More to Life than Paper Qualifications?
By zandi458
@zandi458 (28102)
Malaysia
April 21, 2010 7:00am CST
The world is very competitive especially in the field of educations. Tuition centers are mushrooming everywhere because the demand is great as parents aspire to see their children succeed in the academic field. Parents push their children to go for extra tuition classes after the normal schooling in the hope that their children excel in their examinations. But they have forgotten that not all kids are endowed with the gift of academic brains. Academic education is important but it is not the means to all ends. Each children has certain skills, capacities and interests. These constantly change.
I never took my studies seriously when I was still schooling. Never attended any tuition classes as it was not popular then. I was not the studious type but because of wanting to please both my parents I have no choice but to complete my studies. My interest lies in cooking but never had the opportunity to attend a culinary Art schools. I had no interest in reading but at the age of 40-plus, my life changed and now I am surrounded by books. I know of very successful business people today who did not even complete formal studies.
Every person has dignity and just to be alive is a wonder. We have many options to select from and academic studies are not the only one. Parents have a part to play in this. They can monitor their children's interests, guide and encourage them to pursue what they are good at and not harp on academic qualifications alone.
According to Dale Carnegie: People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing Something to ponder.
5 people like this
15 responses
@quita88 (3715)
• United States
21 Apr 10
I"ve been in many jobs that I hated but it paid a lot. It wasn't long til I was so dissatisfied that I quit.
Learing should be fun and so should a job. Kids would do a lot better if they figured how to capture the whims of their minds in the class rooms.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
21 Apr 10
Is there a mushroom growth of tutition classes in your place too?
Well, in India it is the case. While I agree with what you have said about the possibility of different avenues for growth of a child, many people are not even aware of this.You yourself exhibit a heightened awareness because you are well informed. THis is caused by reading in a big way.
Now a basic education is a must .In our country the competition is very high and people must either have merit[to get into a good school/college] or money to finance their education.
Many parents are either ill equipped to provide this or do not have the time and dedication to do this.
But whatever skill one acquires the student must do it with complete focus and thsi would be achieved only by the fun he gets while training in it.I do agree with every word of your last quote of Carnegie.
2 people like this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
23 Apr 10
Absolutely true ZANDI.While on the topic, I am reminded of an incident in my own place [long back]. One of my uncles is a very learned [A doctorate, had worked in the USA as a professor and was also a principal.]He had a niece who did not take interest in studies .[This happended some thirty years ago.]
He suggested the sensible course of action as mentioned by you and said "Why do you have to be after the girl to finish her Bachelors'? See where her natural aptitude lies ;nurture that particlar skill and then she will do well"
THe girl's mother grew wild[she would have come to blows if permitted ] , threw tantrums and accused him of downgrading her daughter because he was arrogant .
If peopele from educated families and reasonably affluent background behave so idiotically, what perception would others with less exposure have?
If peopele from educated families and reasonably affluent background behave so idiotically, what perception would others with less exposure have?@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
22 Apr 10
Our government has made it compulsory for every parents to send their children to school failing which the parents will be penalized by the law. The government has put a lot of incentives to education, like free school meals, free uniforms, free text books and on top of that those from low income group will get financial aid. And still some children refuse to study seriously. These type of students are not academically inclined as their interest are on skill subjects. As parents they should not force their children to be on parallel with those who have the right mental capacity for reading subjects. They too can be successful if they love what they are doing, not necessary in any of the professional fields. They can be happy as 'vehicle doctors' (mechanic) or farmers.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
21 Apr 10
Very good discussion as usual. I have always said college wasn't for everyone. I have a friend now who insisted her son go to college. He could care less, is failing & doesn't go half the time. The goverment is paying him to go so he's drawing that easy money for goofing off. I think it's ridiculous when this happens or parents are spending their hard earned money for them to not study. If mine had pulled that he wouldn't have gone but one semester.
2 people like this
@piya84 (2581)
• India
21 Apr 10
I think one need strong desire to succeed an nothing else.When you want to be successful you need to have passion for your work and for being passionate you need to enjoy that work also.We cant force ourself to be passionate about what we dont love.Paper qualification isnt necessary infact.
