Impact of the Secondary School Vocational Curriculum on the Socio-economic Empowerment of Youths in Ekwusigo L.G.A., Anambra State
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain if there is a significant impact of vocational curriculum on youths’ empowerment in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state
- To ascertain if there is a significant impact of teaching method on achievement of vocational curriculum objectives in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state
- To ascertain if there is a significant impact of skill-acquisition on self-reliance among youths in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state
- To ascertain if there is a significant relationship between technical know-how and youths’ self-employment in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
One of the major defects in the Nigerian educational system is the low priority accorded to technical and vocational education. As in most former British colonial territories, education in Nigeria was conceived largely as purely literary education. The phrase ‘men of the book’ had a double meaning: in one sense it referred to ‘Bible men’ (in the mid-nineteenth century). For almost a hundred years in Nigeria the educated men were those who read classics – Latin, Greek, Milton and Shakespeare. Indeed most of Nigeria’s early scholars were noted for their literary erudition. As aptly observed by the Commission on Higher Education, the first Western schooling brought to Nigeria was a literary education, and once civil rule was established the expatriate administrators were graduates, most of them in arts. And so the literary tradition and the university degree have become indelible symbols of prestige in Nigeria; by contrast, technology, agriculture and other practical subjects, particularly at the sub-professional level, have not won esteem. It is small wonder, then, that training for qualifications other than degrees, especially in technology, is not popular (Fafunwa, 1980). Technical and vocational education in one form or another was in vogue before the introduction of Western education to Nigeria. The establishment of courses in the various government departments, for example Nigerian Railway, Marine, Public Works, etc., between 1908 and 1935 marked the beginning of organized technical and vocational education in Nigeria. These were followed by engineering course at the Yaba Higher College in 1932. Even then, only a selected few could benefit from this type of arrangement. Moreover, the courses were of postsecondary school nature. Consequently, there was no formally organized technical and vocational education at the post-primary or secondary school level (Fafunwa, 1980). The first major recommendation for the introduction of technical and vocational education was made in 1945 when the Commission on Higher Education in West Africa proposed that the premises of the defunct Yaba Higher College should be converted into a technical institute. The first technical institute for Nigeria should be at Yaba. The commission also recommended a territorial college for Nigeria with a view to meeting the needs of government and commercial firms at the post-secondary level. The 1946 ten-year plan for development and welfare incorporated the commission’s recommendations. The plan proposed handicraft centers for training in manual arts; trade centers for the training of skilled craftsmen; and technical institutes for the training of technicians. A grant of $400,000 was provided by the government under the Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme towards the promotion of the programme for the first five years. The three regional governments started in earnest to implement the scheme, particularly in the north where fourteen craft school were built between 1956 and 1960 (the West build four, the East nine, and Lagos two). In spite of this initial enthusiasm on the part of the various regional governments, technical and vocational education remained the Cinderella of Nigerian education even in the 1970s. The introduction of Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1949 when the federal government appointed F. J. Harlow, principal of Chelsea Polytechnic (London), and W. H. Thorp, Nigerian Deputy-Director of Education (Technical), to assess the need for establishing a college of higher technical education. The report of the two-man team led to the establishment in 1952 of the Nigeria College of Arts, Science and Technology with branches in Ibadan, Enugu and Zaria (Fafunwa, 1980).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought on impact of secondary school vocational curriculum on socioeconomic empowerment of youth in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra state
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on impact of secondary school vocational curriculum on socioeconomic empowerment of youth in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra state. 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra state was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was on impact of secondary school vocational curriculum on socioeconomic empowerment of youth in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra state. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of econdary school vocational curriculum on socioeconomic empowerment of youth in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra state
Summary
This study was on impact of secondary school vocational curriculum on socioeconomic empowerment of youth in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra state. Four objectives were raised which included: To ascertain if there is a significant impact of vocational curriculum on youths’ empowerment in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state, to ascertain if there is a significant impact of teaching method on achievement of vocational curriculum objectives in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state, to ascertain if there is a significant impact of skill-acquisition on self-reliance among youths in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state, to ascertain if there is a significant relationship between technical know-how and youths’ self-employment in Ekwusigo Local government of Anambra state. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made principals, vice principals adm, senior staff and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The fact that TVE has become a critical tool in the sustenance of national economy in the Nigeria and the world over cannot be overemphasized. Unfortunately, the greatest challenges militating against TVE in the sustenance of national economy in Nigeria are, Inadequate funding, unfavorable disposition of attitude to TVE, implementation of government policy, government bias with a view of favoring those that are university graduates, low level of technology and shortage of qualify teachers among others. These challenges and others can be smoothed in Nigeria by implementing effective TVE programmes. These solutions namely increase in the annual budgetary allocation to TVE, Introduction of TVE compulsory courses in senior secondary school scheme of work, increase in the TVE teacher’s remuneration, recruitment of more TVE qualified teachers, and retraining of TVE lecturers and teachers in more technological advanced countries and adequate power supply. The paper also concludes that the economic survival of Nigeria cannot unilaterally realize its objective without the supportive role of TVE; therefore, the above solutions are major infrastructure that drives TVE deployment and use
Recommendation
- It is recommended among other things that government, private organizations and other stakeholders in the field of education should fund vocational skills acquisition centres adequately.
- Adequate monetary stipends should be paid to the learners in order to reduce the incidence of drop-outs in the programmes.
- Furthermore, vocational education should use participatory approach to stimulate active participation of the learners.
- The learning environment should be provided with essential physical facilities and appropriate social working condition that are free from tension and dangers to the lives of the participants and properties.
References
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