Many students choose a wrong
subject after the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination only to be a
failure and frustrated in the future. Commonly known as the ‘iron gate’, the
SLC exam opens up an opportunity for them to set the future course of their
life. But the juvenile minds are easily attracted to illusions and become
misguided. In most cases, the expectation of parents, teachers and friends gets
more attention than a student’s real ability when they choose a subject.
Generally, the Nepalese society
commonly expects the students who achieve distinction or first division in SLC
to join Science and become doctors or engineers. The ones who have passed in
second division are expected to join Commerce and become chartered accountants,
managers, clerks in financial institutions, businessmen, etc. The students who
get just pass marks are usually taken as being dull ones who have no real
interest in or time for their studies. They are the raw materials for Arts and
Humanities, Law and Education. They are the future teachers, civil servants,
lawyers, politicians, etc.
Most guardians put heavy pressure
on their wards to join this stream because of its good prospect. They can
easily get a lucrative job along with a promising career once they complete
their studies. Nursing is as good as medicine or engineering for girls.
Therefore, the students blindly
choose Science ignoring their real ability and interest. Many students join
Science just because their friends have joined Science. Some others get
distinction or first division by cheating in the exams and want to show off in
society. Whatever the reason, they blunder by taking up the subject that they
have no real interest in. As a result, they cannot do well in their studies and
drop out. Most of them go to foreign countries as unskilled manual workers.
Some depressed ones rejoin Grade Eleven in a different stream after having lost
two or three golden years.
The students and their parents
should save themselves from undue sufferings. For that, they can take the help
of professional counsellors and psychological aptitude tests. Nowadays, many
institutes run bridge courses in Science and Commerce for SLC- appeared
students. These courses can be helpful to check their interest before they join
any stream formally.
One can also get admitted to many
short-term technical courses such as lab technician, JTA, ANM, AHW (CMA), HA,
radiology, etc. Having completed the courses, one can easily get employment
with good earnings or be self-employed.
Published
in The Himalayan Times on 14.05.2013
