Abstract
The basic understanding of science that should be possessed by everyone not only professionals in science is called scientific literacy. This paper focuses on the need to integrate scientific literacy into the functional literacy programme in Nigeria. Ability to read and write alone without scientific literacy will make learners to be victims of superstition and taboos. Learners who are scientific illiterate are also likely to be confused by events happening around them and also unable to make some informed decisions about some issues in their daily lives. It is argued that a person is not completely literate until scientifically literate. Nigeria should borrow a leaf from the United States of America who despite high level of scientific literacy are still projecting into the future not only to make their citizens to be able to read and write alone but to be scientifically literate. There is therefore the need to project into the future and work out plans to make Nigerian citizens scientifically literate. In order to realise these plans, there are basic issues and challenges that should be tackled. These are funding, curriculum design and implementation, language barriers and means of communication, exceptional children participation, gender, rural and urban factors and monitoring and evaluation of programme impact.Keywords: scientific literacy, functional funding, curriculum design, curriculum implementation, language barriers
Highlights
Literacy is defined as ability to read and write (Hornby, 1995)
Borode (2004) observed that the Federal Government has failed to implement No 8 of the UNESCO, Tokyo conference recommendations that the member states should allocate a sufficient percentage of the national budget to adult and non-formal education, he presented the breakdown of allocation to adult and non-formal education which has always been between 2% and 5% of the overall federal budgetary allocation to education
United States of America with high level of literacy and technological attainment would still not hesitate to put in place functional projects to enhance scientific literacy
Summary
Literacy is defined as ability to read and write (Hornby, 1995). Over the years, there have been other different definitions of literacy. All learners should have basic knowledge of science so that they can read and understand science news and converse intelligently about current scientific development This will enable individuals to make informed decisions on their daily lives and to function effectively as citizens. Science educators (Erinosho, 2004; Ivowi, 1990; Klopfer, 1995) are of the opinion that when people‟s understanding and skills expressed in these components are fully developed, learners can function successfully in a contemporary technology-based society Without this literacy in science, people are likely to be confused by many events that happen in the world and less likely to enjoy healthy and secured lives.
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