By Dickson Tumuramye
The process of inviting study applications to most universities is ongoing, and I know our children are applying or are yet to apply to different universities so as to get to where they can be admitted as the new academic year starts soon.
However, the biggest challenge we still have in the Ugandan education system is that our children aim at getting a qualification or a paper after graduation rather than doing what they would have loved to do in the future.
It is evident that most learners apply to different places for courses that may not necessarily be in line with their dream careers. Such a thing didn’t just start today but has been a common trend for many.
Choosing the right career can be more difficult than you may think. However, if your child has a defined career direction, it helps them plan and prepare accordingly, and both of you can support each other to harness your child’s dream.
During my school days, I had many dreams, but they kept changing as I progressed in my studies. In primary school, I wanted to become a doctor, an engineer, or a pilot. When I joined secondary school, it changed into becoming a lawyer or a teacher. Somehow, my biggest challenges were a lack of career guidance and a mentor, coupled with financial challenges.
During my school time, the only dream university every learner knew most about was Makerere University, unlike today, where we have many of them regionally, with even many new courses. There was limited access to newspapers and information, different from the way it is now, with radio and television stations and a lot of media.
There is also an increased number of university graduates in our localities, and our children have a bigger advantage in choosing a career easily, especially at A-Level.
Therefore, parents need to guide their children on time so that they are able to select a course or program they will undertake at the university in line with their dream career.
Parents or guardians don’t have to wait until it’s time to fill out the application or admission forms to start thinking through with their child which course they can take.
I know that the child’s marks and points also determine a lot about the career direction, but knowing what your child is interested in as he or she progresses with their studies from primary to high school enables you to plan and guide them accordingly.
It also gives you the opportunity to motivate your child, look for people who can offer timely career guidance, buy relevant textbooks, invest in coaching lessons, think about the universities your child can go to, reflect on your future financial security if the course will require a lot of money, and provide all necessary support that will empower your child to live their childhood dream.
The presence of a parent in their children’s education and career should not stop at paying school fees, buying scholastic materials, and going for visiting days and meetings; it should also include walking together throughout that journey.
If this is well done, it will make a big difference in your child’s life. Your child should not take any courses for the sake of getting a degree. They should do something that at least suits what they aspire to do with their lives as adults.
It should be something that makes them proud of the choice they made decades ago, rather than living in regret and self-denial in the future.
Sometimes, your child’s choices may change as time goes on due to more understanding and exposure, but there are some who pick up their interest early in certain programs and stick with them to the end.
Most importantly, don’t impose so much on what you want the child to become, because that may not be in line with what they desire.
What worked well for you may not serve their interests. Let your responsibility be to find out about the career your child wants for himself and try to explain the pros and cons of such a choice.
If you don’t understand what a child intends to do, read and do research about it before you make a final decision on behalf of your child.
We have heard of children who did what their parents wanted against their own choice, and on graduation day, they appreciate their parents for all the sacrifice but end their speech with a fundamental statement: “You sent me to do this program for you; your degree is here; now let me go back and pursue my dream course.
