A Comparative Analysis of Universal Basic Education Programme in Nigeria (UBE) and the “Grundskola” Education Programme of Sweden

Abstract

The formation of educational policies is complex by nature. The complexity owes not only to the fact that education is a
sector where it is difficult to identify the underpinnings and their effects to be foreseen, but also to the diversity of interests that
education represents for the different actors in society. In the dynamics of educational management, within the large context of a
global quest for Education for All (EFA), the Nigerian UBE and the Swedish Grundskola programmes have a fundamental
principle in common. Compared to other socio-economic sectors, educational development involves more difficult and
multidimensional problems. Faced with financial constraints, governments in many countries are not able to meet the broad
social demands without adopting restrictive measures within the education sector, while rationalising the use of allocated
resources. Because there are too many actors, variables and the interrelations between these, the result of Education for All
(EFA) with the Grundskola was successful perhaps, based on some of the issues discussed while that of the Nigerian Universal
Basic Education (UBE) programme proved abortive.