Principal blames vocational education woes on FG

By Emma Arubi
WARRI—FEDERAL Government discriminatory policies towards technical and vocational education in the country had been identified as the major hindrance to the successful growth of the sector.

The Principal/Chief Executive of the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Delta State, Dr. Raymond Akpojivi, made this remark in a lecture, titled “The Place of Technical/Vocational Education in National Development” delivered during the University of Lagos Alumni Association, Warri Circle 2009 annual dinner party, held at the Woodridge Hotel, Effurun, weekend.

He asserted that importing equipment for the technical/ vocation training programme in the 6-3-3-4 educational system without putting in place adequate number and quality of trained vocational teachers, as it was currently practiced, was tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.

Akojivi expressed regrets that government discriminatory policies against technical/vocational certificate holders was reflected mostly in salary structure and upward movement in government-owned parastatals and agencies wherein technical certificate holders were rated below their university counterpart, in spite of regulations to correct same.

Noting that the society derogatorily tag vocational jobs as ‘blue collar’ fit only for artisans and “white collar” jobs for alleged dignifying professions, he said admission into tertiary institutions must be made more liberal for vocational/technical trainees to encourage more people with academic dreams venture into craft or technical training.

He suggested that all discriminatory policies on wages, opportunity for promotions in the service and admission into tertiary institutions be dropped forthwith.

Akojivi also charged government to grow technical/vocational education through appropriate legislative instruments.