CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Education world over remains a strong tool for human sustainable development in both developed and developing countries. It requires that people be given the opportunities necessary for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values which will enable them live happy and productive lives as individuals and discharge their social duties for the betterment of life in the society. Thus, all avenues of educating the citizenry at all levels often respond to the needs of the dynamic society for individual, national and global development. Curriculum therefore is the medium or avenue through which educational priorities are identified and implemented. It is a planned learning experiences offered to a learner in the school (Offorma, 2005). Curriculum in fact, is an organized plan of course outlined with the objectives, content and learning experiences to be used for achieving a set of pre-determined educational objectives. Any education system and its emerging reforms rely on the planned curriculum to put the policy plan into actions. As a result, issues on curriculum, either in an explicit or an implicit manner are inextricably linked to current thinking and action on educational system around the world (Ajibola, 2008). Earlier in 1982, Nigeria adjusted her secondary educational system to encompass diversified curriculum that integrates academic with technical and vocational subjects intended to empower the individual for self-employment (Igwe, 2000). This target reflects the two broad aims of secondary education stated by the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) in its National Policy on Education as: (i) Preparation for useful living within the society and (ii) Preparation for higher education. However, for over three decades after the implementation of the senior secondary education curricula, majority of Nigerian youths who have passed through secondary education are obviously lacking adequate pre-vocational orientations towards trade options available in some higher institutions of learning in Nigeria and in the wider society. They do not have the required skills to either fit them into many types of jobs that are available or create jobs (Igwe, 2007). It is no longer news that the nation’s youth unemployment rate has been on the increase in recent times. Even the federal government in Nigeria sometimes acknowledged that about 80 percent of Nigerian youths are unemployed and some of the reasons are inadequate pre-vocational orientation and lack of proper career guidance in secondary schools. Likewise, up till the tertiary institutions level, the poor quality of graduates is obviously worrisome. These altogether become a critical issue in the curricula of secondary education in Nigeria and the approaches to implementation. In response to the ongoing national and global reforms in the social, physical, economical and education sectors vis-à-vis the urgent demand of the Nigerian society for a more pragmatic curriculum, and as a way to improve the secondary school education in Nigeria, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), with curriculum development as one of its core mandates, developed the 9-year Basic Education Curriculum, and the Senior Secondary Education Curriculum having 34 Trade/Entrepreneurship Curricula for learners at both the basic and senior secondary education levels in the country. The curriculum is diversified to cater for the differences in talents, opportunities and future roles of individuals.