If you see many colleges and their courses many are outdated today and there are many people who are college dropout and successful tremendously.
2 people like this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
21 Apr 10
With so many graduates coming out of university each year, the job market can't possibly absorb them. With strong determination to succeed in life, there is no reason why one can't succeed without the scrolls of papers. I am not discouraging those who are academically successful but I look at this on a different angle and think success in life can be achieved through skills on par with people who have paper qualifications.
1 person likes this
@mac_fish (723)
• China
21 Apr 10
Hi,zandy
So,u are a guy who are interested in cooking???
Well,apparently ,ur behaviors and thoughts are totally rebellious with the satement that foisted on us in formative childhood by adults-----“u can have a better life on the premise that get certain qualifactions in acedemic filed.
So,how about ur life now? Maybe u are the example used to answer back to teachers by kids who have no interesting in class.... They will say"look at zandi,he also could succeed in leading a happy life"
2 people like this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
21 Apr 10
I want to correct you here...am not a guy. I think you need to be more open-minded to read this discussion and come to grip with what I am trying to put forward here. You see I come from a family who are mostly in the field of academics. My late grandfather was a school head, my mom was a primary school teacher, my eldest sister is a language lecturer in Mandarin, my youngest sister is an IT lecturer in a university in Australia and I had a short stint as a lecturer. I am not about to condemn education and earning scrolls of degrees for the betterment of our future as a waste!
I need to stress a point here that the root of the problems with today's school education lies in society's deluded values emphasizing social climbing, material wealth and power, and in parents' blind subservience to maximizing the educational achievements of their children. Parents should change their attitudes to healthier ones to make their children happy. They should accept their abilities as well as their defects, talents, hopes and dreams. Let them enjoy successful experiences and help them respect themselves. This is the wisdom of life which children need.
Though I am no longer in the workforce on my own choice but am happy with my present achievements as I have sweat for my success with my God gifted brain.
Think of the great people like Einstein and Thomas Edison. They were considered poor students in their early years but what brilliance they showed in later life!
1 person likes this
@marketsearch1 (9)
• United States
21 Apr 10
and they want to raise school taxes.
2 people like this
@riyasam (16556)
• India
22 Apr 10
sure you have given something to ponder about but i really beleive that at the young age when the kids have no other responsibility except that to study,they should atleast give studies a try.but i am not at all for the parents who try to enforce studies on their kids..
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
10 May 10
I do beleive that is true you need to enjoy what you do even in the work force! not just school.
I had no proble4ms doing my school work was always done before school got out that day.
I didnt go on to college I realy dont think that some kids get any thing out of it! just party is all I heard about it after I didnt go.
I did learn alot of differnt things I did well with in the work force and I loved what I did I liked goin gto work I never moaned about it like I hear some do today lololol
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
22 Apr 10
I do agree with you that people should have fun and enjoy what they are doing .. . Life is so short that we have to enjoy whatever undertaking we do. It is good to enjoy your work and eventually you will have a good spirit that motivates you to work harder in order to succeed.
Have a nice day.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
22 Apr 10
hi zandi458 you are so right,some kids have the mental capability of going on to college, and others just are not that well equipped. Yet the others might be very skilled in certain areas. So yes there are any number of ways to go to capitalize on a childs abilities. My son is a computer genius and thats his skill,he can fix anything electronic, and has learned computer programming, but again he was one of the gifted children with higher i.Q's than the rest. I agree if you do not enjoy what you are doing, you will not get very far. I worked for years as a nurse's aide simply because I enjoyed wHat I was doing, then the last 23 yhears I worked in our Tustin library again I really loved what I was doing. 
