nigeria Nigeria

Prof. Oluremi Ayodele-Bamisaiye

Univeristy oflbadan
Nigeria

NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy of Education Association of Nigeria (PEAN) publishes (NJEP) two times a year, April
and October. Although NJEP provides an outlet for the discussion of most substantive issues inn
eduational theory and practice, it draws specifically upon philosphical insights and welcomes arti-
cles presented within philosophical frame of reference.

INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Manuscripts. Then style of reference is the THURABEIAN method. Articles should not exceed
5000 words, typed on A4 paper with double line spacing. Since articles are sent anonymously to
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typed on a separated detachable page.

Two copies of the manuscript should be sent to: Editor, Nigerian Journal of Educational Philoso-
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 CONTENT
The Relevance of Philosophy of Education
Pro! Orona Oroka _ 1-5

The Relevance of Philosophy of Education in National Development

D,: Kalusi, 1. 1. _ 6-9

Quality Leadership for the Transformation of the Nigerian Society: The Role of Philosophy of Education
Dr. Elechi, G Ekwueme and Kingsley, E. Nsirim _ 10-14

The Relevance of Philosophy of Education to Good Governance

Dr. Muhammad, M Shaaba _ 15-21

Relevance of Philosophy of Education to National Value Re-orientation

Rev. Fr. Francis, M, Isichei, .G.P, Ph.D and Stephen D. Bo/aji _ 22-30

Philosophy of Education and the Crisis of Relevance in Teacher Education

D,: Joseph, Maina Musa _ 31-34

The Role of Philosophy of Education in Curbing the Challenges of the Nigerian Teacher
Dr. Samuel Amaele 35-41
---------------------------------
Is Philosophy of Education Relevant to Development?
Akinkuotu, Yemi Ambrose and Olufowobi, OIl/dare Okikiola _ 42-47

~Relevance of Educational Philosophy in Policy Formulation

Patrick, O. Akinsanya _ 48-53

Relevance of Philosophy of Education to Policy Formulation

Chibueze, Great 1. _ 54-58

The Relevance of Philosophy of Education in Teacher Education

Duruh, B.C. _ 59-64

Philosophy of Education and the Teaching ofIslamic Education: The Question of Relevance
MuhammadAli _ 65-69

