NN46, September 2011
Towards a New Global World of Skills Development? TVET's turn to Make its Mark
E-literacy Skills and Programme Improvement in the Informal Sector Market/Mechanic Village Schools in South eastern Nigeria
By Benjamin A. Ogwo, State University of New York, Oswego, USA
Email: benjamin.ogwo@oswego.edu
Keywords: Informal Sector; Informational Communication Technology; e-literacy skills; Nigeria; Market/Mechanic Village schools.
Summary: This article explores the values of e-literacy skills and application of open learning principles to programme improvement of the informal sector Market/Mechanic Village schools in South eastern Nigeria.
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The global system for mobile (GSM) communication occasioned the preponderant use of cellular phones in Africa. GSM as well as other information communication technology (ICT) intensified the need to provide e-literacy skills programmes to the citizenry. E-literacy relates to skills, knowledge, attitude entailed in the use of electronic devices such as mobile phone, computer, hand held and other ICT gadgets in personal, civic and occupational situations (Ogwo, Onweh & Nwizu, 2010). E-literacy skills include electronic data/information entry, storage, retireval, appreciation and interpretation. Mandatory use of these skills has been imposed on world citizens in forms of e-government, e-learning, e-health etc. Thus the lack of e-literacy skills seems more debilitating than basic literacy skills because of the ubiquitious applications of ICT gadgets in civic, work and personal situations. Remarkably, the use of certain software improves the inherent potential of ICT gadgets to translate other major world languages to local languages. This has been of immense value for educating in local languages the population that lacks basic literacy. Furthermore, ICT has made mobile education, learning for all, opening learning more feasible than was previously possible.
The use of ICT in informal sector education programmes such as the market and mechanic village schools (MMVS) automatically entails more emphasis on the acquisition of e-literacy skills. The MMVS (out-of-school Vocational) were initiated by the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as an intervention to mitigate the adverse educational effects of basic illiteracy among boys in informal business/craft training in South Eastern Nigeria. These schools were part of UNICEF’s initiative to address the problem of male dropout in five south eastern states of Nigeria wherein the Igbo people have shown observable dissatisfaction on the rate of return on formal education; which manifested in low males enrolment in formal education (UNICEF, 1999). However these schools have witnessed low patronage because the completers are not issued transferable certificates. This necessitated the intervention of the Education Trust Fund aimed at transforming the structure, delivery system and transferability of completion certificates.
The scope of intervention on the MMVS includes thematic redesign of the curriculum as well as including more vocational subjects and ICT based delivery system. Interventions on the delivery system are based on the application of ICT as well as open learning principles (OPL). The Nigerian National Policy on Education (FGN, 2004) described OLP as the modes of teaching in which learners are removed in time and space from the teacher. The main advantage of open /distance education is to increase access to education and potentials for individualized instruction through varied and flexible ICT-based experiences. Open learning enables the learner to learn at his/her own pace, time, place and style. Internationally, World Bank, UNESCO and ILO (UNESCO & ILO, 2002) have extolled the use of open learning for basic education, learning for all and vocational training while UNESCO (1998) stated that in today’s knowledge based society, those who obtain a good basic education through open learning will continue to learn throughout their lives and thus remain economically viable while those lacking a solid educational foundation are destined to lag further and further behind.
Conclusively, the informal sector remains significant in economic development of Nigeria and any investment on educational empowerment of the practitioners would have ripple effects on their productivity. By adopting OLP and ICT delivery system in MMVS, the students will have improved e-literacy skills. Many of the training tutors could be developed in local language thus improving learning and reducing comprehension challenges created by low level proficiency in foreign languages. Acquired e-literacy skills will be very useful in data entry and result interpretation of the ubiquitous diagnostic equipment found in all trade occupations. Furthermore, these e-literacy skills are also very useful in effective participation in e-government, e-commerce, e-health and use of personal gadgets. The MMVS is an outstanding attempt at empowering the informal sector practitioners and providing them with e-literacy skills that will make it possible to sustain their activity in the 21st century information age.
References
Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) (2004). National policy on education. Lagos: NERDC.
Ogwo, B. A., Vincent C. Onweh, V. C. & Nwizu, S. C. (2010). Globalized workforce development and responsible global citizenship through e-literacy capacity building programs for low income African countries. In B. M. Maumbe & Owei, V. T. (Eds.) E-agriculture and E-government for Global Policy Development: Implications for Future Directions. Hershey (USA): IGI Global Publishers.
UNESCO & ILO (2002). Technical and vocational education and training for the twenty-first century: Recommendations. Paris: UNESCO
UNESCO (1998). Wasted opportunities: When schools fail: Repetition and dropout in primary schools. Paris: UNESCO
UNICEF (1999). Child survival, protection and development in Nigeria: Key social statistics. New York: UNICEF.
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Cite article as: Ogwo, B., (2011) ‘E-literacy Skills and Programme Improvement in the Informal Sector Market/Mechanic Village Schools in South eastern Nigeria’, in NORRAG NEWS, Towards a New Global World of Skills Development? TVET's turn to Make its Mark, No.46, September 2011, pp. 96-97, available: http://www.norrag.org
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