INTRODUCTION
From our previous discussions, it should be clear that vocational education has had and is still has several problems and challenges in its development as a formally organized field of study. This explains why it is still viewed as a relatively new area when compared with other conventional fields of study such as law, education, and medicine. This unit focuses on these issues and challengesOBJECTIVES
By the end of the unit, you should be able to:
- enumerate some of the problems that face vocational education in Nigeria
- identify the solutions to the said problems
- highlight the prospects of vocational education in Nigeria.
Problems of Vocational Education in Nigeria
Generally, problems refer to constraints, difficulties, challenges, hindrances or obstacles. The problems of vocational education therefore refer to those factors or issues that affect the rapid development of technical and vocational education in Nigeria.The problems include the following:
1) Wrong Perception of Vocational Education
The general Nigerian public tends to give wrongly perception to vocational education. Some seem to think of it as education for under- achievers, unintelligent people, school drop outs, and the less-privileged. It has also been wrongly perceived as a “dirty” kind of education due to its practical nature. These wrong perceptions are traceable to our colonial days and lead to the next problem.
2) Societal Stigma
As can be seen from the points above, vocational education has for some time now seemed to have received negative stigma. For instance, parents would rather have their wards and children study more “prestigious” and “glamorous” courses such as medicine, law and engineering.
3) Lack of Vocational Guidance and Counselling
Lack of adequate vocational guidance has made it difficult to correct wrong perceptions pupils have about vocational education to be removed at the right time, remove the consequent societal stigma. There is therefore, strong need to mount vocational guidance and counselling programmes for the public and in various academic institutions for appropriate enlightenment on the subject.
4) Financial Constraints
Technical and vocational education is a capital intensive discipline. Hence it is if its benefits to the learners and the nation are to be easily evident, then adequate amount of funds must be made available for its execution. These should adequately meet the cost of personnel, building, equipment, laboratories, studios, demonstration farms, etc.
5) Lack of Physical Resources
These include basic infrastructure, such as buildings, laboratories workshops and studios. Most schools that offer vocational education courses are not provided with enough appropriate equipment and materials for training. Most of the so called studios and laboratories, instructional materials are just a caricature of what they should be. Sometimes, appropriate materials are available but no teachers or instructors to use for instruction.
Technical and vocational education is a capital intensive discipline. Hence it is if its benefits to the learners and the nation are to be easily evident, then adequate amount of funds must be made available for its execution. These should adequately meet the cost of personnel, building, equipment, laboratories, studios, demonstration farms, etc.
5) Lack of Physical Resources
These include basic infrastructure, such as buildings, laboratories workshops and studios. Most schools that offer vocational education courses are not provided with enough appropriate equipment and materials for training. Most of the so called studios and laboratories, instructional materials are just a caricature of what they should be. Sometimes, appropriate materials are available but no teachers or instructors to use for instruction.
6) Government Policies
Initially, government policies on education reflected the already discussed societal misconceptions and stigma – regarding vocational education as it was considered inferior. to secondary. Although the current National Policy on Education (2004), places emphasis on vocational education implementation, education its it does not reflect the enthusiasm expressed in the policy document.
7) Dearth of Qualified Vocational Personnel
A walk round most of the Nigeria’s vocational training centres, technical colleges and even tertiary institutions would show that these institutions are not adequate in the quality and quantity of personnel. This situation is partly responsible for the low quality of graduates coming out of them.
Some of the teachers that were sent abroad in the early 1980s for vocational training under the TTTP programme never returned. Some that returned took up more lucrative jobs in other establishments; others established enterprises of their own; thus the incident of lack of qualified vocational teachers continues to affect the nation.
As a result of the versatile nature of vocational education, graduates from this area find it easy to secure employment in various establishments or become self-employed, instead of remaining in the classroom to train others. This tendency is often worsened by poor remuneration and unattractive working conditions of teachers. This has continued to affect vocational education negatively.
Presently, only a few federal universities offer full-blown technical and vocational education programmes and even some of the few, are yet to mount PhD programmes in this specialized field of study thereby compounding the problem further.
In some institutions, some machinery and equipment supplied several years ago are still lying waste-in their various crates or containers – unopened and unused due to lack of qualified personnel to operate, service or repair them.
8) Lack of Power Supply
In some parts of the country, effective vocational education is hindered by lack of or inadequate power supply to run the necessary equipment and machines.
Moreover, sometimes the necessary spare parts for servicing and repairing the equipment are not readily available. Lack of water supply can equally pose a problem in some technical institutions.
Initially, government policies on education reflected the already discussed societal misconceptions and stigma – regarding vocational education as it was considered inferior. to secondary. Although the current National Policy on Education (2004), places emphasis on vocational education implementation, education its it does not reflect the enthusiasm expressed in the policy document.
7) Dearth of Qualified Vocational Personnel
A walk round most of the Nigeria’s vocational training centres, technical colleges and even tertiary institutions would show that these institutions are not adequate in the quality and quantity of personnel. This situation is partly responsible for the low quality of graduates coming out of them.
Some of the teachers that were sent abroad in the early 1980s for vocational training under the TTTP programme never returned. Some that returned took up more lucrative jobs in other establishments; others established enterprises of their own; thus the incident of lack of qualified vocational teachers continues to affect the nation.
As a result of the versatile nature of vocational education, graduates from this area find it easy to secure employment in various establishments or become self-employed, instead of remaining in the classroom to train others. This tendency is often worsened by poor remuneration and unattractive working conditions of teachers. This has continued to affect vocational education negatively.
Presently, only a few federal universities offer full-blown technical and vocational education programmes and even some of the few, are yet to mount PhD programmes in this specialized field of study thereby compounding the problem further.
