Staff writer - Nyasha Watson
The majority of us living in the Caribbean have enslaved Africans as our first ancestors. And the historical literature that we are provided with make claim to the fact that they were denied a formal education. Thus it has often been said that we who were born free men are in a privileged position of having the opportunity to gain formal education up to the tertiary level. But is a tertiary education really that ‘royal’ as we make it out to be.
First, I will start with the monetary factor. But before I go any further, let me just say that money should never be the primary aim in choosing a career!! Unfortunately, most people don’t realize this until it is too late and they are stuck in an unfulfilling career.
But let me get back to the monetary factor; traditionally the top two elite careers were lawyers and doctors because they were the best paid practitioners. However as technology is now a dominant part of our lives we are seeing that careers in this field are also highly sought after; once again because there is money to be made in this field.
But the fact is only a small minority of tertiary students specialized in these areas. The majority actually specialize in other areas that are quite competitive and employment is minimal. Thus the others who were not successful in filling the few vacancies or getting the opportunity to migrate would have to resort to the ordinary employment that they were initially running away from.
Photo courtesy betternation.org
And this in effect will render their degrees to be useless. So then is it pointless to do a degree because after completing the degree ones pay mirrors that of a non-degree person?
Well, I am saying that it is pointless to complete a degree that one has no personal interest in except for the money. Indeed, despite the boundaries that have been broken down since slavery; getting a formal education is still a difficult task much less a tertiary one for some Caribbean nationals.
Thus, if one is able to attain a tertiary education it must be in a field that they are passionate about otherwise the degree will be worthless to them; even if they are making a lot of money. Personal fulfillment is the greatest achievement. What do you think…?
