'Why practical work is missing in school teaching'

A CRITICAL appraisal of the implementation mode of the Nigerian Secondary School Curricula, carried out by three Nigerian academics and a doctoral student, has revealed a predominantly theoretical and less practical approach by teachers in the classrooms. The study also confirmed the fears in certain quarters that Technical and Vocational subjects (TVS) are being poorly taught in especially public schools across the country. Although, the research report affirmed the appropriateness of the curricula in terms of goals and content, the mode of implementation was found to be “weak.” And when compared with international standards, the report submitted that the curricula have some missing links too.Besides, the study, which commenced in July 2009 and was completed in May 2010, found that only a few skill – based subjects (vocational and technical) were being properly handled in secondary schools, just as it established that teachers were often overloaded and stressed up in handling too many subjects and students per time, at the expense of quality delivery.Indeed, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Education responsible for curriculum matters in primary and secondary schools, is expected to disagree with various aspects of the report. Its Executive Secretary, Prof. Godswill Obioma and his team of experts have, at various times, expressed confidence over the potency of the new Basic Education curricula, which were unveiled in 2008, and are currently being assessed through multiple strategies. The curricula cover primary and Junior Secondary classes. The process of evaluating the Senior Secondary school curricula has already commenced.However, the team of Researchers, comprising Dr Dorothy Ofoha of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN); Dr Ngozi Uchegbu, who lectures at St Augustine’s College of Education, Akoka, Lagos, Dr. Blessing Anyikwa, a lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Mr. Mike Nkemdirim, a doctoral student also at UNILAG, had embarked on the study to specifically assess how the secondary curricula were being implemented, with a view to finding out how this was affecting the socio – economic empowerment of the youths. The study had set out to answer seven questions (See. Fig 1), adopting the descriptive survey design.To collect data, three out of the country’s six geo – political zones were selected – North Central, South East and South West. The states selected in each of the zones were: Nasarawa, Imo and Lagos. In each state, four school categories were used: Federal Government owned schools (FGS); State Government owned schools (SGS); High Class Private Schools (HCPS); and Low Class Private Schools (LCPS). The criteria used in the selection of the HCPS and LCPS include – school environment, quality of teachers, school building, fees and location.About 380 randomly selected junior and senior secondary students from 12 schools were sampled. Some 120 teachers from the same 12 schools, derived from a variety of disciplines, were also sampled.When the various results were collated, about 68 per cent of the sampled students agreed that the teaching method used in implementing the secondary curricula during the period under study was predominantly theoretical. On the availability of infrastructural facilities, the study found that Computer Science, Home Economics, Agricultural Science, Introductory Technology and Music were the vocational subjects reported to have workshops equipped with fairly basic facilities. The report affirmed: “Observations made by researchers during field work in Nasarawa’s HCPS, revealed that well maintained infrastructural facilities were only available (at the) Computer Science laboratory, Agricultural Science farmlands and (the) Technical Drawing room. Though, the state government schools had facilities in Introductory Technology and Agricultural Farmland, they were in bad condition. The science laboratories sighted in some of the low class private schools were also in bad condition.”It was discovered that Agricultural Science, Home Economics, Fine Art, Introductory Technology, Food and Nutrition, Music, Computer Science and Technical Drawing, in that order, enjoyed the services of specialist teachers. On the measure of practical skills student learnt from school with which they could be self employed, the report affirmed: “Only in Fine Art (Drawing), Home Economics (Sewing), Agricultural Science (Farming), Food and Nutrition (Cookery), Introductory Technology (Electrical Works) and Music (Singing), did the sampled students signify having acquired significant self – employable entrepreneurial skill. The proportion of students’ indication in other vocational areas was very low. Except in Cookery, which was led by the Federal Government Colleges, HCPS’ consistently led (by) wide margins in all the listed areas.”The excuse proffered by teachers for concentrating on theory, according to the Report, was that there were no infrastructure and practical materials to properly implement the curriculum. Besides, the study revealed a problem of “overloaded curriculum, which was expected to be implemented within a limited time.”It continued: “The typical Nigerian school wants to cover six to eight subjects per day. A period was about 40 minutes. Even the two to three periods allotted to the ‘important subjects,’ is hardly enough to do justice to the subjects theoretically. Consequently, there was hardly time for real practical work. More often than not, the teachers were overloaded and often stressed up handling too many subjects and too many students per time, all at the expense of quality delivery. The consequence of this practice is that the nation ends up producing more talkers and consumers than producers; and more job seekers than job creators.“It was found that only few skill-based subjects are being properly handled in Nigerian secondary schools. This apparently explained the increasing rate of unemployment and social vices amongst the youths in the country.”To contain the challenges discovered in the course of the study, the researchers advised the federal and state governments to build necessary infrastructural facilities, including functional workshops in all secondary schools across the country. Added to this, it implored the government to provide adequate workshop equipment, instructional materials and tools to make teaching and learning of skill based subjects effective.The Report pointedly advised that teachers and students be “properly motivated to undertake training in skill based vocational and technical subjects via appropriate government and societal recognition and remuneration.” Significantly, the researchers strongly recommended that real practical work, and not alternative to practical in vocational and technical subjects should be made compulsory for JS 3 and SS 3 students, as part of the requirements for their graduation.Yet another recommendation: “it is a known fact that society accords inferior status to vocational and technical education (VTE). The negative attitude of many parents to (it) should be changed. Adequate enlightenment campaigns should be carried out to emphasize the importance of VTE in the light of prevailing economic circumstances and the increasing unemployment rate in the country.”The report was edited by Dr Dayo Odukoya, the Secretary General of the Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA), which was founded in 1989 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The ERNWACA, which has 16 African countries including Nigeria as its members, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) jointly provided funding support for the research.