In high school, I always wondered why they pushed the importance of university studies on us so hard and did not care to tell us about other options like TVET. For some reasons, they made it look like university was the only way to be successful.
I swear it's as if those career exhibitions were made to redirect our thinking and to fixate our minds that success in life is based on the results you get from university. Ever wondered why they never mentioned to us that starting a business would be ideal? They always made sure they pushed the university agenda and never even mentioned other options like trade schools.
I read a book by Robert Kiyosoki about 10 times, titled Rich dad Poor dad. How I wished I read the book when I was still in high school. Our school system is not designed to make us bosses, it's designed to make us slaves. Have you seen how some people brag about having two or three jobs at the same time, working 14 hours daily, sometimes with no off-day and then call themselves hard workers?
That's slavery, and I was guilty of this years back. If our education system was designed to make bosses they would train us to be self-employed and self-sufficient. But no, they don't.
Please teach your children that they are more than just a piece of paper. Teach them that their minds can expand beyond the average status quo and that they have skills that cannot be put on paper. I know of engineering graduates who are currently managing restaurants because they listened to their conscience and parents instead of following the education system.
I believed so much in education being a key to success but hey, look at me now, a waitress with a degree and busy with an honours and getting more educated. Now how do I convince my kids that education is indeed a key to success?
And come to think of it, educators back then never cared whether you understood the concepts, they were only interested in results. Ever wondered why exam papers leak and why learners copy during exams? Our education system values grades more than knowledge. Education is important, we need education to make informed decisions, but education shouldn't be used as a tool to mislead.
The reality is, it's now in our hands; we should push our kids and let them know that they have options. I think high schools get so caught up with standardised tests they forget to prepare students for the real world – where students will have to make informed choices based on the options life gives them.
Which is another reason why we shouldn’t depend on the public school system only. We have to teach our kids at home how to think for themselves and find out what they want to become in life. I teach my kids everyday, I teach them the importance of saving, spending and giving. If you want to change the world, start where you are.
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