Value Re-orientation in the Rebranding Project in Nigeria: The Role of Education

Suleiman Ismaila _ 70-73

Relevance of Philosophy of Education to Secondary School Education in Nigeria

~jegenaB.Anzaku _ 74-78
 THE RELEVANCE OF EDUCATIONAL
Patrick, O. Akinsanya
Department of Educational Foundations, School of Education,
Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu, Ogun State.
What is Educational Philosophy?
A good understanding of educational philosophy
may never be possible unless there is a good
knowledge of what philosophy itselfis. This is a
statement which does not need any defence in as
much as we needless create an argument around
understanding a child's behaviour via parental and
environmental circumstances. What then is
philosophy?
A simple rush at the definition or description of
philosophy is always capable of generating an
intense debate and perhaps, some sorts of
condemnation, disapprobation or vilification from
scholars in the field. This kind of attempt has
variously led to metaphilosophising - (philosophizing
around philosophy itself). It is thus safer and wiser
to yield to the advice of Broad (as quoted in
Oladipo) who says that:
if we want to decide what philosophy
is, we shall naturally begin by
considering what kind of activities have
been pursued by men whom everyone
would regard as great philosophers
when engaged in what everyone would
regard as their characteristically
professional work (Oladipo, 2008:11).
This means that philosophy could be prudently
defined or described if we take a recourse into
history to identify what philosophers have
preoccupied themselves with in the past and in the
present days. This approach shields us from
unnecessary exposure to attacks from various
quarters.
Succinctly, philosophers have preoccupied
themselves with:
Pursuit of wisdom
Specu lations
Critical activities
Prescriptions
Critique of ideologies
Conceptual analyses, and
Nigerian Journal of Educational Philosophy Vo!. 1 No. 1, 2010
PHILOSOPHY IN POLICY FORMULATION
Investigations of theoretical
foundations of other disciplines.
Our concentration in this paper bothers much on
the last preoccupation (which is the investigations
of other disciplines). This involves the application
of philosophical tools, rigours and training to various
issues in other disciplines. It, in other words,
involves the extension of engagements in
philosophy (engagements such as speculations,
critique, prescriptions, conceptual analysis and
clarifications etc) to the foundations of other
disciplines. As such, when philosophy is used to
query the foundations and operations of science,
philosophy of science is at work; when attention
is beamed at religion, it becomes philosophy of
religion; philosophy of language; philosophy of
technology, of law, of history, of mind, social
sciences, of arts, of music, of mathematics, and of
course, philosophy of education. For lack of space
and the need for focus, we shall quickly single
Philosophy of Education out of other philosophical
investigations, for thorough discussion.
The Challenge to Philosophise About
Education
"The belief that men may educate
without concerning themselves with
philosophy means a failure to
understand the precise nature of
education. The process of education
cannot go on right lines without the
help of philosophy" (Singh, 2007:23).
The idea presented in the quotation above, reflects
the involvement of philosophy in the business of
education. This involvement dates back to
antiquity. Socrates preceded and set the stage
with his method of intellectual midwivery
(dialectics). Embud with his characteristic style
of teaching and learning, he went about engaging
discussants on theirnotions/conceptions of justice,
equality, right, and so on. The problems of
knowledge, of value, of what constitutes the good
48
n
life, ofthe kind of world we live in and what we
can do about it, were all given priorities in the
engagements. Socrates was then able to draw
out and make explicit presuppositions and
meanings, and develop tools for critically evaluating
the presuppositions and meaning, in relation to each
other/one another and all available areas of
experience. It is commonsensical, then, to infer
that Socrates' mission was to go out and
philosophise, but in the process, he ended up
educating (enlightening) himself and his
discussants. But should we be tempted on this basis
to say that education and philosophy are
interwoven? This question will be addressed later,
but then, we may need to quickly point out, in
agreement with Millard and Bertocci, that
"education provides some of the most important
data areas of philosophic investigations on the one
hand, and philosophic investigation becomes a
prerequisite to critical and directed as opposed to
non-reflective and accidental education and
educational planning on the other" (Millard &
Bertocci,1969:194).
It was again, not an accident that Plato's foremo t
work - The Republic - was majorly a respon e
to the challenge to philosophise about education
for the good society and the good life. We have
other efforts in Aristotle's Politics, Locke's Essay
Concerning Human Understanding; Rousseau's
Etnile; Adam Smith's Inquiry into the Nature and
Causes of Wealth of Nations; and several other
works from Augustine, Aquinas, Hume, Kant,
Whitehead, Maritain, Russell, Dewey, Pestalozzi,
Herbert, Froebel, Comenius, Morris, Kilpatric,
Hirst, Dearden, Peters, ad nauseam. These crop
of thinkers were engaged in raising philosophical
questions, which on the long run, were found to be
educational in nature. In their involvements in
philosophy, they were able to speculate, prescribe,
analyse, critique and provide alternative
courses of action in man's advancement/
enlightenment - education. Critique of ideas and
analysis, however, occupied prominent roles in
