Assessment of 9-3-4 policy implementation and students' enrolment in technical Colleges in Oyo State, Nigeria

Educational policies are intended to serve as a blueprint for operations, and their implementation must be closely monitored to evaluate their effectiveness and relevance. One such policy is the transition from Junior Secondary school (JSS) to post-basic classes, which may be either into Senior Secondary (SS) school or Technical College (TC) as provided for in the National Policy on Education (NPE), section 3, paragraph 35 (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013). However, data from the six (6) TCs and enrolment data for secondary schools from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Oyo State, indicate very low TC enrolment relative to SS classes. Also, seeing young boys and girls who should be in school hawking on the streets and highways is concerning. This research, therefore, underscores the importance of refocusing on technical education in Oyo State. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining survey and historical research methods. Data on students' enrolment in SS and TCs were collected to examine the transition rate from the post-basic level to either senior secondary or TCs. The collected data were analyzed using simple frequency counts and percentages. The research recommends the effective implementation and monitoring of educational policies in Oyo State, particularly by promoting a technical-education mindset from the primary-school level.