Disclaimer: The Eqbal Ahmad Centre for Public Education (EACPE) encourages critical and independent thinking and believes in a free expression of one’s opinion. However, the views expressed in contributed articles are solely those of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the EACPE.
Pakistan has been the second youngest nation in the South Asia after Afghanistan with 64% population under 30 years of age and 29% population between 15-29 years according to report issued by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) last year. While having a higher proportion of younger citizens shows the potential of the nation, the deep rooted realities deserve our collective attention.
There’s no denying that youth is seeking for tangible opportunities as there is already a lot of competition, as well as widening gap among the upper and lower class families. What shouldn’t be missed in this debate is the right of the youth when it comes to the choice of profession and the selection of their desired field. In Pakistan, education at matric and intermediate level has mainly been divided into two major classes i.e. Arts and Science. Both have their equal share in the evolution of society and both have their own scope. One cannot overlap the importance of science over arts and vice versa. The provision of opportunities depends on resources and institutes empowering the students with the knowledge and exposure of these respective fields. In recent years, for instance, science has gained a significant attention, and hence, created an atmosphere where students of arts seem to struggle in order to find their dignity. The government sector job ratio has been declined to a great extent and private sector jobs are not paying them according to their hard work. This leads to a situation where a student of Arts is considered as idle. Ironically, we are not even producing quality researchers and scientists, but still they are considered better than those students who are enrolled or completed their graduation in arts subject.
We have number of examples where students are struggling with depression illness, and even attempting suicide just because of bad grades and peer pressure.
The main influence on students while choosing their subjects and field comes from parents as they have the final say in this matter. As a result, a student has to sacrifice or ignore his own interest and go with a flow of emotions attached with his parents and society. He remains depressed and cannot find a better way to make his future worthy just because of wrong and enforced selection of subjects. He can be a good artist, fiction writer, a TV anchor, a political celebrity, an economist, a social reformer and likewise there are number of other professions where he can perform every uphill task if he’s allowed to follow his heart. On the contrary, in a desire to fit in he is forced to opt science where he ruins his own career and hardly gets any access to a smooth track. As a result, he struggles even in easy subjects of science.
We have number of examples in our institutes where students are struggling with depression, and even attempting suicide just because of bad grades and peer pressure. This is also one of the main causes of drug addiction in educated youth as they attempt to overcome frustration and the wounded emotions that never let them get out of their parents umbrella and fly like an escape prisoner.
Parental pressure has an adverse impact on students. We need to realize that wrong selection of courses affect the future of students, and that it’s important to access one’s skill before opting for academic courses. It is right of students to be asked about their own interest before making any decision related to their studies and career, otherwise they can never become good decision makers in their lives if they are discouraged. The country is already lacking such youth that aims to go for entrepreneurship. Parents and society keep them away from doing something exceptional with their talent and minds. How come we expect leaders to emerge from youth with this discouraging attitude?
The writer is a freelance journalist from Bhakkar.
Nice article
Thank you.