The Growth of Business Education in Some Selected Higher Institution in Enugu Metropolis

THE GROWTH OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IN SOME SELECTED HIGHER INSTITUTION IN ENUGU METROPOLIS

Business education is very important as it consists of an integral part of the contribution to the aim of general education and vocational development of every individual, in Aina du (1978) contributing towards this issue, he stated that the policy of business education in Nigeria must be such that will necessitate the parcel of the policy of business education in Nigeria.

Amaegule Ud (1978) in his contribution towards business education in Nigeria, stipulated that business education must be the type that will be born in and individual economically and it includes development abilities and understanding in area of occupation efficiency and information efficiency in buying and selling and also for  general economic interest.

Uka (1982) in the seminar, while he delivered on business education curriculum for Nigeria, stated that the aim of business education is to help in Nigerian Higher institutions to learn of career opportunities especially in the work of business and office occupations.  The occupational and work experience, requirement for success and to help produce trained labour for economic development.

Nolan (1967) in his own contribution stipulated that business education in higher institutions is to help individuals develop understanding and skills which will help them to enter into business world for betterment of livelihood.

Gertside P. 5(1981) stated that business education should be an integral part of total framework education in Nigeria for it is that, which will provide for occasional corruptency.  He further pointed out that business education helps prepare students for office occupation and also to meet the new demand of entry job.

2.1     THE ORIGIN OF THE SUBJECT AREA:

Before the British came into Nigeria, there was no formal education, what existed then was information education, business people were learning different kinds of trade through the apprenticeship systems.  When the British came, formal education was introduced, people came to realize the importance of trade especially as it concerns business education.  It was in order to improve this aspect (business education) that Ashby commission was formed in 1860.

The report showed that there was clearly a shortage of well-educated secretaries, book-keeper to fill clerical and junior administration post in both public and private sectors of the economy.  The report went further to state that this serious situation would become desperate unless increasing number of higher institution leavers especially girls were forth coming to take up this kind of work, due to lack of training facilities which were attractive to higher institution girls.

Business education was therefore for vocational purposes and it was centred on such courses as Accounting, typewriting, the aim of which was simply to help or improve some skills that might permit them obtain employment in the business sector and also to meet the demand for business works.

Although efforts were made to improve business education in Nigeria, yet this issue has not reflected any special trend for business education, except for new national policy which has evolved comprehensive type of schools system, that is a system where all students in the same higher institutions are exposed to the grammar service, business and technical courses during the first half of their academic carrier.

The following courses are the basic for the business education curriculum.

(a)     Economics

(b)     Typewriting

(c)      Accounting

(d)     Business Mathematics

Fafunwa Baba in his own contribution noted that business courses which was regarded as single courses that constituted that core of business education curriculum as follows:

(a)     Business method

(b)     Business Mathematics

(c)      Economics

(d)     Principles of accounts

(e)      Typewriting

(f)      Book-keeping

  • SCHOOL OF THOUGHT WITH THE SUBJECT:

It offers students the opportunity to develop skills, abilities and understandings to man competently his personal business affairs and develop understanding of the vocational opportunities available in the broad field of business, and to assume his citizenship duties through enlightened participation of the Nigeria enterprise system.  It also offers to the students wishing to pursue a career the opportunity.

BUSINESS EDUCATION LECTURERS:

This business education lecturer is a very vital figure in the implementation of business education programme, for any educational objectives to be achieved, there must be qualified lecturers to lecture in the schools.  Likewise, the achievement of any objective of business education depends to a large extent on the abilities of qualified business education lecturers.

Authors in business education lecturers are of the opinion that no philosophy of business education in Nigeria will make the programme progressive in the business education.  In the absence of business education lecturers who co-ordinate and control the learning activities.

Farrant, J. S. (1960) observed that unlike the administrator, principal or supervisor, the lecturer is part and parcel of the daily experience of the students because the students take him as a model.  Moreover, the teaching and experience in matters concerning business and economic education.

In business, an opportunity to develop these skills, abilities and understanding that will enable them to enter, perform and progress in a business occupation after graduation from school.  College or the university, to enter for to provide him with occupational intelligence, to enable him fit into and find job satisfaction.  In labour force of the complex and dynamic economy. (Arnaoly 1978).

One of the major goals and areas of emphasis of business education is a career education.  It falls into various ramifications of education such as Part time education, occupational counseling and research including in his career education, are career awareness, and orientation to work.  Appreciation and respect for the dignity of work, exploration of career opportunities.  The requirement and mastery of vocational preparation in higher institutions.  Many business education lecturers have promoted the concept of career planning and vocational guidance and have made valuable suggestions with the main  aim of making the publics be aware of various career available in their country.

Ezeani S. O. A. (1975), was of the opinion that business career exploration is vital for all students before they choose their high school training programmes, if they are to make wise and informed choices based on their interests and abilities.

