THE CHALLENGES OF SECRETARIAL EDUCATION IN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY

THE CHALLENGES OF SECRETARIAL EDUCATION IN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY

(A CASE STUDY OF KOGI STATE)

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine ‘’The Challenges of Office Technology Management Education in Developing Economy’’. Research questions were formulated as a guide for data collection. Questionnaire was drawn based on the research question and was administered on all 45 respondents that consisted the population. The responses were analyzed using the data collected. The result revealed that the challenges of change have permeated all aspects of the secretarial profession in the perception and self-image of secretary, change in the office procedures and methods, change in office technology, and change in teaching and learning methods. Based on the result of the findings, recommendations were made one of which includes that the present curriculum should be modified and developed in line with current technological changes.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the study

The secretary education has been from the early stage so relevant and important to the business world, offices and organizations, satellite and world wide. Therefore, the strong and urgent need to train and educate secretaries has been so paramount to the world at large.

An organization, office, business or the world at large can not do without the services of the secretaries. For this reasons, the attention for the need of the secretaries was given a kin interest since from the ancient time. And that was why the training and education of secretaries was commenced due to their varies services needed such as typing of documents, with the use of various machines as the manual and electrical typewriters, the use of laminating machines to laminate, the use of fax machines to receive and text message, the use of spiral binding machines to bind books and etc. the sole services of the secretary does not just stop in typing but also, the secretary is need at meetings to take minutes or write down statements from diverse meetings of any kind and type. With this, the need to train the secretary in short hand like taking of dictations and transcribing was deem necessary for record purposes.

Recording and filing of documents appropriately is also one solemn duty of the secretary which deals with the secretary ability to file recorded documents, credentials and details which is expected to be kept confidential in the office/organization.

Besides, the organization/office, the business sector also needs the services of the secretary. Unlike in the first millennium when the business sectors were in the ‘’Dark age’’ where business was transacted personally, when records management was non-existent and documents not used for commercial purposes. The first millennium has no business with the role of secretaries.

Guttenberg 1437 invented moveable type printing press the ‘’type writers’’ by Henry Hill in 1714. Christopher L. Shoal build the first practical typewriter in 1867, which then gave the business sectors the insight and vision of making money out of the use of the various machines as; the photocopiers, typewriters, the laminating and fax machines with the need of the help of a trained and educated secretary.

Furthermore, due to the above necessity and foresight for the strong and important need of the secretary and their services, there is therefore the need for the education and training of the secretary. Since the training was looked into and the commencement of the training and use of various machines the secretary was then put into the world as ‘’hot cakes’’.

With the use of the first millennium and ancient use of the machines, the secretary is like  still looking and experiencing out dated and achieve with our new evolution and the world going technological wise.

Today, the economic is developing and there is an advanced technology that is calling for a day to day effective secretarial education to fit the secretary services in vogue.

By changing the old method of training and education into an improved and effective training and education to go with the new millennium. Like the need for the use of computer sand other technological know how. The secretary improved education is of necessity to enable the secretary fit in to the new evolution of the use of new technological machines.

A secretary well trained and educated effectively will contribute to the more development of our present economy. Such training and effective education on the use of computer and its various programmes such as; the world processing, Corel draw, excel, power point, printing, scanning of pictures, sending text messages

Therefore, if effective education is not given, to the secretary, the secretary is likely to be faced with some challenges of not meeting up with the organization achieving what is ought to have achieved, the goals and objectives of the organization, offices businesses, society, communities, states, nation wide will not be met which will make the aims and objectives of the above mentioned defeated and killed.

The secretary, who wants to avoid the shame of not measuring up with others will not want to go or represent any organization or country in any meeting because she or he is lagging behind, which might end up leading to the set back of such organization and nation.

The ineffective training or education of a secretary will also lead to a particular organization, community, society and nation not to be recognized.

Therefore, the need for the secretarial education is important and vital for our today’s secretary. To enable them fit into the developing economy.

1.2     Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to bring to light the importance of effective secretarial education in a developing economy against the background of its numerous challenges.

In more specific terms, this study intends to find out:

1. The extent to which the negative perception of secretarial studies in the past and present have affected its development.
2. The extent to which the lack of adequately trained teachers has affected effective secretarial education.
3. The extent to which the out dated curriculum in use has affected effective secretarial education.
4. Inadequate funding of secretarial education.

1.3     Significance of the study

The study is vital because it is directed towards finding out the element that affect effective secretarial education and then proffer means of enhancing effective secretarial education.

Both students of secretarial education and organizations will benefit from this research work. The future researcher will also benefit from this research work.

It is the recommendation given at the end of this research is implemented, the economy will be better since the secretaries will be very effective and efficient.

1.4     Research question

1. To what extent has the negative perception of those in authority affected effective secretarial education.
2. To what extent has the lack of adequately trained teachers affected effective secretarial education?
3. To what extent has the lack of equipment and facilities affected effective secretarial education?
4. To what extent has the lack of up-to-date curriculum affected effective secretarial education?
5. To what extent has the inadequate funding affected the secretarial education?

1.5     The scope of the study

The scope of the study is limited to the challenges of effective secretarial education in a developing economy.

1.6     Limitations

Due to the large number of tertiary institutions offering secretarial studies, the researcher sampled a considerable number of them, knowing that the challenges are almost the same in the higher institutions especially, in the polytechnics.

Some of the questionnaire were not well answered and some were not returned to the researcher. Despite these, the findings of this study are generalized.