EFFECT OF HIGH COST OF EDUCATION ON STUDENTS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

1.1 Introduction

Technical education is a type of education which is designed specifically to accommodate both the trainer and the trainee to enable the trainee acquire the basic knowledge, skills, abilities, understanding and attitudes needed for one’s efficient performance in his or her chosen occupational career for self-reliance and national development (Nwogu & Nwanorou, 2011). It is the education and training that equips individuals and learners with knowledge, ideas, principles, attitudes and attributes which will enable them to discover opportunities, plan and create ventures to exploit the opportunities available for economic development. Technical education and training are the education for the acquisition and development of skills, competencies and attitudes which are necessary for capacity building.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

The cost of education is at its highest now more than ever even in first world countries where a lot of measures have been tactically put in place to aid and raise the standard of education and level of literacy per individual. Students take out loans to put themselves through college especially for the study of professional courses to be paid after graduation and working. Governments of these developed countries make it possible for people to study without the overly hindrance of the financial factor but the cost is there nonetheless. It doesn’t show still as the importance of education especially in these developed countries are still more significant and all the more and seems to be directly proportional to the rising cost so that it doesn’t pose so much of a social problem as it would seem. However the issue is not so bad in these developed countries as it is in the developing and underdeveloped countries where the quality and importance of a tertiary education isn’t as profitable as in developed countries and no as proportional with the hard and stringent economic conditions so that the effect is visibly on the students and potential students. Seeing the importance of education the impact is of devastating proportions especially as it is pertaining more to the youth of the nation with their strategic significance to the overall survival of the country’s future.

Commission of Inquiry into Education System of Nigeria Report (2000) indicates that annual average expenditure on schooling in Nigeria by families shows that about 50% of total expenditure is spent in uniform and other indirect costs. This places heavy burden on poor families who cannot afford the required school fees as per the government fees guideline and the extra fees not covered. According to GoK (2004 uniform makes all students to be equal. Therefore those who cannot afford feel inferior and discriminated from others. This affects their participation and some students opt to drop out.

Parents, Teachers Association levies are charges that are assumed to have been agreed upon by parents in an Annual General Meeting for support provision of education in a given secondary school. It covers the cost of construction of classroom, Purchase of buses, salaries for Board of Management’ Teachers/Workers among other expenses. According to Maryan (2008) PTA in United States of America seek to promote welfare of the child and youth at home, in school and in the community. P.T.A also sought to bridge the gap between home and school by connecting educators with public in securing child friendly school. P.T.A in role in Nigeria is to ensure that civil society supporting government to ensure that all Nigerians have access to good quality education by 2015.

Verspoor (2008) argues that PTA levies are instrumental in provision to physical facilities in schools. Mbugua (2008) concurs that one of the areas where P.T.A levies are utilized in Nigeria is in developing school physical facilities school management should therefore ensure that there is adequate facilities to enable teaching learning process to take place. Poor households who cannot afford to pay for P.T.A levies may end up having their children send home for the same affecting participation. Some may opt to drop out completely resulting to wastage.

Although there is FDSE, parents are expected to cater for children cost of education. Cheruiyot (2011), when studying effectiveness of subsidies in enhancing enrolment in public secondary schools found that though tuition waiver greatly reduces financial burden, parents still meet the rising costs of school uniforms, PTA levies for example infrastructure fund, lunch charges and opportunity costs among others. It is in reference to this background that the researcher wishes to find out the Effect of High Cost of Education on Students of Technical Education in Nigeria.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed the effects have been made to bring positive results from the teaching and learning of technical education in Lagos State Technical Colleges but effective learning has not been achieved. This is also another factor why the teaching of Technical Education is still concentrated at junior secondary schools in all the secondary schools in Lagos State. The society have seen the importance of computer education in resent times and efforts are being made to see what could be done to remove all the factors that affect the students performances almost in all Nigerian Secondary Schools, so that technological achievement and advancement aspired by many nations can be achieved in Nigeria.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Effect of High Cost of Education on Students of Technical Education in Lagos State Technical Colleges. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To determine how school meals’ charges affect students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges,
2. To establish the influence of parents Teachers Association levies on students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges,
3. To assess how cost of school uniform influence students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges,
4. To determine the influence of opportunity costs on students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• How do school meals’ charges affect students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges?
• How do parents Teachers Association (PTA) levies affect students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges?
• To what extent does the cost of school uniform influence students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges?
• What is the influence of opportunity costs on students’ participation in Lagos State Technical Colleges?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant factor instigating the high cost of education on Students of Technical Education in Lagos State
• H1: There is a significant factor instigating the high cost of education on Students of Technical Education in Lagos State

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1.7 Significance of Study

The study may provide information on factors influencing students’ participation rate in Lagos State Technical Colleges. This information may be useful to educational planners, administrators, parents, learners, community and other stakeholders to device measures that could ensure that student joining secondary school complete the school cycle.

The Ministry of Education will also find the study useful when addressing factors that hinder transition even other parts of the country. The study may also add to the growth of knowledge on influence of rising cost on students’ participation in secondary school education. The finding of the study may also be used as basis of research in other part of the country.

This study will be of immense benefit to academic students and other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Effect of High Cost of Education on Students of Technical Education in Nigeria using Lagos State Technical Colleges as a case study.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

Rising costs: Expenditure on education which is not covered under FDSE yet parent have to pay for them, example expenditure on school uniform, school/meal, PTA levies for example infrastructure fund and opportunity costs.

Opportunity cost: Alternative activity foregone for a student to enjoy full school time Participation − refers to access, retention and completion of secondary course. PTA Levies− fees charged to parents after approval by parents during annual general meetings.

Public secondary school: Schools maintained or assisted out of public fund

School uniform: Is a unique clothes recommended for a student by the school

Wastage: Refer to learners who do not complete secondary education in time or drop out of school.

Access: Refers to making education available and affordable to targeted population.

Meal charges: Money paid by student towards meals taken in school

Retention: Ability of student to remain in school until they complete their school life cycle.

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1.11 Organisation of the Study

The study is organized into four chapters.

Chapter one consists of the background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study, assumptions of the study and limitation of the study.

Chapter two consists of literature review under the following subtopics: Rationale of investing in secondary education, factors influencing participation in secondary education summary of literature review, theoretical framework and conceptual framework.

Chapter three discusses the research methodology. It contains: research design, target population, sample size and sampling techniques, research instruments, instrument validity, instrument reliability, data collection procedures and data analysis techniques.

Chapter four contains data analysis, interpretation and discussions.

Chapter five contains the summary, conclusion, recommendations and suggestions for further studies.