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Example Essay on Technical Education
Technical education can be described as any form of education whose purpose is to prepare a person(s) for employment in an occupation or group of occupations. Throughout the country, there is a growing awareness of the need for technical education. This improvement in societal perception and interest has culminated in demands for changes in content, organization, and delivery of vocational and technical curricula to reflect a new emphasis on technology. As a matter of fact, technical education is aimed at developing not only practical skills but also attitudes and habits that make the recipient a creative, innovative, and resourceful person.
Technical education can be referred to as the academic and vocational preparation of students for jobs involving applied science and modern technology. It emphasizes the understanding and practical application of basic principles as well as attainment of proficiency in manual skills that are properly the concern of vocational education. Technical education has as its objective the preparation of graduates for occupations that are classed above the skilled crafts but below the scientific or engineering professions. Technical education is distinct from professional education, which places major emphasis upon the theories, understanding, and principles of a wide body of subject matter designed to equip the graduate to practice authoritatively in such fields as science, engineering, law, or medicine. Technical occupations are vital in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, business administration, computers and data processing, education, environmental and resource management, graphic arts and industrial design, and health. Moreso, technical education can be defined as a kind of education that equips learners/students with skills that involve the use of practical approaches and other physical instruments in executing projects.
Nuru (2007) indicated that changes in a country’s economy are required to prepare young people for the jobs of the future and this is where technical education comes on because it has an important role to play in this process. Technical education has been an integral part of national and human development. According to van Ark (1992), some country’s school system is said to pay attention to "high standards in the provision of technical education students while some does not give vocational education the attention it deserves and this appears to be one of the reasons for rising unemployment and poverty in the society. May (2006) also posits that the neglect of technical education in the area of adequate personnel, financial support, and facilities to encourage technical education is robbing the nations of the contribution their graduates would make to the economy. Furthermore, Asogwa and Diogu (2007) maintained that there is an urgent need for the people’s attention to be redirected towards self-reliant and sustainable means of livelihood which technical education provides.
Therefore, there is a need for a clear mission and vision in articulating the role of technical education within the curriculum or national education and training system. The education and training system ensured that youths and graduates from the various educational institutions had the necessary knowledge and skills for the many new jobs, which were created in a rapidly growing economy.
There should be closer cooperation and greater collaboration between education and employment particularly self-employment in order to help the youngsters acquire the necessary skills from the onset. Entrepreneurship development should become part and parcel of the educational curriculum.
Technical education is also needed to prevent the waste of human resources because some third-world countries have given very little attention to the conservation of human resources. It is obvious that the waste of labor by improper employment can be largely avoided through technical training. Such training is the most potent remedy for unemployment. According to Mahbub and Khadija (1998), the provision of technical education must be directly related to those points at which some development is already apparent and where demand for skills is beginning to be manifested.â€
Reference
May in Ajayi, I.A, Arogundadade, B.B and Ekundayo, H.T (2007). Assessing the Realities and Challenges of Technical Education in Imo state Secondary School Education System; in Nigerian Journal of Educational Administration and Planning, 7
Nuru, A. (2007). The relevance of National Vocational Education Qualifications (NVQs) in TVE in Nigeria. unpublished conference paper.
Van Ark, Bart (1992). "Vocational education and productivity in the Netherlands and Britain.†National Institute Economic Review