In some institutions, some machinery and equipment supplied several years ago are still lying waste-in their various crates or containers – unopened and unused due to lack of qualified personnel to operate, service or repair them.
8) Lack of Power Supply
In some parts of the country, effective vocational education is hindered by lack of or inadequate power supply to run the necessary equipment and machines.
Moreover, sometimes the necessary spare parts for servicing and repairing the equipment are not readily available. Lack of water supply can equally pose a problem in some technical institutions.
9) Poor Student Motivation
It is common to find that in some TVE institutions, the laboratories, studios and workshops are often not used. Those that are in use at all, are used rather infrequently and rigidly as enough time usually is not allocated for practicals while students are often not allowed to use the laboratories at their spare time.
It is common to find that in some TVE institutions, the laboratories, studios and workshops are often not used. Those that are in use at all, are used rather infrequently and rigidly as enough time usually is not allocated for practicals while students are often not allowed to use the laboratories at their spare time.
All these lead to poor motivation, lack of confidence and uncertainty about the students’ ability to succeed or perform well enough on the programme of the students.
10) The Gap between Institutions and Industry
There is need for a functional link, understanding and co-ordination between institutions and schools. This is because the institutions produce for the industries. A good TVE curriculum or programme benefits from the linkage between school and industry.
There is need for a functional link, understanding and co-ordination between institutions and schools. This is because the institutions produce for the industries. A good TVE curriculum or programme benefits from the linkage between school and industry.
It is the gap between institutions and industry that pretty accounts for the high rate of unemployment among TVC graduates. This is because students are trained based on procedures and equipment that are no longer needed in various industries. The students therefore graduate to discover that they do not actually possess any employable/entrepreneurial skills and competencies expected of them.
11) Lack of Indigenous Textbooks
From observation the quality and quantity of indigenous textbooks in vocational education courses are rather poor. Some of the said textbooks do not have accompanying workbooks to facilitate practical work. Some of the books are sub-standard and poorly written.
From observation the quality and quantity of indigenous textbooks in vocational education courses are rather poor. Some of the said textbooks do not have accompanying workbooks to facilitate practical work. Some of the books are sub-standard and poorly written.
Foreign textbooks are very scarce and even when they are available; they are not only expensive but not very relevant to the Nigerian situation.
12) Lack of Effective Entrepreneurship Education
Entrepreneurship education aims at equipping students with occupational skills, sharp business acumen and ingenuity to enable them create employment for themselves and others. It should therefore be an integral part of effective vocational education.
It is not enough to just include “Entrepreneurship” as a course for vocational education students. The course content and method of delivery should have a practical orientation to make the programme really beneficial to the students.
12) Lack of Effective Entrepreneurship Education
Entrepreneurship education aims at equipping students with occupational skills, sharp business acumen and ingenuity to enable them create employment for themselves and others. It should therefore be an integral part of effective vocational education.
It is not enough to just include “Entrepreneurship” as a course for vocational education students. The course content and method of delivery should have a practical orientation to make the programme really beneficial to the students.
13) Insufficient Industrial Work Experience for Student
In 1973, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) launched the “Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES)”, which was aimed at creating opportunity for vocational technical education students to acquire relevant practical skills in typical work environments. It is sad to note that this laudable scheme doesn’t seem to be making any meaningful contributions towards achieving the goals for which it was established. This can be seen as a big set back because most of the expensive, state of the art machines and equipment necessary for effective vocational education can only be found in companies and firms.
Some industrial organizations do not accept students for industrial attachment, some only assign the students to menial and irrelevant jobs where they manage to accept them and do little or nothing to encourage or motivate them during the exercise.
Sometimes the duration of the training is rather short for any meaningful impact and also some of the students regard the period as part of their holidays.
All these affect vocational education as the acquisition of the needed practical skills and competencies tend to be impracticable.
14) Administrative and Curriculum Problems
Vocational education curricula in most cases have been criticized as being either too academic, certificate-crazy or theory based with very little proportion of the content given to practice or field works. This explains why modern TVE curricula emphasize at least 70% practical and 30% theory – at the lower level.
15) Non-involvement of Vocational Education Practitioners in Policy Making and Planning
When practitioners who are actually the implementers of TVE programmes are excluded at the policy and planning stage, it becomes rather difficult to get them totally committed to its successful implementation.
In 1973, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) launched the “Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES)”, which was aimed at creating opportunity for vocational technical education students to acquire relevant practical skills in typical work environments. It is sad to note that this laudable scheme doesn’t seem to be making any meaningful contributions towards achieving the goals for which it was established. This can be seen as a big set back because most of the expensive, state of the art machines and equipment necessary for effective vocational education can only be found in companies and firms.
Some industrial organizations do not accept students for industrial attachment, some only assign the students to menial and irrelevant jobs where they manage to accept them and do little or nothing to encourage or motivate them during the exercise.
Sometimes the duration of the training is rather short for any meaningful impact and also some of the students regard the period as part of their holidays.
All these affect vocational education as the acquisition of the needed practical skills and competencies tend to be impracticable.
14) Administrative and Curriculum Problems
Vocational education curricula in most cases have been criticized as being either too academic, certificate-crazy or theory based with very little proportion of the content given to practice or field works. This explains why modern TVE curricula emphasize at least 70% practical and 30% theory – at the lower level.
15) Non-involvement of Vocational Education Practitioners in Policy Making and Planning
When practitioners who are actually the implementers of TVE programmes are excluded at the policy and planning stage, it becomes rather difficult to get them totally committed to its successful implementation.
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