philosophers' involvement in education. They were
involved in making explicit the implicit assumptions
in education and detecting the compatibility,
consistency and adequacy of such assumptions in
the light of the growing body of knowledge (MiUard
& Bertocci, 1969: 196). Besides, they were able
to constructively criticize the tand int in
education and thu ,offered alternativ a pr a
to educational mode . The rational hin
argument i captured in Orta
that:
10 E 'ucational Philosophy ~'01. I .
"If philosophy is the clarification of
thought, can we not use it to clarify our
thoughts about education? .. Or
consider the function of philosophy as
criticism - Can we not examine the
methods of education, and criticize
their presuppositions and
assumptions?" (Ottaway, 1962:18).
Answers to these questions are in the affirmative.
Methods of teaching and learning; curriculum
planning and development; organisation of learning
experiences with subject contents - all have
principles. Child development; motivational
strategies; tests of intelligence and achievements
- are equally anchored on theories. Such principles
and theories could be examined, analyzed, criticized
and evaluated to discover their logical validity/
reliability and fitness of purpose. The onus of
examination, analy es, critique and evaluation of
educational methods and practices, lie with the
philo opher of education.
Educational Policy
There i no omnibus definition on" hat a policy is.
ariou cholars have defined it variously, albeit
their definition (or de cription a the case may
be) on the long run, point to a fact, and that i , that
policy is a deliberate, conscientious, calculated, well-
planned and well-articulated position taken in the
interest of an organisation or a society. By position,
it is meant that a policy is a composite of wi hes,
goals, objectives and implementation strategie set
forth for the accomplishment of agreed plan . This
is whatAghenta means when he states that a policy
is "a highly diverse set of activities or deci ions
which are meant to guide specific programmes or
activities" (Aghenta, 2000:24). It is a projected
programme of goals, value and practice for Ogai
(Efurhievwe, 2008:3). lkedingwu p i that It i
an authoritative allocation of value for the whole
society; a preliminar planning for action
programme, standing in various degree of goal
articulation and regula ion 0 g ernment or
organisation' a tiin :a It ou intention and
mean by whi h h 10 u n .ou d be translated
into acti n E urhle maeles
ubmi sion p rf I agree wuh lk dingwu
irion, 'b n h d ribe policie a vi ion
tran la d into do urn nt \ hi h are in turn
tran lat d in 0 reali ia di parate trategie
Amaele.E '::L .
It thu become obvious that policie are man ..
things packed together - they are e of a tion
'0. 1. ::0 f{} -l9
and decisions; objectives; guides; strategies for
accomplishment; and a whole lot of other activities
involved. This is why it is. stated in a Handbook
011 Public Administration that every policy is a
guide for action; a guide which may be simple or
complex; general or specific, broad or narrow,
vague or exact, discretionary or detailed, qual itative
or quantitative, impl icitly or expl icitly stated (A UN
2005:93-94). Pai Obanya expresses this view more
clearly in the following words:
".-1policy. ill the real sense, is the SIlI17
total ofthe overall developmental goals
{/ lid l' is io 11, and the un derlv i ng
plril oso phv on which a policy is
predicated. as well as all the thinking,
the COI1SenSllS - building exercise, the
labour. the tense moments, the jokes
and laughter: the trial and retrial, the
backward and forward movements, the
confrontation of ideas, etc " (Obanya,
2007: 195-196).
A policy is thus any course etting of extensive
rational ideas expressed in either verbal or written
form which are consequently made to front the
goals, values and practices of a society, thereby
guiding the general direction and limits of the
societal lifespan.
There are, however, different forms ofpoliciesjust
as there are varied aspects of life. We have:
Political policies
Social policies
Economic policies
Religious policies
Educational policies, etc
nation's pol icy on education is government's way
of realizing that part of the national goals which
can be achieved using education as a tool" (FGN,
2004: 1). This underscores the importance attached
to educational policy, and explains the reason for
the high premium placed on education in national
developmental plans.
Policy and Benefits
The pilot who does not have a map or compass
will move aimles Iy and endlessly. A car with no
steering does not deserve the name in the first
instance. imilarly, a computer operator who has
forgotten his password, may not likely get in the
mood for work. Interestingly, what the map'
compass is to the place; what the steering is to a
car; and what a password is to a computer, is what
educational policy is to all stakeholders in the system
of education and even to the nation at large. In the
various definitions and de criptions provided by
scholars, which were con idered earlier in this
ection, certain word were recurrent, such as:
vision, deci ion, plan, guide. These words are
in ightful and in tructful. Vision connotes an idea
coming through imagination on how, what, where
and when thing should be done. When such idea
is juxtaposed with other idea, a decision-making
is in progress. When decisions are thus taken, there
emerges a plan of action which subsequently acts
as the Guide-posts.
Succinctly, the educational policy acts as the guide-
posts for the government, representatives of
governments, teachers, students and all other
holders who have stakes in the business of
education. It dictates the path to follow. Without
it, there is bound to be aimlessness.

