An Educationist, Isaac Olatunde, on Tuesday said that Technical and Vocational Schools were not for dropouts but were established to introduce students to innovation and creativity.
Olatunde, a member of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, Lagos State branch, told the News Agency of Nigeria that technical schools were established to support secondary school education.
He said: “Technical and vocational schools are not meant for dropouts as perceived by many Nigerians. We need to start educating Nigerians that technical and vocational schools are not for dropouts.
“Many Nigerians still have the impression that technical colleges are for students who failed in academics or dropped out of secondary school.
“Many parents and youths are ignorant of the fact that technical graduates are those self-employed persons repairing our electronic gadgets.
“They are involved in skilled labour and many of them are making a living out of their skills.”
Olatunde said that the technical schools offer programmes that groom employable youths.
He said: “Technical schools complement our regular secondary schools as it introduces students to creativity and innovativeness.”
Olatunde decried the rate of unemployment in the country, saying that Nigerians youths should embrace technical and vocational training to discover and enhance their God-given skills.
He urged government to prioritise the construction of more technical colleges in the country.
He said: “Unemployment is a major issue affecting young people across the globe. Even young people with university degrees often find it difficult to get a job.
“There is still a shortage of vocational and technical training opportunities in the country because most of the focus in the educational sector has been towards academic subjects.
“It is important that the government focuses on technical and vocational education. The success of every economy is based on employment competitiveness.
“The skill of the labour force is essential to economic growth for any country. An improvement in the technical and vocational field will provide employment for the youth.
“It will also help generate taxable income for the government and improve the country’s overall economy.”