Irony of a Degree

Just woke up not long ago. I really can't defy the state of being nocturnal.
Was surfing and bumped into this:

PETALING JAYA: A degree used to be a passport to a good career and better life. But not anymore.

It has become an irony that in the pursuit of academic excellence, the graduates have made themselves unemployable.

According to the employers, the change from a “wholesome” education to one that emphasises only on scoring As has led to a decline in the quality of graduates.

Besides a good academic background, employers look at communication, leadership and social skills when assessing a job applicant.

It seems that most of the new graduates do not have such skills. This could be the reason why some 60,000 graduates are unemployed in the country.

Malaysian Employers Federation president Md Jafar Abdul Carim said there was no definite solution to the problem of unemployed graduates.

“However, it can be seen that this focus on getting excellent grades has led to a situation where graduates now need assistance,” he said.

“Twenty years ago, scoring 5A’s was a big thing. Now it does not mean anything,” he said.

Md Jafar blamed the rat race that took place so early in a child's education.

He said the school used to provide “a wholesome education” involving schoolbooks and lots of club activities which exposed the children to leadership positions and interaction.

“Now, children spend hours after school in tuition classes. They also have to go for a full school day on Saturday to study past years' papers to prepare for the exams,” he said.

“Schools are competing with each other to see who scores more As.”

Md Jafar said local graduates were also “more costly” to employ in terms of training compared to those who returned from overseas.

“It takes more time to train a local graduate to reach a level where he or she can contribute to an organisation,” he said.

“Foreign graduates are more focussed when it comes to taking responsibilities. They communicate better and volunteer for work.

“Local graduates are more reserved and are less likely to volunteer for additional responsibilities,” he said.

*excerpted from The Star Online.


This article eased me from being apprehensive on how well my SPM will go.

Will try to go back to sleep, but before that, I would like to wish
 ^ Ng Pei Jean & P'ng Jin Li a very very happy blessed birthday! Best wishes for SPM! =)