Vocationalization of Secondary Schools: Implementation Reality or Fallacy?

Abstract

The study attempted to evaluate one of the recommendations of the Nziramasanga Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training viz the vocationalisation of the Secondary Schools curriculum. The study has established that vocationalisation in most Secondary Schools is mere window dressing, as evidenced by poor to non implementation of the policy directives in most schools due to lack of infrastructure, human resources and equipment. The interviews and observations check list done showed that the implementation of vocational subjects in secondary schools is an uphill struggle. The study also revealed that the negative perception of technical subjects perpetuated from the colonial era still prevails and affects negatively the implementation of these subjects. To make matters worse on the implementation, teachers, pupils and parents still hold the idea that pupils who do technical subjects are not academically talented. Even teachers themselves have prestige in teaching academic subjects. Teachers who teach technical subjects are looked down upon just as the subjects they teach. In the end these subjects lose popularity since teachers who are able to teach them develop an inferiority complex. The study recommends a re-education of the whole nation on the value of vocational and technical subjects. Although there are policies guiding the implementation of technical and vocational subjects there is need of strict stringent policy adherence by all stakeholders.