Seventeenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Politics as a process by which groups of people make decisions, involves social relations, authority or power, and methods or tactics to formulate and apply policies. In reality politics permeates most, if not all, of our daily living, and certainly our education system. Under politics, people raise issues like rights, poverty, inclusion, funding, social justice, etc. However, the bottom line is that all acts of group decision-making in the education system are political. Owen (2006) reminds us that in the late 1960’s, the term micro-politics of education was coined by Laurence Iannoccone, and defined as politics that take place in and around schools. No part of Nigerian government is as thoroughly political as the schools. This paper examines the concept of politics and education, the influence of politics in education. The paper also considers issues and challenges arising on politics in education in Nigeria. Finally, the paper makes recommendations that the dynamics of political influence should form a part of curriculum at all levels of education - seminars should be organised for political leaders at the state and local government levels on the influence of politics in education. The paper concludes that the major problem Nigeria faces is a breakdown of moral values, and until all the schools takes it as a course to expose the dynamics of this political activities and also use it as a value orientation opportunity in schools.