Citizenship education
Learning at school and in society

Education through the Mass Media : Producing TV for Tots in Nigeria Development Communication Pilot Project (DCPP)

Nigeria

The DCPP is an innovative way to improve educational opportunities for very young children in Nigeria. It proposes using the mass media - like the Sesame Street model - to teach children aged three to six and instruct their caregivers in active learning techniques.
Focused primarily on upgrading the quality of primary education, the project is improving resource allocation, increasing enrollment, strengthening institutions and facilitating future planning.

The project designs, produces, disseminates and evaluates mass media instructional materials for preschoolers and their mothers by :
- supporting the development of institutions to produce educational television materials (including training of Television Production staff in modern production methods including computer graphics and puppetry apart from their on the job training in production, piloting and modification of the educational programming series for children and teachers, etc)
- creating a more conducive physical environment for teaching and learning
- improving quality and availability of curriculum materials
- developing an enhanced information base for decision making
- increasing problem awareness among education staff, children and communities
The instructional videos are transmitted though the national television network and also from « video on wheels » vehicles and at local viewing centers. The educational television unit has produced more than 130 episodes for preschool children, designed to develop their language expression and comprehension skills, their ability to observe and to solve problems, and their prenumeracy, preliteracy, and social skills. The shows also convey basic health and hygiene information to parents.

The DCPP was aimed to pilot a method to support early childhood development through :
- disseminating and reinforcing instructional materials for preschool aged children
- sensitising the parents to early childhood needs and care
- enhancing caregiver's knowledge and competencies
- creating institutional and infrastructural framework for quality educational and developmental television programming
- and introducing replicable modalities of educational and social program development, monitoring and evaluation.
The project capitalizes on the proven fact that children learn best while being entertained.

Eileen Nkwanga
Education Specialist Team leader for the DCPP
World Bank/ West Africa
enkwanga@worldbank.org
or Mr. Adekola
World Bank/ West Africa (Nigeria)
Eadekola@worldbank.org

Institutional Partners
Nigerian Television Authority

Financial Partners
World Bank,
UNICEF

The project began in 1993. The first part ended in June 2000.

Intern evaluation