Students’ Preference for Admission into Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) in Nigeria: Voluntary Choice or Systemic Coercion?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2025209Keywords:
Student preference, systemic coercion, technical education, tertiary admission, NigeriaAbstract
This study investigates the degree to which student admission into Nigeria’s Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) is informed by personal preference or imposed by systemic, familial, and policy constraints. Using a mixed-methods design, data were gathered from 470 students across ten federal technical colleges situated in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, alongside qualitative interviews with staff and student groups. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, thematic coding, and chi-square analyses were conducted to uncover patterns of voluntary versus coerced enrollment. Findings revealed that only 25.53% of students selected their institution and program based on personal interest, while a majority were directed by policy placement (53.19%) or family pressure (21.28%). The study introduces the concept of Systemic Admission Coercion (SAC), capturing the interplay of socioeconomic hardship, regulatory frameworks, and cultural norms that stifle student agency. Policy recommendations include reforms to the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), enhanced career counselling, and national rebranding of technical teacher education. This research provides a policy-relevant framework for addressing structural injustice embedded in Nigeria’s education access mechanisms.
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