Global Journal of Human Social Science, G: Linguistics and Education, Volume 23 Issue 3

institutions. In Nigeria, education is completely underfunded. Government investment for OTME growth is wholly low, as can be observed by the ratio of students per computer (Ezeugbor and Nwachukwu in Egenti 2020). The Nigeria economy is poor and helpless to finance the complete acquisition of OTME skills in our colleges of education. The poor state of the economy has adversely affected the educational growth and development of the country (Nwalado and Ikenokwalu, 2019). Thus, inadequate fund or finance is a major challenge to the acquisition of OTME skills because it takes money to maintain these facilities (Nwadiokwu, 2019). • Poor Internet Connectivity: This has negatively affected both teachers and students from using e- learning facilities in effective teaching and learning OTME skills in our colleges of education. According to Nwakwudo, Oguejiofor and Nwankwo in Nwalado and Ikenokwalu, (2019), e-learning provides students and teachers with practical and functional knowledge of computer, internet and other associated areas. Moreover, internet facilities should be made available 24 hours to teachers and OTME students in order to prepare them to meet up with the current information era. • Inadequate Facilities and Equipment: Our schools and colleges lack the necessary facilities and equipment needed for the effective teaching and learning of OTME skills and competencies (Udo, 2014). For example, there are inadequate numbers of manual and electric typewriters, computers, printers etc. for teaching-learning of ICT in OTME departments in Federal college of Education (Technical), Asaba. • Poor Maintenance Culture: The government in power does not release money for yearly maintenance of facilities and equipment. In fact, most of our schools and colleges are worse than piggery farms in abroad. According to Udo (2014), we have many dishonest students and leaders who are all out to steal and destroy whatever the government has made available in our schools and colleges. • Remuneration: Lack of proper motivation of OTME lecturers discourages them from carrying out their duties and responsibilities adequately. So many of them abandon their jobs or neglect their duties sourcing for other businesses outside the school that will yield them more money. • Poor Attitudes of OTME Students: Poor attitudes of OTME students towards the acquisition of the skills and competencies inherent in OTME courses make them loose personal interest and willingness to concentrate and acquire maximum level of skills expected of them. One of such negative attitudes is failure to sit down and make wise use of their time and energy in acquiring maximum relevant skills for self-development and fulfillment (Udo, 2014). More so, OTME students fail to find time to engage themselves in practical exercises in courses such as typewriting, word processing and shorthand to mention just a few. When assignments are given in any of the courses listed above, it is often discovered that about eighty (80) percent of OTME students in the class did not find time/ot take time to do it. Udo (2014) asserts that students fail to take their studies seriously as they often come late to class and even when they know they are terribly late, yet they would be listening to pop music/other music or talking to people with their phones. • Low level of computer literacy among OTME teachers: Lack of OTME teachers with the right knowledge of computer usage is one big barrier militating against the effective acquisition of OTME skills (Nwalado and Ikenokwalu, 2019). Another issue is the computer literacy skills of both the teacher and the learner (Harper, Hedburg, Bernnet and Lockyer in Nwalado and Ikenokwalu, 2019). Teachers need the skills for preparing course materials and learners equally need it for the comprehensive learning process. Unfortunately, most OTME teachers in Nigerian colleges of education lack the confidence to make effective use of computer facilities in and outside the lecture room. • Unwillingness of OTME students to change their thinking and behavior positively: It is common place that one hundred (100) percent of OTME students’ success in life or in their studies is dependent on positive attitudes to whatever they are taught (Udo, 2014). He also asserts that, the willingness of OTME students to change positively their attitudes and behaviours could help them to acquire maximum effective and relevant skills expected of them for the labour market. Unfortunately, many OTME students are often unwilling to change their negative attitudes. In fact a majority of business students in our schools and colleges are often unwilling to concentrate and study the skills content of OTME courses to maximum level. For example, in teaching and learning of typewriting many students only want to operate the typewriter or computer keyboards with two or three fingers instead of nine fingers. IV. C onclusion The Office Technology and Management programme is a career training or education to ensure that an individual is career ready with the right skills and attitudes needed for transition from school to work or for advancement in the OTME career path. Office © 2023 Global Journals Volume XXIII Issue III Version I 77 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 G Current Issues and Challenges in the Acquisition of Office Technology and Management Education Skills in Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba