Definition of Agricultural Education
Agricultural Education is a branch of Vocational Agriculture that provides an individual with the opportunity to acquire occupational skills, knowledge, and Competencies to become self-reliant and enter into an occupation.
The course Agricultural Education is a double primary course in Agriculture and Education. Individuals studying the course are equipped with skills and methods for effective teaching of agriculture in schools and colleges as well as the techniques and competencies used in producing, processing, grading, packaging, and marketing agricultural produce.
It is the only field of Agriculture that exposes students to indebt knowledge of education and agriculture respectively.
Agricultural Education is a teacher preparatory course that aims to expose prospective teachers to the rudiment of Agriculture and Education to understand the practical and theoretical aspects of Education and Agriculture.
The course is both a Technical and a Vocational Subject; it is a Technical Subject because it involves the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and competencies in the field of agriculture as well as the pedagogical skills in teaching.
It is a Vocational Subject because it prepares individuals for a Vocation in Agriculture and education. Agricultural Education remains the best branch of agriculture with multifaceted occupational areas after veterinary medicine.
Read Also: 9 Contributions of Agricultural Education to Agricultural Development.
Career Opportunity in Agricultural Education
Over the years students studying the course don’t know the vast opportunities embedded in the course, this article is said to unveil the relevance of this course to individuals studying Agricultural Education as a career.
Agricultural Education will give students the required skills that will empower them to take up contemporary Agricultural employment opportunities, some of the Reasons for Studying Agricultural Education.
Provision of Employment in Agro-company
Agricultural Education provides Graduates with the skills, knowledge, and competency to pursue a high-flying career in the multifaceted agricultural industry.
Graduates are empowered with quality training and are equipped with a sound theoretical, and experimental background as well as adequate skills in all areas of agriculture such as crop production (agronomy) animal science, soil science, agricultural economics, agricultural extension, fishery, forestry, and agricultural mechanization.
Individuals studying the course are equipped with skills and methods for the production, processing, grading, packaging, and marketing of agricultural produce. With the broad knowledge of students in agriculture, Graduates of this course will be able to apply their knowledge as Farm Managers and supervisors in agro-based industries.
An Agro-based industry that involves the production of crops and an animal can effectively demand the service of an Agricultural Education graduate.
Agro-based industries like canning, tanning, cotton, fruits, seed, oil palm, rubber, cocoa sugar cane, tobacco industries, and others can effectively demand the assistance of Graduates in Agricultural Education as managers, supervisors, processors, and marketers of agricultural produce in an agro-base industry.
Provision of Employment in Education
The course provides graduates with pedagogical skills for effective teaching of pragmatic Agriculture in schools.
Graduates of agricultural education can be employed by the Ministry of Education as teachers in secondary or primary school, in the College of Education, and in Universities as Lecturer and Schools.
This course is designed to equip Graduates with good training, sound knowledge, and adequate skills in the teaching of Vocational Education using appropriate methods, and skills in human capacity building.
Graduates of this course will possess the skills necessary to teach Vocational Education in school, and out of school as well as the skills to prepare lesson notes, and lesson units, and plan, and formulate teaching modules, design schemes and curriculum hence agriculture education is a curriculum expert and can work in the ministry of education as curriculum design personnel.
Self-employment through Crop Production
Graduates are empowered with Vocational agricultural skills, knowledge, and competency to become self-reliant through practical crop production.
Graduates are equipped with sound agripreneurial skills in all areas of crop production such as arable crop production, tree crop production, and ornamental crop production. Agripreneurial skills will equip students with profitable skills to grow crops with high-income returns.
The knowledge of cropping systems like crop rotation, mono-cropping, intercropping, and alley cropping mixed cropping will help graduates manage available pieces of land to generate income effectively.
Through the knowledge of various life cycles of crops like annual crops, biennial crops, and perennial crops graduates are empowered will the knowledge of the type of crops to grow for sustainable income.
Self-Employment through Livestock Production
Animal production has become a lucrative opportunity in Nigeria and other parts of the world due to the Federal Government’s policy to stop the importation of some livestock products in the country.
