CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
It is quite interesting to hear young people talk about career aspirations and reasons for their choices. Many of them especially, the final year students in the various secondary schools face the problem of choosing a career they will pursue in future (Munoye, 2000). Considering their age, their choices are influenced by many factors such as peer group, parents socio-economic status, sex of the student, interest and motivational level, availability of career information, subject studied at school and so on. According to Mailumo (2001) the problem with career aspirations and choice is further compounded because of the lack of adequate career education, simply put as work-related education, which he says is a strong determinant of career choice. He believes that the individual needs to become aware and well informed of all about the world of work as one of those aspects of human endeavour.
Secondly, there is an acute shortage, if not a complete absence of trained guidance counsellors in most Nigerian schools, especially in public and state schools. This need is well articulated in the revised National Policy on Education (NPE, 2004). The policy states that “in view of the apparent ignorance of many young people about career prospects, and in view of personality maladjustment amongst school children, career officers and counsellors ought to be appointed in post-primary institutions”.
A one time Minister of Education in Nigeria, Prof. Jubril Aminu, described guidance and counselling as indispensable to the 6-3-3-4 system of education, that through its application, students could be correcting or guided to go into areas that are best suited to their abilities, aptitudes, interests and capabilities (Daily Times, March, 20, 1988).
But in spite of all these policy statements and other pronouncements, most post-primary schools in the country have not had the opportunity to have guidance counsellors. This is rather unfortunate because with the multiplicity of career alternatives based on individual differences, abilities and aptitudes, education and length of training, sex, interests among others, career choice is becoming increasingly difficult (Ayo, 1990). The development in science and technology has led to new careers of which most people are not aware of (Omoegun and Buraimo, 2001). To Olayinka (1986), Career services in schools should be an integral part of our educational system especially, if we want education to be functional, child-centered and job-oriented.
Olayinka (1973) investigated the difference in vocational aspirations of boys and girls in Lagos. This study revealed that majority of the youths choose jobs without relating them to their interest and capabilities to cope with the nature of jobs. This, according to him was due to the absence of adequate guidance by school counsellors. In the same vein, he asserted that the youths especially, those living in the urban areas were enticed to choose jobs simply because such jobs had a high payment or remuneration or for prestigious reasons. The result of this study also showed that girls were unrealistic in their choices of some careers when their performance was observed in certain subject areas.
According to Anyanwu (1994), when one compares the job aspirations of children from urban and rural areas, that of the children from urban areas are higher. According to him, children from high socio-economic status who also live in the metropolis, tend to aspire to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, pharmacists, accountants, pilots etc; while children who live in the rural areas who are not exposed to the urban life tend to have lower aspirations. The children in urban schools, because of their exposure to urban life, will always want to meet up with the expectations of their parents and the society.
As Adeleke (1990) puts it, majority of the rural children tend to be school drop-outs. Many of them stop school often to join one trade or the other. They normally become apprentices to learn one vocation or the other instead of continuing their education for higher and better choice of jobs at the end of their education in the higher institutions.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
No doubt, when adolescents choose careers without adequate direction and information on the type and nature of career they choose, it leads them to unrealised career aspiration and fulfillment in life. Also, when one is in a career one is not cut out naturally for, one is bound to become unhappy and in many instances, people have been frustrated all through their lives due to the fact that they made wrong choices in their occupations.
The problems of rural and urban areas and youths’ choices of occupations cannot be overemphasized. For example, children in the urban areas usually select careers based on the information and discretion they have either by their parents or from the media which abound in the cities than the rural areas.
The youths who dwell in the rural areas often find it difficult to make a good choice of jobs that will see them through in life. Rather, due to lack of correct information and direction on job choice, youths in the rural areas are found to make wrong career choices. Most of them end up to choose wine tapping, carpentry, iron benders, plumbers, bicycle repairers, mechanics etc.
This study examines career aspirations of students in the urban and rural schools in Lagos State.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to examine and compare career aspirations of students in urban and rural schools in Lagos State.
The specific objectives of this study include:
i. To find out whether peer group influences adolescents’ career aspirations in both urban and rural environments.
ii. To find out whether the socio-economic status of parents influences their children’s career.
iii. To find out whether the sex of the child has any role to play in the career choice of youths.
iv. To find out whether motivational level of the child has significant influence on his/her choice of career.
v. To find out whether information on career affects children’s involvement in one career or the other.
vi. To find out whether interest of the child influences his or her career aspirations in life.