There is also evidence that levels of academic achievement may suffer (Schiefelbein
and Fareli 1982) and that in some circumstances graduates of training courses may be
less likely to pass government trade tests than those without such training from
academic schools (Godfrey 1977). Qualification levels amongst technical school
graduates in work and those out of work may be quite similar suggesting other factors
may be more important in determining job placement (Narman 1988). Generally, social
rates of return for technical and vocational education are less than private rates. Then
latter may be quite high (Grootaert 1988) where there are high levels of public subsidy
and employment opportunities.
The financial aspects of providing technical and vocational education, where unit costs
tend to be higher than in general academic schools have been the subject of an
extensive debate. The complexities of establishing cost differentials are considerable
and include difficulties with the treatment of direct and indirect costs, the rates of
discount to apply to capital costs, social and private costs, and the appropriate unit of
analysis. Should this be teaching periods, the completed programme or something else?
(Cummings 1988). In Tanzania it appears that recurrent costs are 19% greater in
agricultural schools than academic schools, 13% greater in technical schools, and 9%
greater for commerce (Hinchliffe 1983). In Kenya industrial education subjects have
double the staffing costs and five times the capital costs of normal subjects (Cummings
et al 1985). In Thailand unit costs in agricultural and technical colleges were 98% and
54% higher respectively than in other professional training colleges (Tibi 1986).
Technical education has a higher pay-off than general education in the Ivory Coast at
all levels but the costs are much higher (up to two and a half times those in general
schools) (Komenan 1987). In the case of Colombia and Tanzania (Psacharopoulos
1985) these costs are not justified by the demand for trainees in the labour market and
the social rates of return that have been calculated illustrate this. In other cases training
is considered to have been more cost effective than academic schooling (Ziderman
1988, Neuman and Ziderman 989) at least in relation to provision for those unlikely to
continue to post secondary education who to work in fields related to their training.
2.3.5 Some conclusions
Psacharopoulos (1988) argues that recent studies of technical and vocational education
lead to a number of conclusions outlined in the box below. It should be clear that the
analysis that lies behind these observations does not constitute a definitive case against
further assistance for technical and vocational training. It simply draws attention to
what can be learnt from the experience so far. Most of the contributors to recent
reviews (International Review of Education 1988, International Journal of Educational
Development 1988, Economics of Education Review 1990, World Bank 1991) offer
analyses that provide general support for most of these conclusions. Collectively they
focus future policy options around a number of issues.