April 9, 2018

Some educationists on Monday urged the Federal Government to prioritise technical and vocational education in order to produce quality middle-level manpower in the country.

The educationists spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Mr Anselm Izuagie, the National President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), urged the federal government to revisit the education policy designed to create middle level manpower in the country.

Izuagie decried the emphasis on paper qualification to the detriment of technical education.

“In many advanced countries, the education system places emphasis on technical education and the creative abilities of the students and this is what helps their development.

“The emphasis on paper certificate in Nigeria has created a lot of setbacks for our education; it encourages examination malpractices, which is now a serious challenge bedeviling our education,’’ he said.

Izuagie, who is also the Principal of Saint Johns’ Boys Secondary School, Fugar, Edo, said that government needed to go back to the drawing board to properly apply the policy of technical and vocational training.

“Between 1980 and 1992, government imported instructional machineries from Russia that were meant for technical education, and several technical schools were created across the country.

“However, the decay started in 1992 when the machineries were abandoned and later stolen. Government has a lot to do to revisit this idea,’’ he said.

Another educationist, Mr Yomi Otubela said that it was time government reverted back to the 6-3-3-4 system of education, because it placed high premium on technical and vocational education.

Otubela, who is the Proprietor, Lagooz schools, Agege, Lagos, stressed that what was required to grow the Nigerian economy has gone beyond certificates.

“Government must show serious interest in technical education and skills acquisition.

“Some pupils are good in the cognate aspect of education, while others are good in the affective aspect, which deals mainly with technical education and skills acquisition.

“The 6-3-3-4 educational system placed high premium on technical and vocational education at the Junior Secondary School level and I believe that this is what we need,’’ Otubela said.

On his part, Mr Wasiu Adumadeyin, the President, Lagos Chapter, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), said that it was encouraging its members to invest heavily in vocational education.

Adumadeyin said: “we should go back to the drawing board and promote vocational education in our country.

“The module of our education curriculum placed emphasis on vocational education after the junior secondary school, but the implementation has not been effective.

“We have, therefore, encouraged private schools owners to invest more on vocational education to enhance skills acquisition and self employment; though it is capital intensive,’’ the NAPPS president said.