"KNOWLEDGE,NOT DEGREE IMPORTANT"
Despite the fact that the youth today have a plethora of degrees, the truth is that they don’t have the necessary skills to be employable.
The intelligence of small children always leaves me amazed. Their imagination, their sense of humour and wonderment is truly fascinating. Therefore, whenever I visit my friend, I love watching the antics of her children. What is more endearing is that they are not afraid to ask ‘why’. All, too often, the elders in the family wished that they wouldn’t but this question appears to be very important to them. But as they grown up, things change.
What happens to these wonderful abilities when they start going to school? Why is it that most employers want to hit their head against a brick wall when they interview potential candidates. There is only one question in their mind — how on earth can the candidate think that he can do the job that they are applying for despite three years of university education and an MBA degree when they don’t have a view point on anything?
Talking to friends in the UK and the US, the story is the same. After years of education many young people continue to be unemployed. There are several opportunities for those who can afford higher education but has this made a difference to the quality of the education? Students have become customers; education has become a commodity to be sold and the process of learning has become devalued. Therefore, even after getting half-a-dozen degrees many find themselves with no jobs.
There are reports that more private universities are being set up. In fact, in one State, 20 new universities have come up in the last two years. Unfortunately, many seats are vacant in engineering and management department. Maybe people have realised that just getting an MBA degree is not the ticket to getting a job. A friend who had interviewed and MBA told me that he had fewer skills than his driver!
Many times my friends are not free to go out for a lunch or a cup of coffee because their children or grandchildren have tuition classes or an extra curricular activity like dancing, singing or even painting. Going for extra classes after school has become a status symbol just like carrying a Channel handbag! All this, when they are still in nursery school. It is sad what we are doing to small children. This is the age where they should be playing. The learning can follow later when they are much older.
Unfortunately, because the rat-race to get mark starts at an early age by the time they reach Class XII they are completely burnt out. Most of the university going students tell you that they are more concerned with passing than learning. Is it any wonder that most fail to cross the first hurdle where they need to take responsibility and to demonstrate their creativity and talent. Learning should be fun. General knowledge and exposure is a must. Appearing for an exam to pass should not be the end result.
During our time securing 60 per cent was considered excellent. Today, a student with 90 per cent doesn’t get admission in a good college in Delhi. The entire education system needs to be changed. Education needs to be made more practical. The aim should be to acquire knowledge and not just a degree.
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