Employers of labour need trained employees and business education to put such emphasis on training students to meet the current skill demand which are relevant and related to the prospective job employment.  Business education from the field of academic training to the field of acting job participation.

Cookey Gany S. E. (1980) says students who face the need to gain access to the world of work where they will find even more complex society and technological and other changes requiring greater adaptability, must be properly prepared.  What he has said can be found in business education when it provides the base that helps students become employable and adopt to changing circumstances.

They further held that the success of a business education programme is determined by the objective of the programme, availability of equipment and the qualification of the lecturer according to them, the importance of the factors from the apex, because philosophy of the lecturer conforms the aims of the school and is sometimes in a position to determine the extent of realization of these objectives.

For a lecturer to achieve the above requirement, he has to be trained.  Thus, the national education research council according to Mgbo T. O. (1985) affirmed its faith in the lecturer as the key-man in the entire educational programme.

  • THE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT RELEVANCE TO THE PROBLEM OF THE SEARCH:

A good educational programme demands among others, availability of certain facilities, like teaching and necessary instructional equipment.  No system of education can survive in the absence of the necessary facilities.

The new national policy on education recommends combination pattern of education which includes the running of well equipped science laboratories and technical and stenography workshops to carter for scientific interest of both sections.  Equipment are hardly fund in higher institutions.

The provision of the equipment is not in isolation of qualified lecturers.  One of the major problems facing business education in Nigeria presently is that of inadequate and unqualified lecturers.

  • DIFFERENT METHOD OF STUDYING THE PROBLEM:

This study was divided into three chapters, one presented introductory statement of the problem, purpose of the study, significance of the study, the limitations of the definition of terms.

Chapter two concerned with Literature Review, the origin of the subject area, school of thought relevant to the problem of the search, different method of studying the area and summary.

Chapter three is in relation to the conclusion, data presentation, analysis of data, recommendation and conclusion.

POPULATION:

For the purpose of this study, a total of 6 higher institutions offering business courses in the Ordinary National Diploma who had taken their ND programme for at least two years were sampled.

The school sampled included the following:

University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC).

Enugu State University of Science and Technology (Esut).

Institute of Management and Technology IMT Enugu.

School of Dentistry, Dental School, Enugu.

Eha-mufu College Of Education.

School of Nursing Parklane Enugu.

In each of the school at least six lecturers were sampled.  Also, the ND files in each school as well were distributed to the lecturers.

SOURCES OF DATA

Information for this study were collected through the following sources:

  1. Review of books, journals, magazines and unpublished lectures and seminars.
  2. Lecturers on the selected Higher Institutions.
  3. Records and ND results files in each of the selected schools.
  4. Personal discussions with some business lecturers and students.
  5. Background knowledge of the researchers in Higher Institutions attitude to business education provided some useful information.

METHOD OF GATHERING DATA

Questionnaire was the major method used in gathering relevant data.  These questionnaires were administered personal to the respondents.  In administering questionnaires to the lectures.  The researcher ensured that all the business taught in each school were represented, some of the questionnaires were collected on the spot while the rest were left to be collected later on, especially in schools was not possible to see the Head of Department for some essential records on ND result and some of the lecturers involved.

Some of the questionnaires left to be collected later were eventually not collected inspite of the repeated visit owing to lack of co-operation from some lecturers and unwillingness of the sub-ordinates of the Head of Department’s permission.  This made the research to administer more questionnaires to such schools to make up the number.

DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENT USED

The questionnaires were administered to some randoming selected lecturers of business education in Higher Institutions in Enugu Metropolis.  Information requiring past and present records of examination results of business courses which the lecturers know little about were gotten from the Head of Department faculty.

Among the questions asked, some were forced response questions containing yes or no answers with some follow-up questions, another set were “fill in” questions with possible answers provided and some open – ended questions e.g. please specify, the third were like scale questions with response categories strongly Agree Disagree and strongly disagree and sufficiently available, insufficiently available, not available, adequate and inadequate.

2.5     SUMMARY

  1. The Head of Department of Higher Institutions in Enugu Local Government Area encourages the existence of business education programme.
  2. That parents do not disapprove their children’s choice of business courses.
  3. That students of business courses are indispensable member of the labour force.
  4. That business courses are not inferior to other courses learnt in Higher Institution.
  5. That Head of Department pays adequate attention to problems of business education department.
  6. There is in-service training opportunity for business lecturers.
  7. That absence of such facilities as typewriting adding machine, filling cabinets, photocopy machine etc kills the interest of student and lecturers and that lecturers interviewed agreed that business education should be given quarter attention and encouraged at all levels of Nigerian education system.

Based on the above findings, it could be discovered that business education courses are not generally accorded low status in Enugu Metropolis.  The status is generally tough among the lecturers of business education.

The hypothesis that business education courses are generally accorded low status in Enugu Local Government Area of Enugu State is not accepted.

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