Call for action: Jordanians against Honor Killings »

When can we expect graduates to know

By: Qwaider

On:Friday, March 20, 2009 10:41:49 AM
In:Thoughts
Viewed: (6537) times

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Rated 4.4/5 stars (133 votes cast)

How many people who graduated with you, know anything about the major they're studying? Yes, they got the marks, they passed the classes, the fooled the professors (or not), but they managed to game the system into receiving a degree.

Well, good for them. But what happens next is what's important, and what happens? We end up with the greatest ratio of illiterate degree holders in the world, if there was a measurement for such a thing.

Truth is, many people go to school to achieve a certain social status, to help them get married, to give them the proper networking circles. But not getting a real education or building on that education in anyway..

Worse yet? Some even go to the ever growing number of post graduate programs all over the place to be worse illiterates, with higher degrees.

It's even worse for the ladies in many of the developing countries. Where a degree is their ticket out of their abusive parent's house into the abusive husband's house. Education as a side effect is, well, not bad. But it's really not the goal in many cases.

It's sad to see young people waste their potentially bright future in the dark vanity of an unappreciative society. Where a degree is nothing but a piece of cardboard wielded only in special occasions, like getting married!

It's about time we throw these old ideas out of the window, get our hands dirty and start carving our own vision and our own future out of the remnants of the ashes that we live in. Success should never be left to those 2 geeks you used to go to university with and who graduated knowing everything they wanted to know

And don't you ever say I never learned anything at school, it only means, you were on autopilot when the good stuff was on.

Memories....

#1
Marvin
Said
On: 3/20/2009 11:23:45 AM
SpamScore=[-0.35]

I find that the most successful people are the ones who either never went to school to learn what they do well, or if they went, they went to school already knowing what they know, and school was just a rubber stamp to show that they know it. The degree certificate is just a Good Housekeeping seal of employability.

I also find that usually, the more "educated" a person is, the dumber they are. They become so specialized that they actually become less able to function in society, which is why many longtime students decide to stay in academia, because they adapt to that unreal world, becoming less able to function in the real one.

I would very much like to see a study which measures the loss of cognitive and social skills compared to the degree level that was studied or attained (bachelor's, master's, Ph.D., or beyond), corrected for aging.

#2
Amino
Said
On: 3/20/2009 4:22:07 PM
SpamScore=[1]

Knowledge has become like a sex object, believe it or not. It is viewed for its face value rather than it's true essence.

The hunger for knowledge is non-existent in our youth simply because we've objectified knowledge and linked it to irrelevant variables such as job, marriage, and wealth.

The Ministry of Education should step up and eliminate Tawjihi if they wish for our kids to think creatively and seek knowledge for its own sake.

#3
Ahmad Hamdan
Said
On: 3/20/2009 7:49:31 PM
SpamScore=[2]

the education system in the arab world is one of the most stupdiest things in life that one would see. lets say tawgehe every time it comes you woud feel like a war has come, students just keep studying theories that should be taught to kids, books that keeps getting bigger and illiterate students that don't even know what laptop is and all of them just wish to be a doctor or engineer like there isn't any other thing in the wrold rather than these. as for the universities, i always heared my doctors complaining why aren't you like west but he forgets that in the west the education system is build on right from the begining and he forgets that he doesn't even teach us like he should, of course this doesn't apply to all of them. Even thought we have countries that have a lot of money like KSA but when you look at the education system they have oh my god what a crisis.

#4
Qwaider
Said
On: 3/20/2009 8:16:23 PM
SpamScore=[-49.15]

Marvin
Absolutely, there is a lot of truth in what you said. The more people know, the less they can communicate as humans, and I have observed this first hand
My wife keeps bugging me about my colleagues who can barely speak. You want another very funny example? Watch Big Bang Theory!

Amino
First of all, welcome back
Second, you're absolutely right, it's becoming less and less of a goal and more of a means. And that by its definition sucks!
But I don't agree with you on Tawjihi. In fact, I think it's the only good thing remaining in all of our education system, we should keep it and possibly make it every year instead of at the end of 12 years. It's really good and I've seen the good results that come from it.
Many people who failed Tawjihi, will complain about it. Many people who succeeded JUST to get in a decent school will criticize it. But I'm sure the vast majority has benefited from it. It's the only step in the education system that makes students take education seriously. And we shouldn't miss on an opportunity like this.
But what comes after it is what counts. How we direct our future

Ahmad,
Thanks ahead, but I beg to differ. I've seen the education system in the Arab world and in the west and I can tell you with great authority that what you said is a common misconception in the Arab world
Arab students come to the US and kick serious ass because they're better prepared. They might not have all the language skills but in science, math they excel like there is no tomorrow! Statistics prove it beyond any shadow of a doubt. So what happens? Why do we get so good up to a point, and then everything appears to fizzle away?
Another thing is that the static sciences haven't changed since... oh god knows how long. But at least a 100 years. So there isn't really anything that warrants changing what students learn. The average twjihi Student knows better than 2nd year collage here in the US. Because these static sciences never change. Math is the same, Calculus, Physics, Chemistry ...etc. At school levels, these have not changed.
I remember taking Atomic physics in high school, and material that would only appear in post graduate books. It was fun to read and understand. But most students thought it was a waste of time. I still remember the subjects. And I still remember how fascinating fission, and fusion were to me when I was in 10th or 11th grade! Guess what, 10 years before that, my sister explained them to me as well. So they have been there for a long time.

