How to cite this article: Salami, I.A. & Okeke C.I.O., 2018, 'Absent fathers' socio-economic status and perceptions of fatherhood as related to developmental challenges faced by children in South Africa', South African Journal of Childhood Education 8(1), a522.

the quest to contextualise education in Africa has been ongoing for a while and many countries have been making efforts towards it. During this time of educational review, conscious efforts should be made to identify problematic levels of some subjects that are dreadful to the learners to pave the way for curriculum redesign for context appropriateness. Mathematics learning in African countries has been a source of concern to all educational stakeholders despite several efforts towards its deconstruction. An examination of performance trend in the subject might reveal at what point the learning started declining and this will suggest intervention towards decolonisation of its content. This study measured the academic performance of pupils from preschool level up to the end of primary education (VI class). A descriptive survey research design was adopted and 720 Primary VI pupils were selected through multistage sampling technique in a state in Nigeria. Primary School Mathematics Performance Record Sheet (PSM_PRS) was used to collect mathematics scores from preschool through Primary VI class. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and graphs. Pupils started experiencing major declines in mathematics from Primary III class. Results also indicate no significant difference in the class where male and female pupils' performances started declining. Therefore, there is the need to review and contextualise mathematics content from third year in primary/elementary school for effective learning. Activity-based and exploratory strategies using contextual experiences and resources to deliver mathematics lessons were recommended for third year in primary/elementary schools and beyond.

Decolonisation of education is understood in this paper IntroductionThe concept of "decolonisation of education" in Africa has different meanings to different people that are calling for it. Some authors look at the meaning from the dictionary point of view by describing it as the process by which a nation becomes independent with regard to the acquisition of knowledge skills, values, beliefs and habits (Wingfield, 2017). Wingfield also presents the meaning of decolonised education as given by activist students in

Early years are the most important in the life cycle of every human being. Therefore, learning at this stage is optimal and the future of growing child relies on the quality of learning experiences that are logically and purposefully carried out by knowledgeable and skilled teachers. The study therefore investigated public teachers' content knowledge of ECCDE policy documents, pedagogical skills and the implications for preschoolers' active participation in learning. Correlation research design was used for the study. All teachers/caregivers in public preschools in Epe local government area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria constituted the population of the study. The sample comprised of eighty (80) preschool teachers/caregivers from fifty-one (51) public primary schools with linkage classes in the study area. Purposive sampling technique was used, based on the fact that, the study covers the entire target population. Two selfdesigned instruments were validated and used for data collection, which were Teachers' Content Knowledge of ECCDE Policy Documents Questionnaire (TCKEPDQ a= 0.86) and Teachers' Pedagogical Skill /Preschoolers' Learning Participation Observation Schedule (TPSPLPOS a= 0.81). Result showeda positive significant relationship between preschool teachers/caregivers' level of knowledge of ECCDE policy documents and their pedagogical skills. The study also revealed that most preschoolers were passive participants in learning processes due to teacher-centered approach employed. The study therefore recommends periodic training for preschool teachers/caregivers and regular monitoring of learning activities in public preschools.

Learning in the early years of life is not just an intra-personal effort of the child alone; rather, it involves the interplay of several social factors, which can affect a child’s development. However, literature that considered and presented these factors as obtainable within preschools mostly revealed their facts and figures in a single story of either urban or rural preschools, cheering an uneven intervention from developmental agencies afterward. This study sought to provide an empirical comparison of the state of preschool resources in Ibadan rural and urban communities. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population includes public preschool centers in Ibadan. A proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 20% of the preschools from two selected local governments of Ibadan which represent the urban and rural communities. A total sample of 33 preschools was used. Data was collected using Pre-primary School Resources Availability Checklist (PREPSRAC, r = 0.89). Findings were that classroom resources are more available in urban preschools compared to rural pre-primary schools of Ibadan contrary to generalized remarks. Equity rather than equality of resources distribution is therefore recommended as a way of discontinuing the danger of a single story in pre-primary education for promoting equal learning.