ACADEMIC AND OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF ADOLESCENTS IN SOKOTO STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the academic and occupational aspirations of 1174 adolescents boys and girls in attendance at 15 randomly selected secondary schools in Sokoto State. The major revelation from this study was the unrealistic aspirations the students had about their future careers. The vast majority of them would like to continue their education at the tertiary level to study Medicine, Engineering, pure Science or Law. However, their best subjects were in the Arts. Some of them in fact, did not know where the courses they indicated they would like to pursue were available. Some of them indicated, for example, that they would like to go to the College of Education, Sokoto to study Medicine. That there is a need for effective and counsell­ing services to help these youths plan their future more realistically is a great understatement.