CONTENTS
1.INTRODUCTION
Concept of technical teachers’ training programme {tttp}
Concessive approaches by Nigerian government for teacher’s education 2. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN
3. CONCERTED EFFORT TO ELIMINATE PROBLEMS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
6. PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TEACHERS EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
7. PRESENTMENT
8. CONCLUSION
9. REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
CONCEPT OF TECHNICAL TEACHERS’ TRAINING PROGRAMME {TTTP}
This is an interim measures to provide Nigerian schools with Technical Teachers
{Vocational teachers inclusive}. Which started in 1980 in collaboration with
the United States of America through which by 1988 about 1540 Technical
Teachers were produced. Today, the training is run locally by government in the
country Universities and Polytechnics.
CONCESSIVE APPROACHES BY NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT FOR TEACHERS EDUCATION.
Nigerian students, as far back as 1700s – mostly the Mulatto – were sent to
London for education stated Ma’aji {1984: 3}.
Onyewuenyi {1987:7} supported Gunther {1954:725} observation
that the Europeans who earlier came to West Coast of Africa {Nigeria inclusive}
were mainly for , to administer or to exploit {Asiwaju and Crowder
1978: 1-19 and Davidson 1971:280-293} but not to stay, {or to offer
anything reasonable solution to the people in solving problems }. Fafunwa {1974
: 196} mentioned that it was the missionary {church} who started the
first teachers’ training in 1852: establishing school in Western Nigeria, while
in the Eastern part, the provision of informal training through the
apprenticeship system for teachers were met :- using homeless boys and children
of converted village heads. These Teachers’ training were mainly of Theology
and how to serve as an evangelists. Notable in such training institutes were
dearth of teachers to teach functional subjects, short of funds and lack of
equipments by Easton {1966}.
In the northern province, modern Educational development as presented by
Fafunwa {1974:100-120} can safely be summarized as:-“a
struggle between restless Christians missionaries assertion of Educational
ideals on an established Quranic {Arabic} and Islamic system of Education which
had earlier existed in the Northern Emirates”. The by- effect of such struggles
was made with outmoded rejection;
Except for Zaria Emirate as we are told Lord Lugard persuaded by diplomatic
principles. It was in the middle belt the missionaries found favorable
condition. Being accepted by the populace of the area (i.e.
plateau,Bauchi,Udei, Jalingo, Makurdi, Southern Zaria, etc). for both education
and pastoral activities: as deduced from Mckinney carol Verginia in her
dissertation (Bajju of central Nigeria “A case of religion & social
change”) in addition with lugard (1926:593) in his
Boer report, which Turaki (1982) also study out. Thus, it will
be reasonably to draw from their presentations as –
The campaign by the Hausa—Fulani in one hand for Slaves with compost
taxes at a discrete of UN—Human Condition and colonial administration
salvaging of or for Colonies in the other hand-- in accepting Christianity. It
is in Kalu (1982) that we saw how the local rivalry of traditional religion
could had made other groups to developed interest in Christianity as escape
rote to their desperation and moving along a new cultural heritage.
A contrary opinion was presented by Abdulmaliki in his text, “Zuwan Turawa
Nigeria Ta Arewa”. It is here we deduced that the Northern Province was
introduced to modern Education in the late eighteen centuries in Kano-
Nasarawa- on a secular basis of Khartoum principle. This statement is confirmed
by Turaki {1993:21-27} . Also informing us of the charter of Britain to the
Royal Niger Company in 1886 which was later withdrawn in December 1898
declaring the Niger Territory on British colonial rule. According to interpretation
of Abdulmaliki {1978:212}was that Lord Lugard on taking over the administration
of the North- in the 1900s- enacted a government policy for teachers education
base on Khartoum educational principles.
This policy of Khartoum earlier before 1908 saw Mr. Hans Vischer {popularly
called Dan Hausa} who happen also to be the first education officer of the
North having a class of indigenous Northern pupils in Kano from the ruling
class and some peasants. By 1911 the number of pupils raised to 200 making up
of teachers’ education, vocational subjects and administration for the children
of the ruling class. The main aims of this Khartoum {-now Sudan} principles
were mainly three:-
{1} to form a class of indigenous pupils ; this pupils to be taught how to read and write; the trained pupils to become government workers - Teachers {2} the indigenous trained pupils to be sent into the suburbs of Northern Region s as teachers to teach others. {3} out of these pupils, some will eventually be leaders and administrators of education for the Northern Region.
