AGE AND VOCATIONAL INTEREST AS CORRELATES OF REENTRY OF GIRLS INTO SCHOOL IN EBONYI STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Education is the only means for the sustainable growth and development of a country, especially economic development. The 21st century is the age of globalization, liberalization, and privatization. Since globalization took off in the year of 1991, free economic policies have been adopted. Since then, education has become job-oriented or market-oriented. Today‘s education takes the approach of supplying huge numbers of specific and skilled business personnel to make them fit for the particular industrial jobs in the market. This leads to specialization in professional or vocational education. People do not prefer general courses today; rather they take diversions at a certain point in their study life. People do not prefer general courses today; rather they take diversions at a certain point in their study life. They prefer their career according to their interests, capability, aptitude, and family status. Engaging in a vocation or profession according to the needs and interests of a person is very crucial for any person and his work environment. Its effect does not stop here. It has great social and national importance. For example, if a person has an interest in sports, he can not excel in engineering work or medicine. If he becomes an engineer, there may be a chance of the collapse of a building prepared by him. Lots of casualties will be there. If a person is interested in medical or performing arts and does not have an interest in teaching, he will not be a good teacher. Every year he will produce at least 30 bad students and it will hamper the whole nation and its development. 

On the contrary, Nowadays, students, especially girls, are more conscious about their future and aware of different types of professions. Age, family socioeconomic status, diversification of information, use of technology, and wide advertising help them in collecting information regarding avocations. Hence, this spurs their interest in that profession. As girls enter the adolescent period, , they are exposed to  varieties of interests in different situations in different fields, such as social, cultural, mathematical, business, technological, interpersonal, linguistic, artistic, and in many more fields of life. In the mean time, different stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, the elderly, and others, have to identify their interests in such specific, diversified, and multi-interested areas according to their age. At this period, self concept begins to take a definite form. If not, they might feel too overwhelmed such that they drop out of school. For these reasons, interest patterns begin to crystallize by early adolescence and the positive exploratory experience of the adolescent years, in most cases, merely classifies and elaborates upon what has already begun to take shape. Hence it is necessary to link their interest depending on the age in other to enable them stay in school.

1.2 Statement of the problem

The National Policy on Education has regarded education in Nigeria as an instrument of ‘per excellence’ for effecting national development and it has witnessed the participation of non-governmental organizations, individuals and communities as well as government interventions, as exemplified by the introduction of the Universal Basic Education Programme (UBE) aimed at creating equal educational opportunities for all. Despite these lofty plans and objectives, some Nigerian girls are still disadvantaged in access to education. As a result, many do not register for school, and those who do register do not attend school regularly and eventually drop out or learn very little. When they drop out of school, some find it very difficult to re-enter school as a result of some factors subsumed into socio-economic, biological makeup and cultural factors. Moreover, the concept of age is attracting more attention from educational psychologists. The girl child is expected to show some level of readiness and interest in pursuing a career at increasing age. Hence, most researchers report that reality factors play an increasingly important role in occupational choice with increasing age from early adolescence to adulthood. Thus, without consideration of the girl’s age, counselling them on choice of career, conducive atmosphere, persuasion and encouragement, girls may not see the need to re-enrol in school and complete their careers. And if this is achieved, it will go a long way towards reducing illiteracy, depression, social maladjustment, and frustration among girls. Thus, it is upon this premise that this study seeks to examine age and vocational interest as correlates with reentry of girls into school in Ebonyi State.

1.3       Objective of the study

The main focus of this study is to examine the Age And Vocational Interest As Correlates Of Reentry Of Girls Into School In Ebonyi State. Specifically, the study delves

1. To examine if age affects the re-entry of girls into school.

2. To investigate if vocational interest spurs the girl child’s re-entry into school.

3. To Determine if there is any relationship between Age, Vocational interest and Re-entry of girls into School.

1.4       Research Hypotheses

HO1: Vocational Interest does not influence a girl child’s re-entry into school.

H1: Vocational Interest can  influence a girl child’s re-entry into school.

HO2:  There is no relationship between Age, Vocational interest and Re-entry of girls into School.

H1: There is a relationship between Age, Vocational interest and Re-entry of girls into School.

1.5       Significance of the study

Findings from the study will be relevant to parents, counsellor and other stakeholders involved in adolescent education. It will enlighten the parent on the need for parents to stop forcing their girl students according to their own wishes and aspiration but rather guide them into making choice depending on their interest in a particular vocation.The study will enable counsellor to guide and encourage the girl child into making career choice and also help rebuild their esteem and enlightening them on their capabilities such that they would not consider dropping out when academic get though. The study will empirically add to the body of knowledge and serve as reference material for other academia in related field of study.

1.6 Scope of the the study

The scope of this study borders on Age And Vocational Interest As Correlates Of Reentry Of Girls Into School . the study is however limited Ebonyi State.

1.7 Limitation of the study

During the course of this research, the following factors are proposed to be a limitation.

Financial constraints: Financial constraints tend to impede the researcher's efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview).

Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research is reduced. However the researcher will give in their best to make this research a success.

1.8       Definition of terms

Vocational interest:  is defined as one‘s own pattern of preference, aptitude, like, dislikes, preferred in any manner, wisely or unwisely by self or by others source for a given vocation area or vocation.  Vocational interests reflect the degree to which individuals prefer certain career choices or activities/behaviors which may be common for various positions.

School Reentry: Student Re-entry is and action used to enroll a dropped student. Sometimes, students drop out from school & re-enrolls again into the school.

Age: Age is the amount of time during which someone or something has lived or existed

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