Has Education Evolved? - an Entrepreneur's View
About the current state of education
Being Educated is a state of mind complemented by actions, and not a bunch of degrees/ certificates. Educated is when an individual is certain about the knowledge & technical know-how in his field. While it is imperative for any individual to complete the primary and secondary schooling, there are a lot area's where the education system is flawed, especially when one starts his/her graduation studies.
Being a student, I have not enjoyed my studies in school or university. Just like any other student, I too dreaded giving exams. The natural way of acquiring a job or to start a business or join a family run business is to earn an academic degree. The current education system specialises to generate more academics, more job-oriented individuals than entrepreneurs, something of which I am very critical of. Entrepreneurship is the future, it creates demands, whereas employees fill the demand.
Talking as an entrepreneur, It is important to trust the process. It is widely said to enjoy the journey rather than rushing to the results. The current education system prioritizes the results rather than the process. Students aim for the institute they want to get in, which usually have a cut off rate and focus on the results adopting any process to get there. To acquire "better education" the general norm is to study abroad. The infrastructure and exposure are good, but the content remains similar. Students studying abroad pay a massive sum to complete their studies, much higher than the local students, which is why the education sector has become a lucrative industry to churn out profits.
The "business schools" across the globe turn up with similar academic content which majority of the students don't find helpful in their career. Students are educated on how to manage a business, not on how to start one. In today's day and age, self-education is massively underrated. Instead of reading academic books, business books should be promoted to learn from. Technology is changing the way to study, but the content remains the same. A fear of failure is developed, due to which, many graduating students would rather choose a job, and not explore a business to grow exponentially. Taking risks at a young age is usually discouraged. I believe that it's the perfect time to risks, you can fall, learn and gain invaluable experience, and have very little to lose.
Recently, there has been changes. Encouraging policies have been rolled out in India, Google has announced a new suite of career certificates that can help you get high paying jobs. Google themselves will consider it as an equivalent to 4-year degrees. A visionary step by Sundar Pichai. However, it is not enough. We are living in strange times. In the middle of the pandemic, the government & few education institutes have asked students to give their exams in person. With COVID cases rising, it is a big tension for students and their family. Results have become so important that students life depend on it, which may even lead to extreme steps.
Self-education needs to be promoted. Widespread changes are required and a robust system wherein students and their talents can thrive. Everyone knows that degrees are not enough to get a quality job, you always need more skills in your CV, which makes me ask, why not invest the time and money in learning or having those experiences which will eventually teach you much more than a degree will. Experiences are priceless and are key in job interviews or starting a business.
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2020 Dhruv Deora