It should be noted as observed by Gunther {1954:231} the principle has no
official connection with any government. It was established by one General
Gordon, Charles George and developed by one General Sir Horatio Kitcheners
between 1889 – 99 who were the Governor –General of Khartoum having Sir Winston
Churchill serving as a junior army officer …. In training the governing class,
Engineering, Law, Public Administration and agriculture. This principles is
supported by Sir Ahmadu Bello {1962:8}as a collaborative example :-
“The British had asked my father to send one son before, but I was too young at
the time” to Katsina College which was officially opened in 1922 according to
Sir Hugh Clifford the Governor of Nigeria saying it is a training college
established for Muhammadan Teachers.
That was around 1910 when Sir Ahmadu Bello was born and his father a heir to
the Sokoto Caliphate was serving as a District Head of Rabah in Sokoto emirate.
The Commonwealth development of Education Co-operation {1964: 18-23} shows and
explained the dearth of teachers has been a major problem since 1920s in
British colonies. By1926, noted Fafunwa that there were 13 Teachers training
colleges with a total population of 290 men and 30 women, mostly missionary
{church} institutions concentrated in the southern Provinces. These problem of
teachers convulse as it was, saw a crash programme launched for their
production in 1968. It was to help produce some 2000 graduates and Nigeria
certificate in education {N.C.E} Teacher annually for five years stated
Fafunwa{1974:201}. However, it has to be noted this University {UNN} pioneered
the graduate training of teachers at B.sc {Ed}/ B Ed level as stated by
Fafunwa. Science subjects were accorded top priority, as this is the area in
serious short supply in 1960s; sadly, they are still in short supply today in
the 2000s.
Unfortunately, those to provide the sound economical education to the country
also to guide the basis of Nigeria economy – that is, the Technical Teachers –
were never mentioned. The only clue for us to comprehend the relegation of
technical teacher education is found in Fafunwa {1974 :195} as that “Technical
Education had a slow start and developed less quickly in comparism with other
forms of Education in Nigeria”. Even though today all over the World, Technical
education development is the most useful measure of which exceed the
advancement of self- reliance of a country’s industries and economy. Amadio
{2000}
HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA.
This type of education has been be-seated with numerous problems as
written by Gunthel{1954:725-726}. This was in respect of the Europeans whom
Nigerians earlier met. These Europeans as noted by Davidson{1967:205-208} were
ruffians and adventurers to the core. Onyewuenyi{1987:7}, wrote of Professor
P.O Bodunrin { A former Head of department of philosophy , University of
Ibadan}informing us that
“ it cannot be doubted that in the age of
adventure, what the Europeans adventurers explorers or exploiters
{However one may regard them} were out to seek were thing peculiar un-
Europeans”
It was at the onset of the restless British and
French empires on one hand and Germany on the other hand stated Watson {1981},
Peacock{1980} and Easton {1966 }; New foreign policy emerged, keen competition
developed which lead to new foreign educational policies and reform in West
Africa colonies".
The British society by 1870 according to Breach & Hartwell {1972:23}
describing it “as hierarchical, religious and masculine: it was very unequal in
its distribution of wealth and firmly stratified socially ; it was ostensibly
very religious with some of the great public controversies of the day centering
in religion; it was masculine, with women in an inferior social and economic
position, married women, for example, not being able to own properties in their
own right until 1882. by 1918 society was less hierarchical, less
religious and less masculine. The franchise, the growth of political labour
party and the expansion of trade unions to the unskilled, had extended
democracy, economically and politically;… educational opportunities had
widened, although secondary education was still denied to all; but a small
proportion of working classes….”
Before 1902 the British Monarch had exerted considerable political influence
both at home and its colonies and that was the end of its imperialism. Turaki
{1993:28} also supports this in his book, An introduction to the history of
SIM/ECWA in Nigeria 1893-1993 all these shows that Technical Trainning is put
on ground
to train Nigerians to manipulate and produce machinery purely for the
imperial economical endeavour, therefore, the Technical Education Ma’aji {1984}
noted , presumed and promoted conformity; Education which had little to do with
equipping pupils to lead a fuller live but conformist on a narrow sense. Even
Hilliard [1956:141} informed us that if school were established for Technical
Education
“…it was that of fitting students to receive training which will enable
them feel responsible post in different government department but not to serve
in the supply of trained , authentic manpower{Human resources} to develop the
economy.”
CONCERTED
EFFORT TO ELIMINATE PROBLEMS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA.