Meat, fish, egg, wool, bone, and other animal by-products have become a high source of income generation for farmers. Graduates of agricultural education are equipped with good quality training, sound theoretical, and experimental background in animal production.
These skills, knowledge, and competency in practical livestock can help graduates to become self-sufficient.
Graduates are empowered with Agripreneurial skills in all areas of animal husbandry such as cattle, goat, sheep, pig, and fishery enterprise to earn a living.
Animal husbandry and its components can permanently lift graduates out of poverty. Agricultural education graduates have strong knowledge of animal nutrition which will equip them with profitable skills to formulate nutritious feed for their livestock.
Agricultural Marketing and Advertising
Marketing is an act of making agricultural products get the final consumers while advertisement is an act of creating awareness concerning particular products to make profits or increase sales.
Agricultural Education graduates are exposed to a sound knowledge of agricultural economics coupled with the practical knowledge of agriculture will help them engage in activities such as marketing and advertising that will improve Agricultural productivity.
Graduates are exposed to marketing and advertising skills such Carry out a market survey to ascertain when and where to best sell, Advertising the products to attract customers through the media and personal contact, Announce at local meetings, Organize seminars to sell, Advertise on social media, Display products on banners, Display in attractive containers in shops e.g. cartons, Sell at occasions such as birthdays and Hawk at different places such as schools and street.
Engage as Agricultural Extension Agents
Agricultural Extension is an integral part of agricultural education. Hence Agricultural education graduates can be engaged as Agricultural Extension Agents for training practicing farmers on the farm.
Graduates of Agricultural Education are exposed to various methods and techniques of teaching to improve agricultural production processes in both formal and informal education.
Agricultural Consultant
Graduates are empowered with a sound theoretical, and experimental background as well as adequate skills in all areas of agriculture such as crop production (Agronomy) animal science, soil science, agricultural economics, agricultural extension, fishery, forestry, and agricultural mechanization.
Agricultural education is the only department that offers courses in other fields of agriculture till the final years of school.
Due to the wealth of knowledge, the Graduates who have successfully studied the course can provide expertise, assistance, and agricultural advice in all areas of agriculture.
Graduates are empowered with the quality training and skills for enhancing methods for production, processing, grading, packaging, and marketing of agricultural produce which they can transmit this knowledge to people who may need help them
Agricultural Research Experts
Graduates who have successfully studied this course are empowered with sound analytical skills to provide an inquiry into a prevailing problem in the field of agriculture and education and come up with empirical evidence as a solution to the problem.
The agricultural graduates are provided with sound experimental and analytical skills to provide solutions to prevailing phenomena.
Human Resource Manager
Graduates of Agricultural Education are equipped with the skills, attitudes, and competencies that will help them effectively manage human resources for better farm productivity.
Frequently Ask Questions
what is agricultural education?
Agricultural Education is a teacher preparatory course that aims to expose prospective teachers to the rudiment of agriculture and education to understand the practical and theoretical aspects of education and agriculture.
It also refers to the acquisition of pedagogical skills and competency in the teaching of agricultural science at lower and higher levels of education.
Before an individual is admitted to study agricultural education, it is expected that the candidate must have passed courses in chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and English studies.
Any student who fails one of these subjects in secondary school does not qualify to student agricultural education in colleges and universities.
what are the career opportunities in agricultural education?
Agricultural education is a broad field of studies that comprises agriculture and education. The graduates of this course can be perfectly employed or pursue a career in the two fields respectively.
Some of the career opportunities in this course are: Agricultural consultant, human resource farm Manager, Agricultural research expert, agricultural extension agent, Agricultural Marketing and Advertising, Self-employment through Crop production, Provision of Employment in Education ( Teacher and lecturer), and Provision of Employment in Agro-company
In conclusion
Agricultural education remains one of the best fields in agriculture that involves the acquisition of knowledge in the teaching of agricultural education.
Graduates that have successfully pursued a course or career will be able to have gainful employment as an Agricultural Consultant, Human Resource Manager, Agricultural Research Expert, Agricultural Extension Agent, Agricultural Marketing and Advertising, Self-employment through Crop production, Provision of Employment in Education and Provision of Employment in Agro-company.