1 person likes this
@catwong63 (2)
• Singapore
22 Apr 10
i agree with hatley... my nephew was regarded as a loser in local schools but when he went to a US high school, they regarded his knack for restoring computers that constantly hang as a talent... i wish schools would take the trouble to analyse what talent every child has.... no one is without a gift that can be nurtured and put to good use for the good of society.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
23 Apr 10
I have a friend who has an eight year old daughter who is the same age as my child. My friend has her child’s life mapped out for her; she is to become a great dancer and a whizz at school! This unfortunate child only wants to dance for fun and academically she is not at the top of her class. “Who cares?” I say to her, “Let her be who she is!” But no, my friend has bought books and charts so she can tutor the poor kid every day after school. She was determined she know how to read before starting school and now her marks have to be high. I look at my own daughter and to me, her happiness is what matters the most. She is doing okay at school, learning and growing. I don’t know if she is at the top, middle or bottom of her class and I don’t care. All I want to see from her is hard work and doing her best, that’s it, results are not as important. I am of course very proud of any of her achievements but I am just as proud just because she exists, nothing more.
Education is important and so is qualifications but if you are not qualified in something you love, they are worthless and that is my goal to help my daughter not just with her homework but for her to find what makes her heart sing!
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
23 Apr 10
children need to have security in life and education that earns good paper qualification is the passport to a comfortable life in future. But if things doesn't turn out right then these children can turn to other alternatives that can earn them income.
1 person likes this
@cbjones (1147)
• United States
22 Apr 10
I've always believed that it's better to have a career(something you are passionate about)) than a job. It's the ideal scenario. It doesn't always work out for everyone though. You sometimes have to settle for a job you don't like doing, because it pays better or you lack the proper experience for what you really want to do.
In which case, using the dreaded job as a way to support yourself till you gain the credentials for that career may not be such a bad thing.
1 person likes this
@shibham (16977)
• India
22 Apr 10
hi zandi, this is really a great discussion. thanks for starting this topic.
when i was a student i went to tuition classes but only for english. as you know that we are not native English speaker and thats why we are too weak in english. my classes ran only for three years. my father always thought to make me a mathematician but in HS final exam i obtained a pathetic mark but fortunately in assamese i obtained 83 out of 100. then i decided to make this subject as my major subject in college and university level and i did and passed with some record marks. now i am college teacher in the same subject. so when i took the decision my parents did not forced me go on their way.
i have found some parents who wish to lead their kids according to their way but they never try to study what are the certain skills or capacities of their kids. sometimes this type of process spoil the future of a student.
if u know hindi then i would recommend to watch two indian movies named by TAARE JAMMEN PAR( THE STAR ON THE EARTH) AND 3 IDIOTS. the main theme of both movies related your discussion. here some lines of a song from 3 IDIOTS.
GIVE ME SOME SUNSHINE GIVE ME SOME RAIN
GIVE ME AN ANOTHER CHANCE WANNA GROW UP ONCE AGAIN.
here is a link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-SVBlZRbWk
have a nice day
1 person likes this
@assinertata (288)
• Philippines
22 Apr 10
I agree with you. Most often than not, parents are misleading themselves with their desires to be doing what's the best for their kids and to be calling themselves as best parents. But they don't realize their kids are individuals too, each has it's own interests, talents, skills, etc. Parents shall be here to give their support and love and to guide their kids. Not to impose on kids what parents want them to be. And you're right, success don't lie so much on the education attainment, it can be achieved also by a true desire and loving the things you're doing.
Happy mylotting.
@quinnkl (1667)
• United States
5 May 10
I believe (and always have) that learning can be made fun. It is up to the teachers to make it creative and interesting. It can be done. My son had one such teacher in elementary school. Unfortunately we don't have teachers who enjoy teaching and actually want kids to learn. Schools are such businesses, that they are almost military in rules and strictness even in small towns such as we live in. Saddens me. When my son was young he loved to learn and do and be challenged. As he has grown in the school system, he doesn't care one way or another. That really makes me angry. We homeschooled this last year and that really helped him, but he wants to go to public for high school years, so will be back in the corporate education world we live in again. Just sad. (PS glad you now enjoy reading.. I have a "library" of books saved for many years, and have traded and given away 10 times as many as I have.... enjoy!)
