CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In
any organization, be it private or public, there is usually need for a
secretary that is competent. A secretary is an assistant to executive
who possess a mastery of office skills and ability to assume
responsibility without being directly supervised. There are many
responsibility expected of a good secretary but all there can not be
effectively carried out without undergoing a very good and sound
training in an higher institution of learning. Some of the courses
secretarial students usually undergo are: shorthand (100 WPM for ND and
120 WPM for HND), Typewriting (50 WPM for ND 60 WPM for HND) secretarial
studies, office practice, word processing, English language, Economics,
Citizenship Education etc of all these subjects, secretarial studies
students always for shorthand and find the subject very difficult. They
see it as a dog in the wheel of their progress. Shorthand is a system of
fast writing and recording information using a set of well-known
abbreviation. It is an organized system of writing outlines as short as
possible for the intention of achieving fast, accurate and vibration
recording of information such as correspondence, reprint, transcribing
and such things into readable language (usually English language).
According
to Canning (1981), shorthand is “wholly symbolic and very largely
phonetic form writing” Shorthand, it seems safe to assumes, must have
existed in one form or the other since the first learnt to write in any
case, there is evidence to show that shorthand existed in the days of
socratis. According to Russon (1968), most historians date the beginning
of shorthand to zenophon who used and ancient Greek system to write the
memoirs of scrates. It was discovered that Marcus Tullus (born 103 BC)
who was Cicero’s secretary invested the first Latin shorthand system,
know as Tiro Tironance. Two put together the first shorthand dictionary.
That age produced many shorthand writers. Among these were Julius
Caesour, who used shorthand to write an account of his military
complexness, emperor Augustus Caesar and Emperor Titus. After that, many
systems of shorthand arose all over the world. Some of them are Gregg
system of shorthand, which was in 1887 by Mr. John Robert and Pitman
system (otherwise known as phonograph), it was published in 1887 by sir
Isaac Pitman. Gregg system has been out dated and even in many
institutions, only Pitman shorthand New Era is being taught in many
institution of learning.
Pitman shorthand was developed after the
most excruciating study of English phonetics. Thus, the pitman system is
a rapid way of writing the English language by other means. The system
has been tested for so long and by so many expert writers and teachers
of wide diversity of natural attitude and has won so high a reputation
on the testing of time. Not only that, it remains the source of live
hood for a source of inspiration to others in various sphere of life.
Through Isaac Pitman died in 1897 but his system of shorthand has gained
world wide recognition because of the sound principles of the system
and the spread of English language as a result of vast colonial empire
of the British Government.
1.2 Statement of Problem
The
essence for this study came to being principally to work out the effect
of failure in shorthand on student. Therefore, the problems to be
investigated are the degree of students attitude towards learning
shorthand and systems the shorthand lecturers should adopt for
lecturing.
1. Lack of good command of English language make students fail shorthand.
2. Students do not practice shorthand on their own, lack of encouragement.
3. Shorthand student see shorthand as a difficult subject and uninterested.
4. Students dislike the idea of giving the highest credit unit to shorthand because failing of it makes them dullards.
5. The material used for shorthand in classroom is not enough such as space, chair and table.
1.3 Purpose of Study
The main is purpose of this study is to find out.
1. To suggests possible solution or remedies to the problem
2. The effects of mass failure in shorthand on students.
3. To discover the contributing factor to large number of this failure.
1.4 Significance of Study
In
essence, the investigation will definitely help the students in
secretarial studies department to improve in shorthand. The consequence
of this study will also make the subject easier and interesting among
those students who is at opinion that subject is very tough. This study
will guide the student to acquire the skills in learning shorthand.
1.5 Delimitation or Scope of Study
This
study is de-limited to the effect of mass failure in shorthand in
secretarial studies student with a case study of students of the Federal
Polytechnic Ede, Osun State.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
a. Are the relevant books available for the learning of shorthand and sufficient?
b. What are the natural problems of shorthand.
c. Are the teachers, students contributing in any way to this high rate of failure?
1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY
The
limited area of this study was that it is very difficult to visit all
the students involved in learning of shorthand due to lack of time.
Other difficulties include of few available students and inability to
see any previous study on effect of failure in shorthand on Office
Technology and Management students.