VOCATIONAL EDUCATION A TOOL FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION

ABSTRACT

Poverty has been identified to be anathema to meaningful development of nations especially those of the Third World. Various attempts have been made to define and describe it and efforts at alleviating or eradicating it have taken various approaches. This paper, which is aimed at examining the poverty situation of Nigeria, attempts suggesting how it can be alleviated making use of vocational education as a self sustaining strategy.

The paper has three main parts. In the first part, the concept of poverty is briefly received as a prelude to identifying its cause and characteristics. The second part, the state of vocational education in the country is looked at with the sole objective  of identifying the problems which it resolved would enable the products of our educational system propel themselves out of the  various cycle of poverty that has pervaded  the nations.

Therefore poverty Alleviation programme used by the previous and   present government so far, to reduce or remove poverty has been observed, to give a short term relief. In this paper vocational education is therefore, highlighted as a  means of developing an individual so as to have a long-term  solution to poverty.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

The state of poverty has been a problem to many developing countries of the world, as evidence show that through various attempts have been made by these nations to reduce it, the problem appears indefatigably difficult to contain. An attestation to this has been observed in the states situation in which past governments have had cause to introduce certain structural measures to combat this menace.

            Vocational Education can be defined even in this state by Olaitan (1978) as that type of education which teaches an individual the basic principles of doing things. It fixes rights habits of doing things in the students through repetitive training in experience from the occupation. Even in the broad sense, vocational education includes the learning of any kind of profitable and useful work.

             Robert 1975 defines vocational education as the systematic learning experiences which are designed to fit individual for gainful employment in recognized occupations.

            Poverty as seen by the Academic American Encyclopedia (Vol. 12, P. 78) is when one lacks goods and services necessary to maintain an adequate standard of living. Aliyu (2001.P. 14) suggests that relative poverty is a comparative state of deprivation among individuals in a society or group of persons is unable to satisfy their most basic and elementary requirement for human survival in terms of food, clothing, shelter, health, transport, education and recreation. Alleviation according to the Oxford English Dictionary (1979) means to make pain or suffering less or easier to bear. Poverty alleviation therefore suggests making “easier” the pain that comes along with poverty.

            The citizens of a state are trained in the field that enables them to acquire specific skills, the individuals are   likely to be self-reliant and eradicate poverty as they make use of the skill, the state also stand  a better chance for development. Aliyu (2001) also argues that in 1960, the poverty level covered 15 percent on the states population. The  rate rose to 28 percent by 1980. Therefore the state of vocational Education in Ogun State and which  marries the 2 to reduce the poverty level of the state’s citizenry.

            Therefore under vocational Education we have 5 main categories of classes, they are:

1                    Vocational Agriculture

2                    Business Education

3                    Home Economics Education

4                    Trade and industries Education.

5                    Technical Education

1.1       PURPOSE OF STUDY

The purpose of this study is to identify the problems facing vocational education as a tool for poverty alleviation in Ogun State. To determine the factors that are affecting poverty alleviation generally in Ogun State with a view of suggesting some solution to the way by which all the situation can be stopped.

1.2       SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The relevance or significance of this study cannot be our emphasized in the view of its importance in the state. When the identified problem confronting the poverty alleviation in Ogun state has been solved, it will improve the level of poverty in the state. Government should be able to provide social amenities for them to complete some project to promote the accomplishment of programmes and reduce rampant case of poverty in the entire state.

1.3       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.

The problem of this research work is to know how vocational Education can solve poverty alleviation in Ogun State. To determine the factors that is affecting poverty alleviation generally with a view of suggestion and solution.

1.4       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The researcher want to know the particular way in which vocation education can improve the standard of poverty in Ogun state. This study is interested in knowing the way vocational Education can fully eradicate poverty. The objective of the study are:

a.       Function vocational and skill acquisition centered should be established to produce job creators rather than job seekers.

b.      There should be entrepreneurship education in school; vocational education should be made compulsory in school.

c.       Government poverty alleviation programme should focus on the training of teaming jobless youth in area of vocational education such as agriculture production and management.

1.5       RESEARCH QUESTIONS.

            The following research questions has been formulated.

a.       What are the factors contributing to the poverty situation in Ogun state?

b.      Is vocational Education a tool to poverty alleviation and self reliant?

c.       Does Ogun state government has poverty eradication programme on ground.

d.      Does poverty eradication programme targeted the most poverty striking people in the society?

e.       Is there any strategies that government can used to eradicate poverty?.

1.6       LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

            In every aspect of life, there is bound to be one limitation or another and this study is no exception.

            Therefore the limitations encountered in the course of the study will be analysed rather than been glossed over.

TIME FACTORS:

The time to carry out this research effectively not enough due to time schedule.

FINANCIAL PROBLEM:

The financial aspects also create some problems because there is insufficient of fund to motivate the researchers.

INADEQUATE MATERIALS:

There is insufficient materials to use in the course of carrying out the study.

1.7       DEFINITION OF TERMS:

            This aspect of the research works is to give initiate knowledge and meaning of the various works

a.       Vocational: This is the connection with the skills, knowledge e.t.c. that you need to have in order to do a particular job.

b.      Education: A process of teaching, training and learning especially skills.

c.       Tool: An instrument used to work or to do something.

d.      Poverty: The state of being poor i.e. lack of something or poor quality.

Alleviation: This is the process of making something to be less severe i.e. making something to be at ease.