Students need career guidance on courses
By Dickson Tumuramye
However, the biggest challenge we still have in the Ugandan
education system is our children aiming to get a qualification or a paper after
graduation than doing what one wants to be in the future.
It is evident that most learners apply in different places for courses that may not necessarily be in line with their dream
career. Such a thing didn’t just start today but
has been a common trend for many.
Choosing the right career can be more difficult than you
may think. However, if your child has a defined career direction, it helps them
plan and prepare accordingly and both of you can support each other to harness
your child’s dream.
During
my school days, I had many dreams but they kept changing as I progressed in my
studies. In primary school, I wanted to become a doctor or an engineer, or
a pilot. When I joined secondary school, it changed into becoming a lawyer or a
teacher. Somehow, my biggest challenges were a lack of career guidance and a mentor, coupled with
financial challenges.
During
my school time, the only dream university every learner knew most was Makerere
University, unlike today where we have many of them regionally, with even many
new courses.
There was limited access to newspapers and to information,
different from the way it is now; with many radio and television stations and a
lot of media.
There
is also an increased number of university graduates in our localities, and our
children have a bigger advantage of choosing a career easily, especially at
A-Level.
Therefore, parents need to guide their children on time so
that they are able to select a course/programme they will undertake at the
university in line with their dream career.
Parents
or guardians don’t have to wait until it’s time to fill out the application/admission forms to start thinking through
with their child which course they can take.
I
know that the child’s marks/points also determine a lot on the career
direction, but knowing what your child is interested in as he/she progresses
with their studies enables you to plan and guide them accordingly.
It also gives you the opportunity to motivate your child,
look for people who can offer timely career guidance, buy relevant textbooks,
invest in coaching lessons, think about the universities your child can go to, and reflect on your future financial security if the course
will need a lot of money, and provide all necessary support that will empower
your child to live their childhood dream.
The presence of a parent in their children’s education and
career should not stop at paying school fees, buying scholastic materials,
going for visiting days and meetings but also walking together throughout that
journey.
If this is well done, it makes a big difference in your
child’s life. Your child should not do any course for the sake of getting a
degree. They should do something that at least suits what they want to
do with their life and future as adults.
It should be something that should make
them proud of the choice they made decades ago than living in regret and
self-denial in the future.
Sometimes, certain choices may change as time goes on due
to more understanding and exposure but there are some who pick their interest
in certain programmes to the end.
Most importantly, don’t impose so much on what you want the
child to become, because that may not be in the line with what they
desire.
What worked well for you may not serve their interests. Let your responsibility be to find out about the career your child wants for himself and try to explain the pros and cons of such a choice.
If
you don’t understand what a child intends to do, read and research about it
before you make a final decision on behalf of your child.
We have heard of children who did what their parents wanted
against their own choice and on graduation day, they thank their parents for
all the sacrifice but end their speech with a fundamental statement “you sent
me to do this programme for you, your degree is here, now let me go back and
pursue what I like.”
You will have wasted your resources, as well as your
child’s time. You don’t want to be such a parent. It is better you make the
decision together and both of you appreciate it and become accountable together.
The
writer is a child advocate, parenting coach, marriage counselor, and founder –
Men of Purpose mentorship programme.
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articles on:
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tumudickson@gmail.com
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0772851863
-------------------------------------
Dickson
Tumuramye is also a motivational speaker on:
#Positive
parenting
#Marriage
and family
#Child
counseling
#Career
guidance
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