Now-a-days, as a matter of fact, most parents, due to their limited awareness, want to send their children to medical or engineering professions. No doubt, both the fields have a good scope, and, ensure a secure and promising career. But giving the undue importance to the professions, we have put our students into an unbeatable competition. There are many students who are left behind despite having good grades and eligibility, just because of limited number of medical and engineering institutes. In Lahore, there are only four medical colleges which are currently running under government and one recognised engineering university. Rest of them, either do not hold an accredited educational status or are private institutions offering expensive education which most middle class families can not afford.
To control this enormous flow of students towards these fields, an entrance test system was introduced about 8 to 10 years back named as the MCAT and the ECAT. Its purpose is to filter and further shortlist the students going for medical and engineering. In fact, it is a methodology to torture the students and making a maximum number of students fail, so that a few are left for admissions. Last year, due to some abrupt changes in the MCAT, more than 30,000 candidates were unable to clear it. The question is if it is fair with the students on the part of authorities? And, does it seem logical to judge the capability of a student in just one stupid test whereas he had previously been scoring around 80% to 85 % marks in intermediate exams?
On the other hand, these days in Pakistan, there is a high rate of unemployment in these fields. But people do not understand it. Actually, it has somehow been carved out as a social status that if a student is not able to get admitted in medical or engineering university, he is not intelligent enough to be able to have a bright career. Other careers that he may pursue are taken as lower is social status. Thus, he becomes a shame for his family. So, under the stressful situation students are working day and night and still many of them do not achieve their targets to be admitted to medical or engineering professions.
Another mournful fact is our corrupt examination system that allows a lot of distortion with results of the students. Recently, after the announcement of the faulty intermediate part 1 results this year, a boy committed suicide on hearing his low marks which were completely opposite to his expectations. These factors make students’ lives miserable and chaotic.
Previously, the symbols of pride were wealth, caste etc. Now, degrees are also associated with it, particularly medical and engineering qualifications. On the other hand, the professions like teaching, art and law etc. that had a good reputation in the time of our ancestors are not given much importance today thinking that they are ordinary professions. People are aware of what is happening to the students as a consequence of the societal pressures but still they are blindly following the already set standards in society.
Concluding, I must say that we need some restructuring in the conventional thought system of the society. First of all, we should be aware that humans are born with different talent and aptitudes to cater the needs of different professions. So, parents and the society should help the child explore himself and let him choose the right career suiting to his abilities and inclinations. Similarly, we will have to give equal respect to all the occupations regardless of money. I believe that if a student is in suitable vocation, no matter what it is, he has more potential and possibility to excel. Once, he knows his job well, money runs after him.
Saher Kibria
Sec: D
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