I read with interest the article “Dilemma of high school grads” (Aug. 1) by Abdulateef Al-Mulhim. The writer has raised an important issue. I fully agree with the writer that we have to do away with the mentality of considering white-collar jobs as the only solution to our problems. We should understand that the world is not run by bankers and IT professionals alone; there are other trades and professions that are equally important for the smooth functioning of the economy and for the strengthening of a society.
We tend to follow the West by copying latest lifestyle trends but we don’t realize that the western countries have achieved this prosperity by according importance to all existing professions and trades.
This problem is not unique to Saudi Arabia. Most people in the Middle East and South Asia possess the same mentality. Every human being is unique and has different capabilities. It is wrong to expect everybody to become a doctor, an engineer or a banker. Unfortunately, there is no system to assess our children’s aptitudes at an early stage and to train them accordingly. It is not necessary that if a child is interested in electrical tools, gadgets or machinery, he or she could become an engineer. That child could also be interested in vocational training to become an electrician. He may be good with tools but not very much interested in academics. In that case, we need to send him to some vocational training center.
In the western countries, people are not pushed to pursue university degrees. It may sound a bit controversial but it is true that university education should not be universal. We need to change our mentality toward education in general and particularly toward technical training or education.
Vocational training
