Students’ Value for the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) at Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Nigeria

This study investigated students’ value for the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) at Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Out of five thousand and two hundred (5,200) students, three hundred (300) of them were selected as sampled respondents through simple random and stratified techniques. Using t-test and x² statistics, it was discovered that the Humanities students significantly scored higher than their science counterparts (t=2.3572.20 at 0.05 level) and the female higher than their male counterparts (t=4.88>2.09 at 0.05 level) on the knowledge of the full meaning of NCE. Equally, there were significant differences on the perceptions of the Humanities and Science students on the value for NCE (X² = 20.01 > 7.82 at 0.05 level) and the factors that accounted for such low value (X²=17.67>11.07 at 0.05 level). Furthermore, the views of the students based on their subject specializations reflected a significant difference on the need for adequate funding, scholarships and Bursaries as means of enhancing their value for NCE. It was therefore recommended that efforts should be made to strengthen the interest of the adolescents in NCE programmes through selective high – cut off marks, resuscitation of Teachers Grade II Colleges as the entry point, provision of bursaries and scholarships for NCE students as well as enhanced job opportunities for them after graduation.