Opportunities for underprivileged students
Lack of education is like a cancer that pervades society and ruins the state physically and mentally
The educated are the eyes and ears of any society, whereas the ignorant are its greatest enemy. Unskilled and uneducated youth are not only burdens on their families, they retard the development of society at large. Lack of education is like a cancer that pervades society and ruins the state physically and mentally.
Most parents have a great longing for their children to become doctors, engineers or businessmen and try to provide them with the best education that can help them secure a reputable place in society. In meeting that wish they are ready to invest their entire life savings in the education of their children. But all their dreams are shattered when their offspring fall under the grip of abject poverty and it becomes almost impossible to make ends meet. Socioeconomic hardships affect their lives and they fall short of their families’ expectations.
The government claims that it has been successful in steering the nation away from the path of economic meltdown and has put it on a sustainable road of economic recovery. This claim could be a subject of debate among economists, but would hardly please the common man, who is suffering from economic hardships due to sky-rocketing prices and double-digit inflation over the past few years, which the government has failed to control. There is an increasing trend globally, of youth resorting to taking up multiple part-time jobs in various fields to bear educational expenses and other everyday expenditures. If such opportunities are made available to the downtrodden youth in Pakistan, then there is hope for them.
The price of education and other associated expenses have increased a great deal in recent times. Students are putting up all their efforts to secure part-time jobs to meet their needs, but all in vain. There seems to be a reduced number of Pakistani scholarships for poor students. It is almost impossible for poorer parents to provide their children with quality education while meeting other expenses too.
The government should focus on providing opportunities for part-time jobs for young people. These opportunities could be introduced at the college and university level and, in exchange, either a sum of money or a special concession in the fee can be given to students willing to undertake these jobs. In addition, internship programmes should be set up where a fixed monthly stipend can be given to students to enable them to enhance their practical and professional knowledge. The provision of part-time jobs can be a solution to a lot of problems being faced by students belonging to poor socioeconomic classes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2015.
Most parents have a great longing for their children to become doctors, engineers or businessmen and try to provide them with the best education that can help them secure a reputable place in society. In meeting that wish they are ready to invest their entire life savings in the education of their children. But all their dreams are shattered when their offspring fall under the grip of abject poverty and it becomes almost impossible to make ends meet. Socioeconomic hardships affect their lives and they fall short of their families’ expectations.
The government claims that it has been successful in steering the nation away from the path of economic meltdown and has put it on a sustainable road of economic recovery. This claim could be a subject of debate among economists, but would hardly please the common man, who is suffering from economic hardships due to sky-rocketing prices and double-digit inflation over the past few years, which the government has failed to control. There is an increasing trend globally, of youth resorting to taking up multiple part-time jobs in various fields to bear educational expenses and other everyday expenditures. If such opportunities are made available to the downtrodden youth in Pakistan, then there is hope for them.
The price of education and other associated expenses have increased a great deal in recent times. Students are putting up all their efforts to secure part-time jobs to meet their needs, but all in vain. There seems to be a reduced number of Pakistani scholarships for poor students. It is almost impossible for poorer parents to provide their children with quality education while meeting other expenses too.
The government should focus on providing opportunities for part-time jobs for young people. These opportunities could be introduced at the college and university level and, in exchange, either a sum of money or a special concession in the fee can be given to students willing to undertake these jobs. In addition, internship programmes should be set up where a fixed monthly stipend can be given to students to enable them to enhance their practical and professional knowledge. The provision of part-time jobs can be a solution to a lot of problems being faced by students belonging to poor socioeconomic classes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2015.