The above mentioned policies are meant to set the Relevance of Educational Philosophy in the
course of actions in the different corresponding Formation of Educational Policy
aspects of life. The last-mentioned type of policy, It has been established that every educational policy
which is our point offocus in this paper (education is the guide or a plan of action in an educational
policy), could be described as a system of system. It is such guide that dictates the line of
corporate, sy tematic and planned actions aimed action in the system. The policy as a guide, is
at achieving some set educational objectives. Tt is however, informed, patterned and fully anchored
a course-setting involving decisions of the widest on a foundation - educational philosophy. The
ramifications and longest time per pective in the relationship between educational philosophy and
life ofa society. It could also be described as a set educational policy i two-dimensional, albeit
of programme (goals, objectives and strategie ) put exclusively interwoven: fir t, the application of the
up to orientate the educand toward the major preoccupations of philo ophy of education
achievement of the general ideological in policies of education; and econdl , th~ integration
"""
commitment(s) of the ociety through the of the exten ions ofphilo ophical preoc upations
instrumentality of education . ..rThis opinion i into the nifty-gritty of the pr ce of policy-making.
exprpssed in Section One of the igeria's ational The first dimen ion entail the following:
Policy on Education when it reflect that: "a

Nigerian Journal of Educational Philosophy Vol. 1 o. I, _Olf}

 1. Critique of ideas as contained in This is what Ottaway calls 'a combined approach'
educational policies (Ottaway, 1962 :20). With the inflow of various
2. Analysis of terms used in educational inputs from various fields, the philosopher of
policies education makes his contributions by coordinating
3. Clarification of problems in education, the various inputs into a complementary whole.
especially as it pertains to policies Without such efforts, the whole of education and
4. Providing alternatives to approaches the policy process will remain "a jig-saw puzzle
in educational policies. whose bits and pieces hand together in a crazy
quilt" (Akinpelu, 2005: 167). It will reveal, in
These areas need no further expatiation, for much Akinpelu's terms "a considerable degree of
of that had been done earlier. The second discontinuity, jarring inconsistency and
dimension, on the other hand which emanates from disharmony" (Akinpelu, 2005: 16) which is
the first, deserves some elucidations. In the first classified in Freeman-Butts as "educational
place, every educational philosophy is worthy of disjunctivities" (Butts, 1969:114-118) ill his
the name when it is capable of capturing the socio- wonderful article - Teacher Education and
political ideology of the society for which it is Modern izat ion.
designed. It thus acts, in this capacity, as a reliable
foundation on which the guide - the policy, should In connection with the above, philosophy of
be laid. That is to say, the function of an educational education harnesses the goals and objectives in
philosophy is to connect a policy on education with an educational policy with the strategies needed
societal ideology. Examples of this type of to successfully achieve such goals. The mistmatch
connection abound, especially in Dewey's works, between setting of goals and achievement of set
where he uses his philosophy to construct and goals have been the reason behind the recorded
maintain a strong nexus between what is done in failures of some national educational policies. In
the school environment and the nature of the order, then, to dispel such mismatches, an
society in which the school is situated. The educational philosophy ensures and maintains a
educational philosophy thus proffers or prescribes perfect harmony between goals/objectives and
the course of action for the policy as a guide. their implementation.

Educational philosophy does not only connect the Again, for the purpose of viability and workability,
societal ideology with the goals and objectives philosophy of education ensures that utmost
adoptable in education, it goes further to consideration is given to cultural peculiarities and
intermittently critique ideologies to ensure that such idiosyncracies in the process of policy-making. If
ideologies are worthwhile and fitting for the society, education is put in place solely for the purpose of
and more importantly. to ensure that the changes conservation and transformation of culture. then it
which constantly occur in every human society, makes sense to ensure that the policy formulated
are adequately reflected and entrenched in to achieve these tasks much refl ct the \\"a_ of
ideologies consequently in the policies. Perhaps life of the people invo lv . n rna ter how
this is what Brameld has in mind when he says multifarious the number of such
that "the philosopher of education should be directly nation. A respon ive nati n
involved in every attempt to clarify and crystallize according to Pai Oban_
educational policies commensurate with the and visibility to rh
revolutionary age in which he lives" (Brameld, (Oban 'a._
1969:220). It thus behooves on educational and d
philosophy to necessitate flexibility and adaptation accu ltur ,.•••,,'" a~de-C'etltr;3.1Il~IOO
of educational policies in conformity with constant poli I -
changes that affects the human society and its develoamem in
ideology.

As an anchor, educational philo ophy coordina

the various inputs into the poli _". It is a COInrrlOO
knowledge that the busine - of-education
achievable by a group of e.
are alwav nee e L the ut of
ociologis -. Histonans, E!:",ooDO::::::!:S5.. IIIlClOn of

a'101101 Philosophy 1'01. 1 . ·u. I. _0/0

•
logic into policies. This logical infusion consists be achieved in the world of education, and by
majorly in fostering the rigous of consistency, extension in other realms of life (for education is
coherency, comprehensiveness and the pivot for all forms of development), if philosophy
complementarity into educational guides. These is not taken seriously in the formation of
paradigms are very consequential, and they as a educational policy. We conclusively agree with
matter of fact, render the whole business of Amaele's submission that "for any nation's
education impracticable when found in absentia. education to achieve its best in the society, it has
t This is why Akinkuotu considers an education to be directed by sound philosophies" (Amaele,
without a coherent statement of aims as impossible 2005:33). A formulated policy on education, built
(Akinkuotu, 2007:62), whileAkinpelu insists that a on a strong philosophical footing, is indeed a sure
"nation's educational system can be considered to guide to getting things right in the world of
be adequately only and only ifit is comprehensive, education, and consequently, in other worlds.
coherent, and mutually consistent. .. " (Akinpelu,
2005: 159). The scholar is even more forceful in References
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