ABSTRACT
The paper is a
theoretical but pragmatic assessment of the relevance of TECHNICAL AND
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA (TVE). Technical and vocational education (TVE)
has been an integral part of national development strategies in many societies
because of its overwhelming impact on productivity and economics
development. Despite its contributions
the leaders of Nigeria, have not really given this aspect of education the
attention it deserves. This is one of the
many reasons for the nation’s underdevelopment.
Driving from the experiences of developed nations, this paper focuses on the dearth of skilled
technical manpower in Nigeria and argues that technical and vocational
education holds the key to the national development and make recommendation of
remedial actions INTRODUCTION
Technical
education “is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins
with exploration of career options, supports basic academic and life skills,
and enables achievement of high academic standards, leadership, preparation for
industry- defined work, and advanced and continuing education. And vocational
education and training “ prepares learners for careers that are based in manual
or practical activities, traditionally non-academic and totally related to a
specific trades, occupation or vocation”. In other words, it is an “education
designed to develop occupational skills.” Vocational and technical education
gives individuals the skills to “live, learn and work as a productive citizen
in a global society”.
The provision of
vocational and technical schools has long history. Before the industrial
revolution (between) 170 and 1830) the home and the “apprenticeship system “
were the principal sources of vocational education. But societies were later
forced by the decline of handwork and specialization of occupational functions
to develop institutions of vocational education (Duffy, 1967). Manual training that involves general instruction
in the use of hand the Columbia Enydopedia 2001 tools was said to have
developed initially in Scandinavia (C 1866) the Columbia (2001). However vocational education became
popular in the elementary schools in the United states after 1880 and developed
into courses in industrial training, bookkeeping, stenography, and allied
commercial work in both public and
private institutions. As noted some of the early private trade schools
in the united states include cooper union (1859) and Pratt institute (1887) , the Hampton institute (1868) and Tuskegee institute (1881). THE
agricultural High school (1888) , the
agricultural high school (1888) of the
university of Minnesota was the first regularly established public vocational
secondary school that introduced extensive
public instruction in agriculture
The number of public and private vocational
schools has greatly increased in the united states since 190. There was an impetus vocational education during world war ii (1939-1945) when the
armed services had great need for technicians that the civilian world could not
supply. there was a further upsurge on vocational training for the servicemen’s
readjustment act of 1994 ( the .I Bill of rights), which allowed world war development training
Act (1962, the vocational educational Act (1963) , and the vocational education amendments (1968) and
Carl D. Perkins vocational and applied technology Act (1984)
. these programs help to improve the
nations workforce and ensure the
vocational training is a available for
economically (and physically challenged youths.
The united states is not the only
society that appreciates skills acquired through vocational and technical
education. the Dutch school system
is said to pay attention to “high
standards in mathematics and the provision of vocational education at ages
14-16 for a third of all pupils, and widespread vocational education at 16+.
And secondary (high) schools in many other development conscious nations have
vocational training for lifelong trade together with general academic studies.
For instance, India and the “Asia Tigers” could not have become what they are
without massive investment in technical education. However, because of recent
changes in world economy many vocational and technical schools have shifted
emphasis to training in the computers and information technology.
While technical
and vocational has continued to thrive in many societies Nigeria has neglected
this aspect of education. Consequently, the society lacks skilled technicians:
bricklayers, carpenters, painters and auto mechanics, laboratory and pharmacy
technicians, electrical/electronic technicians and skilled vocational nurses,
etc). the hospitals are no longer a place where people go to get their ailments
treated, but a place they go and die. Tales abound of how people die during
surgeries and out of minor ailments. And the half-baked roadside mechanics in
the society cause more harm to vehicles when contracted to service vehicles,
and because of poor training some of the commercial drivers have sent many
people to their early death. The shabby performance of Nigeria’s house builders
(mason/bricklayers. Etc) is no longer news. For that individuals with important
projects now use competent projects now use competent technicians from
neigbouring countries. This is not to mention the havoc the poorly trained
technicians have caused in the power sector. Nigeria’s spotty electricity
supply is the greater bottleneck to national development. And toiling all day
in the field with knives, hoes, shovels would not feed the nations 150 million
people. Mechanized farming requires technical skills that could be obtained in
technical and vocational schools.
Every facts of
the economy has been affected by lack of skilled technicians. The financial
sector lacks technicians to regulate the banks and a develop financial software
to properly tackle the rising fraudulent activities in the banking sector.
Without security development in impossible in a society; no nation can sustain
its democracy if the citizens lack confidence in the police. The police violate
the citizens human and civil rights and lack forensic laboratory and
fingerprint technicians to conduct criminal investigations. And because of lack
of tools to track down criminals there was a shameful episode recently in the
society where the police paraded a goat/sheep as a thief. It is only in Nigeria
that a human being could transform into an animal. And due to poor training
military officers are known to beat up the citizens who challenge their powers;
the case of Miss Uzoma Okere and some naval officers is a case in point the
danger posed by environmental pollution and fake drugs is alarming; the less
educated in the society lack the skill to manage AIDS, cancer and diabetes among
other serious health problems.
The neglect of
technical education is socially and economically injurious because it is
robbing the nation the contributions the graduates would make on national
development., for that Nigeria is today wearing the toga of poor state.