Students in their final year of school will be harangued about what they are going to study in college. These poor students have enough on their plates, with preparing for the Board finals, various competitive entrance exams, and interviews, that it is difficult for them to answer this question with panache.  

Our educational system being what it is, students are streamlined into groups after Std X.  What this effectively does is close several avenues to students then and there. You are not old enough to get a two-wheeler license, decide whether you can taste liquor, cast your vote but you are old enough to decide on the subjects which will lead you to your college courses and subsequently your career.

In contrast to this approach, many other countries defer the choices till students are in college. My son was one of those students, in the US, who couldn’t make up his mind between Business Studies, and Engineering. Thus he enrolled in an undergraduate course and took a mixture of courses in his first year. This sampling showed him where his interest really lay and he was able to opt for that Department. What is noteworthy here is that none of the Business courses were ‘wasted,’ because even in Engineering Degrees students are required to have a few ‘General’ Credits.

There were some studies made in the US at the turn of the century that indicated the startling possibility that students graduating then, would in their employment lives have seven Careers – Careers not jobs! This is not just startling, it is downright scary. Why is it scary? Because how are our children going to be able to re-train so many times?

This is where the role of education comes in. Education needs to constantly evolve to prepare students for their place in society. But how can they “learn” so much in such a short time. There are two answers. The first is that the students need to learn to learn. This phrase has become somewhat hackneyed over the years, but its importance cannot be stressed enough. And how will this take place? By changes in the way courses are taught and the way evaluation takes place. There are successful models in other parts of the world, so these should not be difficult to put in place.

What is more encouraging is the fact that there is such a body of information literally available at our fingertips. All one needs to do is point students in the right direction, give them the tools and they are rearing to go! Just as a case in point, have you been struggling valiantly with your computer, DVD player, or cell phone trying to do something which seems monumental, and pulling out your hair in despair? Then along comes your child or grandchild grabs the keyboard/ remote control, flips a few buttons effortlessly and voila everything is hunky-dory. Yes, this generation has come programmed to “learn” and is completely unfazed by technology.

It may seem like an ipod or a blackberry is an extravagant toy for them and will send them on the road to becoming spoilt brats, but relax! It is only preparing them for the real world out there. What seems to you to be the big bad wolf of change is, for the present generation only a blip on yet another screen — a blip that needs to be conquered to “get to the next level.” Yes, even video games have their uses.

There is a cafeteria out there with a buffet of career choices requiring a variety of skills.  Students need to be encouraged to sharpen various skills preparatory to obtaining a strong transferable skill-set. And no, they may never know till they are in their forties or even fifties whether their role model was Kalpana Chawla or Sania Mirza or Dhoni!