The Sunday Mail
Linda Masudze (UZ),Courage Victor Masudze (MSU) —
One of the greatest tragedies one can ever come across at any tertiary learning institute is to discover that more than half of the students there are registered for programs they did not want from the start. As a result, some are suicidal, depressed and seriously bitter.
The percentage of young people on the verge of suicide and depression has shockingly catapulted over the years and it seems the figures are never going to go down. The reasons for this are vary from person to person. At some point, most are stuck with jobs which they abhor for the rest of lives in which they are miserable and with the rate of under -performance shooting sky high. At the end of the day no one benefits. Hence the situation has to be addressed in its infancy before the worst is achieved if that not already the case.
First it all starts with the way we are socialized when we grow up. Most of us were told that being a doctor, lawyer or a bank manager were among the noblest professions one could aspire to become.
Showing the slightest signs of interest in arty stuff like music, drama, sport or any activity that did not guarantee one a white collar job was looked upon with abhorrence. Children were discouraged at all costs even with a whip to take the interest off their hearts. Then the pressure would be exerted for them to study figures and equations, sentences and paragraphs they did not understand. It did not matter whether you were good in that particular subject or not.
The fact was one had to excel and pass regardless of the lack of capability. Another thing, you had to do better than the next person i.e a friend of the neighbor`s kid next door. Hence the pressure would continue to build up. It is sad thing to note that the circumstances are still the same today. Pupils are being flocked in an academic race in which none is certain on where it might actually lead. It is not being implied that education is bad or encouraging our children to aim higher is detestable.
However education should complement a man and his natural God given talent. Where a man is now controlled by his education then that leaves much to be desired. Parents and the society have a role to play in encouraging children and youths alike to explore their potential and chase their dreams with all their might. However the sad situation we have dominant especially in our African society is that we are so traditionalised and terrified of change such that we choose to bask in the past.
Change and adaptation itself is never easy however it is necessary. It is time we came to embrace the notion that traditional perceptions of academic pursuit have become extinct. If we are to produce international acclaimed and competent individuals then it is high time we respect talent and skill as opposed to imposing what we thought was viable forty years back. We now live in a world were footballers, writers, artists are earning a better living than white collar job employees.
We exist in a world that appreciates and rewards skill and capability as opposed to a certificate that is accompanied by dispassionate individual. As a nation, if ever we want to progress forward in producing well -polished global citizens then we must provide platforms, institutions and other opportunities that accommodate every pupil`s talent and skill. Programmes like STEM are good but the government can do better and it has to.
Pupils engaged in other disciplines have to be accommodated too. Also parents and the society have to be educated on the importance and need to support their children in any field that they have chosen.
The world is becoming more and more diverse and different careers and disciplines are being created every day to accommodate people with all sorts of talent and skill. Instead of being taught how to compete aimlessly, people should be encouraged to explore various options available to them. Pupils should explore all disciplines until they find their chosen field.
The way the future of this country will be defined will be determined by the initiatives we take today.
We must strive at all costs to stretch the terrains of our world view in a bid to create global citizens who are able to compete with the rest of the world. Individuals should work towards embellishing what they were meant to be. It is high time we, as a society embraced the reality of this truth.
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