CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Our education system has been so fashioned by the former colonial rulers of this nation to teach us the “Three Rs” namely; reading, writing and arithmetic and added to these was religion. However, the curriculum then was meeting the need that education was introduce to serve; that of producing educated Nigerians to serve as teachers, evangelists or missionaries and to occupy clerical posts in the then colonial administration and in the few existing private. Companies (Alabi and Oyelade 1998). However, as the nation is now moving towards scientific and technological advancement, we cannot deny the fact that more people are needed to work in the industries; and the only way we can meet the required manpower is basically through education. Education is universally recognized as a good investment hence nations spend large sum of their annual budget to provide education for their citizens. It is common knowledge too that individuals too diFFer in their levels academic attainment motivation and education needs. For these reasons, a variety of educational provision is made with a view to meeting various needs. In the Nigerian context, the Nation policy on education (NPC, 1998) provides for an education structure that is meant to be both academic and vocational courses in the junior and senior secondary schools curricula.
The policy also noted the need for ‘ensuring the acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities and competencies both mental and physical as equipment for the individual to live and contribute to the development of his society”. Vocational education is viewed as the form of education whose primary purpose is to prepare individuals for employment in recognized occupations (Oke, 2002). Vocational education helps to train youth for employment in industries commerce and other enterprises by exposing them to experience that provide them manipulative, information and attitudinal skills. This types of education also trains adults who are already employed, and whose skills may have become obsolete and requires either an update of skill in this occupation or a re-training in other occupations. In this context, the type of vocational education programmes made available to youths and adult must be relevant to their needs and the needs of the occupation. Fafunwa and Aisiku (1982) observed that the children are not free to choose the trade of their own choice but are bound to follow the guidance of their parents, thus preserving the family trades and occupations. It would be observe that this educational practice is tailored to make individuals fit into his society as a contributing member for a useful living.
Career aspirations and subsequently, Crystallized choices are often discussed in connection with the adolescent who are seen as the potential member of the labor force. Scarcely do educator, counselors and vocational psychologist in developing countries focus attention on the preliminary vocational development of the child that leads to proper career choice identification as an adolescent or young adult. If functional education should work adequately, such as the present 6:3:3:4 educational system in Nigeria advocate, appropriate career orientation of the school child must be ensured right from the beginning part of formal education. This concept of vocational development approach lies at the bedrock of an individual’s interest stability, early identification of ability. Areas of giedness and weaknesses. Right from time immemorial, parent have always influenced the vocational choice of their children. In the pre-colonial era, parents made sure that their children; especially the first male child was trained in the family vocation. This was purely for the purpose of enhancing social and economic prospects or more oen, to secure protection or the glamour and popularity derivable from such vocation. In fact, the choice of a vocation in principle has depended largely on what the individual intends to gain from it materially or other wise. The introduction of formal education did not change very much the position of things. The family is still a major influence in the vocational choice of the student. Parents in most cases without due consideration of their interests, aptitude and abilities or the manpower need of the nation. Choice of future vocation is very important. It is on this base that Idiaghe (2000) said that the period of adolescence which is from the age of 12-18 years and to which the secondary school students belong is characterized by the problem of deciding on a future occupation. Involved in this choice is decision on a future. This is why Edward de bone (1969) said “as soon as a youngster leaves school, he/she has to deal with the future in respect of plans, decision, choice and imitative that are going to take place. In line with this, Idighe (2000) advised that such choice if wrongly made would close doors and confine future career decision within narrow limits.
Occupational selection is of critical importance in the lives of young people. It influences almost every aspect of a persons life. It can change individual valves, ideas and standard. It involves decision making and interpersonal influence. Sometimes, interpersonal relationship may not be rewarding. It is an accepted phenomenon that parents are interested in the future welfare of their children. Parents guide the line of thoughts of their children right from early age of their lives by inculcating into them certain social values so they could mature into a social being participating in the social roles of the society. The eort on the part of the parents has far reaching eects on the child personal life. They decide on the type of schools they want their children to attend because the quality of the school and aspiration of the children and their opportunities for employment and subsequently, the roles they play in the society. Parents in Nigeria influence their children’s choice of career without considering other factors that are relevant to the choice of career. Some parents even consider their children as misfits when they do not pursue the career of their choice. Parents in particular, prefer occupations that are known to have high prestige valves for their children. Although parental influence on occupational choice is quite popular, some secondary school students make occupational choices, which by chance happen to correspond with that which their parents want them to do.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Occupational choices have been known to be made by parents for their children without the consideration of where the child’s interest lies or what child is capable of doing and due to this kind of parental influence, some students have found themselves, to be unhappy for not being allowed to do what they found to be of interest to them and what they believe they can do best. This non-conformity in values has vital consequences on the occupational aspirations and subsequent choice as this affect the individual’s productivity. The central problem of this study is the influence of parents towards their children’s choice of career.
