CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Vocational and technical education are among the vital tools an individual can use to be developed. It is training for useful employment in trade, industries, agriculture, business and home making etc. the emphasis on vocation/technical; education is to prepare one for self reliance. American vocational association (1971) sees vocational subjects as those designed to develop skills, abilities, understanding, attitude, work habit and appreciation encompassing knowledge and information needed for any workers to enter and make progress in employment on a useful and productive basis. It contributes to the production of good citizens by developing their physical, social, civic, cultural and economic competencies.
The advent of formal education in Nigeria neglects vocational and technical education entirely. Despite all efforts made to recognize it, yet little or no attention was given to it. No meaningful development was made in the area of vocational education until 1981, when the National policy on Education was published. Due to total neglect, vocational education suffered a major decline in quality, number, policy and directive in Nigeria due to the total neglect. It was after the oil boom era 1970s that it dawned on the nation that there was acute scarcity of skilled manpower.
Osuala (1999) emphasized that the term either technical or vocational education has no single universally accepted definition but what is common among the various definitions is its goals and objectives that remain the same. Technical education has been