So for tawjihi, I don't agree with you. But after that, I completely agree with what you said. The professors (who mostly graduated from universities abroad) just don't seem to care. And with no drive towards research in anyway. It becomes even worse.

I think the issue is social more than curricular. We need to reshape the way we think. The way our students think. That's the bottom line

#6
Simply Me
Said
On: 3/21/2009 1:33:20 AM
SpamScore=[-0.04]

The degree stays 'a degree' regardless.. and no i don't agree with this post at all. Some studies are general.. this doesn't mean that those undergraduates or postgraduates are useless! A degree broadens your thinking, make you relate all that you hear or read to what you have studied. There's nothing that can replace it.. if you are not from the people who like to pursue their education, it doesn't mean that people who are doing that is doing it for no good!

#7
Qwaider
Said
On: 3/21/2009 2:26:34 AM
SpamScore=[-49.17]

That's not what I meant. I am actually celebrating people who are pursuing their education out of a genuine desire to achieve. That is a goal. The people I'm talking about are the people who are just taking all of this as a method to achieve better social status without really "getting an education" in the process.
And I agree, a degree is -supposed to- broaden the way we think. But that's for people who are really interested in learning. I think you might have misunderstood me.

#8
za3tar
Said
On: 3/21/2009 4:06:56 AM
SpamScore=[-1.97]

You hit the bull's eye with this one.
If i may add one thing, i think many people go through university programs more or less only because they are expected to do so. They put themselves on auto pilot in school and indeed in their entire life. It might not be about getting a higher social status .. but it is like they are on an assembly line that is moving with them. They are expected to go to school, then university then go to a job and so on. Many of them don't do this because they love that certain field, but more ore less because of this "routine". Many don't really truly like their jobs but do it more or less because of that pre-setup routine.

You are absolutely right Qwaider.

#9
Naser
Said
On: 3/22/2009 9:59:51 AM
SpamScore=[5.35]

you're absolutely right, lemme talk about Jordan ,the problem starts in the early stages at school ,we were (at a public school -but wait i'm not sayin the rest are THAT better) taught to study for the exam , except for couple of teachers over the years who wanted to teach us something . i don't think change is ought to happen suddenly at university !so the sad series continues .
There is one important thing though ,I believe parents plays the most important role, when you introduce your kid to books since they're little and plant that seed of wanting to gain knowledge for the sake of it not because i have an exam in it,you're solving a part of a problem yet to occur.

#10
jordan failled hk
Said
On: 3/22/2009 10:45:28 AM
SpamScore=[11.5]

Complete your blog with this current news about Jordan. I wonder why I can not find this elsewhere in Jordanian media. Btw, what is your youtube queenie doing to prevent this barbaric act to her fellow countrywomen?

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2B ... 53072.html

March 22, 2009
Charged for honour killing

AMMAN (Jordan) - PROSECUTORS have charged a man and his two sons for the premeditated murder of his 19-year-old daughter on Saturday, in the latest honour killing to take place in this conservative desert kingdom.
The man and his two sons are charged with beating to death the daughter for leaving the house in make up and talking to a strange man, according to prosecutor Salah al-Taleb's indictment sheet.

The father brought his daughter to the hospital after she lost consciousness and turned himself in.

Autopsy showed severe injuries to the head which caused brain hemorrhage and the body was covered with bruises.

If convicted the man could be sentenced to life in jail.

In Jordan, an average of 20 women are killed by male relatives each year. -- AP

#11
Qwaider
Said
On: 3/22/2009 6:01:21 PM
SpamScore=[-40.41]

I can understand your frustration and anger about this matter. Hell I'm furious about this. We have all been denouncing and standing against such labeling of murder as "honor", there's absolutely no honor in it, but shame and dishonor. Not only for the murderers, but for the whole system that has provisions to allow people to escape with murder like that. No worse, emerge as saviors, and heroes.
I have talked about this very subject many times over and I believe the Queen has taken many steps to try and fix this horrible situation. But we need more. We certainly need to abolish this barbaric tribal ritual. So I hear you, and I call for action from everyone.
It will take more than Royal decree to change people's mentalities.