AWA – Issue #3
Primary and secondary education should focus on training students for the highly specialized jobs of the future, rather than on providing them with a broad range of non-specific skills and information.
The issue whether primary and secondary education should focus on specialized jobs or broad range of non-specific skills is a debatable one. On one hand some say that it should train youngsters for highly specialized jobs so that it is easy for them to gain employment and perform well in their jobs. On the other hand, some say that it is important for everyone to learn and understand other subjects as well. In my opinion, for the complete development of one’s personality he should be exposed to more broad range of subjects apart from his specialty.
Firstly, focused training is good but not enough. To conduct his day to day life, one has to be knowledgeable in other skills as well. A good businessman has to have analytical skills, social skills as well as complete understanding of his business. If he is a manufacturer then it is important to know the science behind what he is manufacturing. If the youngsters are just taught what they have to practice in their later years they will be left devoid of such skills which could ultimately hamper their career and progress in life.
Secondly, a broad range of knowledge makes a man smart, outward and more sociable. A man with limited knowledge is not able to interact much outside his community; even there his discussions revolve around the same topics. He is not able to appreciate the beauty of other things. For e.g. if we would not have taught science, we would not have been able to appreciate new technologies or even understand basic phenomenon occurring around us. If we would not have been taught history, we would not have been able to appreciate the value of freedom.
Lastly, how can a person know what he wants to do or practice in later part of his life? He has to be given a chance to choose among various subjects the vocation that he wants to follow in life. Suppose Mozart was taught mathematics from his early age, he would have never grown up to be a musician. Suppose Steve Jobs was only taught art in his early years he would not have become the co-owner of Apple. Hence, during the developmental years of one’s life, he should be exposed to various fields of knowledge from where he can make a conscious and intelligent decision about what he wants his profession to be.
Even though I agree that some skills for the specialized job has to be given, but that can be provided after a persons secondary education is complete. By this time he can understand various subjects, has competed against like students and has made a decision about his or her future. After he has made that decision, he can immerse himself in the training for the highly specialized job.
