I have heard stories from my grandparents, parents, teachers and also read books that decades ago, accessing education was a nightmare to many Africans.
If there was such an opportunity, boys would be given the first priority and if a girl child was given this chance, she could only acquire the basic education then denied the privilege of progressing to higher education. Courses such as engineering were viewed to be for boys.
One thing that I fail to understand is why girls were looked down upon, yet if they had been given the opportunity, a majority could have emerged successful. Unfortunately, they were married off and their dreams shattered.
Thanks to civilisation, children are today treated equally and education has become a right to every child. But what worries most African parents is career paths and grades that their children are supposed to get and follow.
I do remember back then in Primary School when someone would be approached and asked what course they wanted to take after secondary education. The answer was mostly one: Medicine and not just medicine, but something like a neurosurgeon just like Dr Ben Carson. It was every child’s dream to do great things. Given four years and asked the same question, many gave different answers and only a few still hold to what they had said.
This brings about negative judgment from so many parties but that shouldn’t be the case because a lot happens during the four years and one gets to weigh themselves and eventually decide what to go for. Most African parents view courses such as law, engineering and medicine as the best available and recommending these to their children and anything other than such is a disgrace to the family.
This is unlike in the Western countries, where children are allowed to follow even their talents as career paths from an early age and the parents venture into them and support them. How I wish African governments could adopt the same. But most of them being third world countries makes this impossible. A little bit, the Kenyan government is trying with the introduction of the competency based curriculum.
It is true that the aforementioned are the best courses but equally, there are still other ones that one can go for and be successful. As far as I know, children are abled differently; some can go for such courses and join universities which is okay.
One question that most people don’t ask is, what about the others? The government came up with colleges and polytechnics that grant students a chance for higher education. From these institutions, students come out successful as long as they are determined, hardworking and positive on the courses they are doing.
Although a lot has been done, more is still needed. It is best for the parents/ guardians and kids to discuss and agree on what to study other than going for something that isn’t what the heart desires. It comes with lots of regrets.
There is no competition in success. It is a matter of doing what is right at the right place, time and with the right people as the future holds different destinations for everyone. Remember yesterday isn’t today and today isn’t tomorrow.
Rose Wekesa is a Journalism student at KCA University
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