The development of Technical Education mentioned in
Okorie{2001:9-10} Fafunwa {1974:175-179} as indicated by Kirk-Greene{1968}
which Hilliard {1956}informed us in simple term as pointed by Gunther {1954}
the time in the year 1944/45 a Ten- year development plan by the British
Government was launched for Nigeria ; this saw a foundation of three Technical
institution in Kaduna, Enugu and Lagos being established in 1948. The 50’s saw
more governmental concerted efforts. This lead to the establishment of more
trade centers, craft{Commonwealth Rebate For Full- Time Training}schools
,Technical schools without adequate teachers. By 1958 according to the Nigeria
yearbook, {1960:119} Technical and Vocational students formed a minute 0.0023%
of the total students in the federation. While technical and vocational schools
stood at 0.0021% of the total schools of the federation.
On closer observation of the Federal Ministry of Education statistics in 1988
the technical and vocational students rose from 0.0023% in 1958 to 0.0034% in
1988 making a 50% rise in the Federation. In the other hand, the primary pupils
rose to 621% and secondary school students rose to 422% from 1958 to 1988. A 30
year development of which this 50% are expected according to Nigeria Constitution
{1978} to be the bed-rock for the country “…independent industrial capability.
APPROACHES FOR
FUNDING OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN
NIGERIA
By 1984/85, Federal government disturbed with the
low level of indigenous competence industrial workers , scholars and students;
considering the recommendations forwarded by the 1969 National Curriculum
Conference Fafunwa {1774:22} with that of the {National Policy of Education
1973;1981 } “ philosophy and goals of education” which the 1978 Nigeria
Constitution CHAPTER II , Item 12, spelt out in sub-section ‘3’ “…to enable
Nigeria to develop its own independent industrial capability” directs .
The Federal Government entered into soft loan arrangement with countries like
Bulgaria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia for the production and supply of
pre-vocational {industrial} workshops tools and equipments. This to address
fundamental issues of technical and vocational education at junior secondary
and selected senior secondary schools in the country. The supplies to the
states and schools have been made. The installation of these equipments at
various degree of success has been accomplished.
Even though the National Policy of Education {1973 & 1981} emphasize
functional education for all citizens of Nigeria at all level. The necessary
equipment of which all Nigerians were involved by the Federal Government for it
to acquire the loan and to achieve the mentioned goals in the 1978 constitution
(to lay a solid foundation ):These toward proper development of Technical Education
are not there anymore. This is because of the indiscipline perpetuated in
schools today by some principals, Technical Teachers and security men- even
with some officials of various ministry of education Headquarters { is that of
mis- appropriation of these equipments purchase and supplied to schools in
1983-throughout the country} is disastrous . More –so most of these equipment
were left on installed for lack of space designated for work shop in some
school. In fact most disappeared into oblivion and today we are back to where
we started. The Nigeria poor peasants are servicing these loans and the
children are not receiving the functional education (Technical and Vocational)
COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
These are upshot of Advance Teachers- Training colleges (A.T.T.Cs) which came
into existence as a collaborated effort by UNESCO and the British Government to
reduce the dearth of teachers in lower form of secondary schools in Nigeria (in
1962-3) observed of by the Federal Government, today in Nigeria it is the minimum
standard to become a Teacher at the primary level. The collaborated effort saw
the supply of teachers for an emergency scheme with a view of producing well
–qualified, non-graduate teachers as stated by Fafunwa (1974:201) and the
British information service (1964:26-29).
The main objectives of the colleges were:-
a. Assists the nation achieve its educational objectives through the
preparation of teachers…….
b. Provide course of study, training and research ----for the preparation of
teachers –for the award of Nigeria certificate in education (N.C.E)
c. Offer internal and external courses of short duration to serving teachers.
d. Promotion through teaching, research and other means the advancement of
knowledge ---for the benefit of the community at large.[Source – extracted and
coined out from the National policy of education {1973 section 9 and
1998:33-34} and Annual volume of the laws of Kaduna state of Nigeria (1978:A66)
]
Having a closer look on these objectives one will conclude that they are low
level achievement intends and utterly to narrow for any meaningful training for
technical teachers where accuracy and a long standing discipline should be
bases of deeper concepts. More –so, only in Nigeria and Uganda that run such
institution at a very lower level (Edem 1987).
PHILOSOPHICAL
CONCEPTS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TEACHERS EDUCATION IN NIGERIA.
