RATIONALIZING ARTISTIC EDUCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Educational standards correlate strongly with national development worldwide. It is doubtful, f the apparent level of Nigeria‘s educational standards is commensurate with the level of her development. Parametrically, the standard of knowledge-based education determines the differential levels of nations on the development strata. It could be argued that development is a function of quality of education. Of the three popular conceptions of development, that which puts premium on growth of human potentials and capabilities in concert with other social, indices of civility termed Human Capital, is a direct outcome of proactive education. A recent survey puts Nigerian unemployable graduates at 75%. These lack applicable skills needed in the job market. In other words, certification no longer guarantees meal ticket. By implication such an army of dysfunctional work force cannot contribute positively to Nigeria‘s development, since to be certified is now to be functional. The emergent questions are:- what type of training does our education offer to persons of school/college age.? Is our educational offering at various tiers capable of supporting meaningful livelihood for recipients in a highly competitive, ever changing hi-tech global community? As experts bemoan the ineffectiveness of education as an agent of socialization they should also worry about its impotency to catalyze needed technological culture. The need therefore, to re-examine extant educational practices and attempt innovative models arises. This is the crux of this discourse which is anchored on the technological and environmental studies.