Right since inception, the quest to obtained knowledge by man has been an important task. Through the acquisition of knowledge, man has been able to make great inventions that serve to make life easier and safer for all. The continuous quest for knowledge led to the invention of institutions of learning, where people can go and acquire knowledge that could be useful in solving real-life issues. Over the years, great minds and inventions have been built within the walls of classrooms and education became the envy of all.
Education in our dear country
A trip to my home country, Nigeria, where education is so valued to the extent that it is becoming an obsession. As we know that anything that crosses the line of normalcy will mostly bring negative consequences. Everyone wants to go to school and get a degree. Even parents that are not educated are obsessed with their children's education. It has reached a point at which not getting a Western education is considered a big deal around here. Consequently, it does not really matter whether it is affordable or whether their intellectual capacities can handle it, everyone simply wants to acquire a university degree.
A closer look at the admission system into the various government university in Nigeria, a lot of abnormality and mismanagement are going on. Admissions have become 'cash and carry'. I just witnessed a situation in which someone that scored 49/100 in an admission examination getting admitted ahead of someone that scored 61. Hyenas and jackals have hijacked the admission system. Hence, a lot of folks are sending their wards to private universities, since university degree has become like an oxygen substitute to us in our country.
I am fortunate enough to be working in one of the private institutions and I must tell you, gone are those days when private institutions are meant for the rich only. Even the paupers now send their children to private institutions. Some parents go as far as borrowing an interest-based loan just to finance their children's private education. Worse still, some of these students can barely write their names in the examination hall. Sometimes, I am forced to ask some of them the reason they are bent on getting university education even though their intellect cannot contain it. They give varieties of answers ranging from stupid ones to more stupid ones. The bottom line is, most see a university degree as a means to an end. Very few care about the knowledge they are gaining from it or how they can make a difference using the knowledge gained from it.
The bitter truth
The truth is, university education is not meant for everyone. Basic education should stop at high schools and those that will proceed to colleges should be made to demonstrate why they want it. A lot of school dropouts are doing well at various trades while graduates whose parents incurred debts just for them to get a degree are on the street begging for jobs like an urchin. The money expended on getting a degree could have been used for a start-up business or an apprenticeship that will lead to the establishment of a trade.
Nowadays, a lot of graduates can hardly remember what they were taught in school, even those that graduated with a somehow good result. The labour market does not really offer any solace in any form as well. It is now about who, not what you know. Only if certificates could turn to money, a lot of folks would be millionaires.
Education is good, but a degree is beyond basic education as against the way some people are viewing it. Basic education is about the ability to read, write and comprehend basic things in life. If abilities are taken into consideration before needs, a lot of folks will not be in the university.
Thanks for reading.