Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has advocated a strategic shift towards vocational and technical education in Nigeria’s educational curriculum.

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The governor insisted that the current emphasis on paper qualifications over technical expertise and practical skills was a major driver of unemployment and economic stagnation in the country.

Fubara stated this on Wednesday while inaugurating an Entrepreneurship Centre, Engineering Faculty Building and Governing Council Building at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

He said if Rivers State and, by extension, Nigeria must prepare its youths for the challenges of the 21st century, deliberate and consistent efforts must be made to realign the curriculum with vocational and technical education focused on practical skills for self-employment and job creation.

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Fubara recalled that the 6-3-3-4 educational system, which Nigeria adopted in the 1980s, was designed to prepare young Nigerians for the future through vocational and technical education at the secondary school level.

He said under the programme, students were expected to advance their education to either polytechnics or universities, depending on their capacities, talents and skills.

According to him, at the completion of the first three years of secondary school, a student should have acquired a skill, trade or craft and could become self-employed.

He lamented that over the years, the country appeared to have deviated from that noble vision, with young people becoming obsessed with acquiring certificates and degrees without the skills and competencies relevant to the present-day labour market.

“The polytechnic system was designed in such a way that if you’re gifted with your hands; if you’re a technical person, you can go there and learn more, build your skills so that you can add value to our society.

“But you know that somehow, our society doesn’t attach much importance to those levels of people,” the governor said.

📰 Source: Punch Nigeria