Monday, 17 March 2014

VOCATIONAL SKILLL AND FORMAL EDUCATION



 
Vocational skills and formal education: their bond, effects and role to nation building
During the January-February 2014 edition of Edulight Magazine, in one of our segments tagged Bring it on, a debate was initiated that encourage students to take their stand on a particular issue. The publishers did trigger the attention and involvement of her esteemed readers by posing a vital topic which compares vocational skill with formal education. Interestingly, we had two fascinating arguments in writing: one for and the other against vocational skill. The two contending positions got one thinking, is there really much difference between the two of them or are simply same of a kind?

In this edition of EDU FOCUS, we will be examining the relationships between both of them as a learning process vis-à-vis their effects and role to the nation at large rather than looking at their differences. Here are some of the key similarities and effects of both vocational skills and formal education:

·         Vocational skill and formal education both have two respective parties, i.e. the tutor who passes knowledge and the student who receives knowledge. However, for vocational skills the tutor is referred to as master or mistress while for formal education he is called either teacher or lecturer depending on the tier. The students remain students in the formal educational setting while for vocational skills they are mostly called apprentice.

 

·         Vocational skill involves the impartation of knowledge just as we have in the formal educational sector. Although for vocational skill it is focused on a particular line of skill which is not the case for formal education at the early stage of education until one gets to the tertiary level.

 

·         They both have a specific target of adding value to humanity which could be in terms of providing service or producing goods all for human consumption. This as a matter of fact is the underlining factor to everything we do. As the students are mostly determined to learn the rope of their desired/chosen profession over a targeted period, the tutors are always willing and readily available to see to the actualization of their dream by impacting and equipping them with the know-how.

Whether vocational skill or formal education, one thing is certain: their benefits cannot be over-emphasized. We will carefully examine some of their tremendous benefits, effects and roles to the individual and the nation at large;

·         They both empower us as humans to be solution providers in our respective fields, whether you are a vocational skill person or career person. This brings true fulfillment in whatever one is doing and earns a living also from.

 

·         The constant improvement that consciously and deliberately happens to these two will guarantee the development of the country at large in all fronts, which in turn will bring about the expansion of the economic frontier and improved living standard.

 

·         Both vocational skill and formal education will to an extent enhance security and decline in immorality in the country. This is because the citizens will be focused and take their minds off destructive acts. After all a popular saying holds that - ‘An idle mind is the devil’s work shop’.

There is no denying the fact that in this our present world, one is advised to possess either of the two or both, and keep improving on it in order to have a secured future and a vibrant economy as we have in some Asian countries, Europe and other fast developing countries.

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