What Naya Pakistan needs is purpose-driven education for a progressive society
ISLAMABAD: The current state of career counselling in our educational institutions across the country in light of global trends, academic and economic, and in terms of our local history and current economic climate in Naya Pakistan (New Pakistan), is dismal. All enlightened individuals lament over this discouraging state of affairs. After receiving secondary education, all students often get confused to take proper decisions about their career because a wide majority of parents have neither proper information nor adequate exposure to the emerging trends, scope and utility of a degree.
So far, I have come across several students pursuing degrees in medical science and engineering whose first choice was not that subject, but due to social and family pressures, they were forced to study either medical science of engineering. It is noticed that a wrong decision sometimes on the part of parents and sometimes by students themselves can ruin their whole lives. It is also commonly observed that many degree holders and in some cases even PhDs don’t know even know ABC of their subject. Most of our youth are receiving an education without any aim or clear target in their minds and our varsities are producing an army of ‘misfits’.
Education is a process in which, and by which, the knowledge, characters and behaviour of human beings are shaped and moulded. Aristotle has said, “Education is the process of creation of sound mind in a sound body.”
In Naya Pakistan, we need purpose-driven education, disciplines and degrees to build a progressive and forward thinking society, not just the run of the mill degree holders as we have nowadays. Naya Pakistan needs truly educated and successful human beings and for this career counselling is imperative. It is high time the government paid attention to improve the standard of education in the country. We are trailing behind our neighbours in education.
Hashim Abro
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2019.
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