Race, Ethnic Relations and the Development of Education in Rivers State, Nigeria
Abstract
Race and ethnicity are ingredients of social composition that help to foster rapid transformation in some developed climes. However, the case is adverse in Nigeria where race and ethnic relations have become hydra-headed problems that has fuelled misunderstanding and distrust. It is worst experienced in the educational sector and has been the bane for its under-development. The issues of race, ethnic relation and educational development is very visible in certain educational policies like nomadic education, migrant fishermen schools, approval of private universities, federal character, quota system, rotation/ zoning etc. A descriptive approach was adopted for this study while data was gathered from secondary sources like text books, journal materials and other records. The findings conclude that race and ethnic relations have done more harm to Nigeria’s educational development. The paper recommends that, Nigeria should embrace issues and elements that engender national cohesion and boast educational development and de-emphasizes ethnicity, quota system, rotation etc in our systems.
Keywords: Race, Ethnicity, Ethnic, Relations, Education and Development.