Puyate, S. T. (2008). Constraints to the effective implementation of vocational education programme in private secondary schools in Port Harcourt Local Government Area. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 9(2), 59-71.
The main purpose of this study was to identify the constraints to the effective implementation of vocational education program in private secondary schools in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. The research work was limited to four randomly selected private secondary schools and addressed the following research questions: What students' factors affect the non-implementations of vocational education program in Nigerian private secondary schools?; What facilities factors affect the non-implementations of vocational education program in Nigerian private secondary schools?; What teachers' factors affect the non-implementations of vocational education program in Nigerian private secondary schools?; and, what government /parental factors affect the non-implementations of vocational education program in Nigerian private secondary schools? The main instrument for data collection was a questionnaire administered to about 20% of the target population of teachers (N=24) and students (N=72) in the Rivers State area. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including the sample mean and grand population mean. The findings reveal a dearth of professional and qualified teachers for the teaching of vocational/technical subjects; inadequate infrastructure and equipment in schools; insufficient instructional materials and books in schools; and that schools are generally poorly financed. Two key recommendations are that adequate infrastructure should be provided in schools so that they are properly equipped for functional teaching and learning, and that an 'enlightenment' campaign should be carried out in the society to emphasize the importance of technical and vocational education.