CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background of the Study
Secretary is said to be an important tool in any organization (Azuka and Agomuo, 1993). This statement could be confirmed form the total organization goals. The role o secretary, however, has assumed some changes over the years from traditional role to modern role. The secretary formally was known for performing the traditional role which included typing of documents, taking dictation in shorthand transcribing the dictation materials with the typewriter, and carrying out other clerical work (Austine 1974).
During that period, the training if a secretary was obtained trough commercial or vocational schools, mainly owned by private individuals such establishment had no certificate examinations, or if they pretended to have , such in house examination were not recognized by employers, rather students of such institutes went out on their own to enter for single –subject or composite subject examinations given by recognized examining bodies such as royal society of arts (RSA) the pitman faculty of secretaries, London chambers of commerce ands the like in stages J. II, III – (Amaefula, 1997). The role of secretaries presently. Has been enhanced to meet the requirement of modern business world. The work of a secretary does not end at traditional role as mentioned above but also managerial and administrative role. Thus secretary can now sit in for the personnel manger, administrative/office manager book-keeper, correspondent, organization and methods manager, public relations manager, etc which are part of the modern role of the secretary (Maduabuachi, 1993). This has been made possible by the training she received in the institution of higher learning under secretarial administration programme.
Secretarial administration programme is one of the technical/business education programmes approved by National Board for Technical education (NBTE) to be offered in accredited universities, polytechnics and collages of education in Nigeria. This programme is introduced to ensure effective ad adequate preparation pf prospective secretarial in skills, general business and offices so that on graduation the secretary would have acquired sufficient academic and professional knowledge.
Giving strong idea to this, the NBTE curriculum and course specification on secretarial administration (1990) states only proficiency in the use of the typewriter and phonographic skills as was the cased in the previous years, but has to acquire a thorough detailed knowledge of office administration and management which can make work only not as a secretary but also as an office manager when occasion demands.