Jean Jacques Rousseva’s (1712-78)a philosopher, in
his critiques of all education he realizes that the best education that can be
given to any citizen is technical education (on a trade). He simply present his
argument base on an imaginary son of his for people to stratify appropriately
as:-
“Emile to learn a trade that with any change of fortune he might be independent
economically, for its social value in recognizing the dignity of labor, in
helping him to over come the prejudices which other wise he would acquire, and
to aid generally in training the mind.”
On this many writers and scholars {with country’s National Constitutions}
presented many texts, propounded arguments (different of opinions) to what
technical education ought to be or should be set to be ideally. summarily
presented during Festac 1977 by Professor L.H Ofusu Appiah {Director
Encyclopedia Africana Project, Accra Ghana} on 19th January 1977 as :-
“…if we make the effort to learn from history we will be forced to relieve it,
and we may even improve the
intellectual state…in the coming decades and built an intellectual community
whose characteristics feature may be meaningful co-operation devoid of
jalousies and rancor”
Rusk (1974:241) informed us that Alfred North Whitehead like John Dewey
rejected utterly a narrow Technical Education which prepared a man merely to
fit into society in which he lived. Infact this seems to fit well the semantic
paradoxes of colleges of education in Nigeria of which Rusk further explained
and gave us reason to reject such as a narrow training as :-“ … if in the
troubled time which may be before us, you wish appreciably to increase the
chance of some savage upheaval, introduce wide spread technical education and
ignore the Benedictine ideal. Society will then get what it deserve”.
Benedictine ideal lies in aristocratic lineage, Smart (1970:550-551) it was an
asceticism which was optional, and which was geared to orthodoxy without
imposing uniformity as most of the colleges of education were affiliated to the
universities nearest them as moderators and external examiners. Some of these
colleges of education earlier existed in principles while some were well equipped.
Thanks to the establishment of the national commission of colleges of education
(NCCE) in reducing these menace of the Benedictine ideals. However it is yet to
address on concrete term the sound training of Technical Teachers at a
non-graduate level. A Technical Teachers ideally is an :-
1. Authority on his trade, Olaitan {1999:3-4; 63-66} 2. He must have or earning a living from his trade 3. He must have received his training from a well established institute or organization Okorie(2001). Olaitan {1999}
This is sufficient for any balance member of the
society for technical education to propound reasons why TTTP should be run
locally in the Universities and polytechnics to stop the narrow sense of
training overseas. It seems to me based on experience the overseas training is
even worst than that provided in our local Colleges of Education. Since every
bit of the training is stream with conformist principles.
PRESENTMENT.
If Technical Teachers Training Programme (TTTP) was
earlier an interim measures: weighting the out put of these overseas products
with that of the locally trained Technical Teachers. Thus, we can conclude
that, those educators who must have sat and advice for the training to be done
locally in Nigeria have done a lot of homework and had a better foresight. For
it is being observed the Technical Training overseas have done a good job for
training conformist, in a narrow sense. While Nigerians required Technical
Teachers with wider knowledge and training to man our classrooms and schools
{in Technical Vocational Education}, Olaitan {1999:8-11}
There fore taking this training to colleges of education as explained in the
texts; what comes immediately to mind is that, how can government attract those
graduate with a sound training in there profession?
(1). they have earned a living on it and
(2). Understand the intrinsic of there profession not the surface aspect of it. (3) Are these students to be, teach the lecturers of colleges of education on and about their trades? Or (4) are they to offer solution to our country Technical problems in the University as enshrine in the National Policy of Education?
In exchange they are taught sound methodology of
presenting their knowledge in the class room/ workshops in our school systems
(to teach, guide and counsel).
The question is how can a pupil from a secondary school trained, taught without
those ethical material required of his schooling in Technical Vocational
Education as mentioned in the text. To be put together with a graduate (B Engr/
HND/ B.Sc (Engr), ND, C&G finals} going to the same Colleges of Education
to be taught a trade and methodology for teaching in our school system be
effective? -The graduates as an Engineer or Technologist had worked in
different organizations perhaps reach management level for offering solutions
and the other does not know his left or RIGHT.
CONCLUSION
From the discussion and presentation above the
relevance of moving the Technical Teachers Training Programme ( TTTP) from the
Universities and Polytechnics to Colleges of Education should be handled with
caution. For in the near future as we have deduced in the text; it seems we
will return to the 1940’s position of none authentic Technical Teachers. In
effect, Nigerians will be enslaved to external Technology.
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