Guidelines to the implementation of printing vocational schools in Nigeria

This study is concerned with the implementation of printing vocational high schools in Nigeria. It has been too long a wait for the implementation of vocational schools in printing. The methodology of this study is based on the information gathered through personal interviews. The head of the schools teaching printing, the production manager, or the president or vice president of printing companies in both New York City and Rochester responded to the questions that appear in appendices C and D. For details see Tables 1 through 10. Also library research was employed to obtain background information on the American voca tional program such as justifications for their needs. Library resources provided information on the existence of similar programs in a developing nation. The training of young men and women should be transferred from the individual printers or Masters because of its disadvantages, including the lack of uniformity of training, the lack of standar dization, and self-interest. Vocational education could be the answer to the formal education of Graphic Arts (printing), and the printing industry. The government should gear its effort toward the establishment of at least one school of printing for experimentation in each of the nineteen states in the federation. The success of the implementation is of benefit to all. Some of the future national problems will be solved to a greater extent by the provision of craftsmen to the industry. The study is not peculiar to the printing industry but also could be used as a model for other trades. In the short run, little effort will be needed to train young people for entrance into the printing field. In the long run, it will pay for itself. Courses and content, type of equipment, etc. are recommended. If these recommendations are strictly adhered to, most of the prob lems will be solved. Courses of instruction should include the following: Introduction to Graphic Occupation, Prepress Operation, Presswork for both Letterpress and Lithographic Process of Printing, Bindery Operations, Preparation for Employment, and Co-op (work-study program) . Committees include the National Technical Committee for Printing Education, Curriculum Committee, Industrial Committee and the Parents\u27 Body. These committees should advise and administer the implementa tion of these printing schools. The federal government, the printing industry and the public are therefore called upon to see the need of vocational high schools for printing in Nigeria. The result of the study shows that the vocational printing high school is satisfactory as an entry level to the printing industry. Schools train better than individual printers, therefore, we should not wait indefinitely for the implementation of the vocational print ing school at the high school level in Nigeria. If the United States had waited as long as we are waiting, we should be categorized together as the Third World