Factors affecting students’ enrollment in adult and non-formal education in Federal College of Education (technical), Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper focused on students’ enrolment in Adult and Non-Formal Education Programme in Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers state, Nigeria. Specifically, this study sought to: examine the economic, social and psychological factors affecting students’ enrollment in Adult and Non-Formal Education Programme . Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for the study. Sample comprised of 150 respondents made up of 30 lecturers and 120 students in the Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education in FCE(T), Omoku. An 22-item questionnaire was used as the study instrument titled "Factors Affecting Students Enrolment in Adult Education Programmes (FASEAEP) .It had a Cronbach Alpha reliability Coefficient value of 0.86. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the three research questions and z-test statistical tool was used to test the three hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. The result of the study showed that high rate of employment, school fees charges, inability to afford learning materials, inability of parents to sponsor due to gender disparity, inability to access community scholarship due to gender inequality, sexual harassment, cult activities in schools, lack of role models, problem of seclusion, amongst others are factors affecting students’ enrolment in Adult and Non-Formal Education Programme. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that lecturers of adult and non-formal education should create awareness on the importance of Adult and Non Formal Education Programme in all communities in Rivers state in order to stimulate potential students’ interest in the programme. Federal and State government should subsidize the costs associated with studying adult and non-formal education through scholarship and disbursement of free learning materials to interested applicants.