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Forty years ago, your education level opened the doors, determined your starting pay when you entered the job market. After that, it was up to you, up to your abilities to determine how fast you rose, how much you earned. If you were good at what you did, it did not matter whether you had a degree. Not having one did not hold you back.
Then, the govt made a big deal out of scholarship and scholars. After that, it did not matter whether you could do the job, whether you could really think at a higher level. It all depended on how many A’s you had. Only that allowed you to rise. It did not matter if you could not perform, your failures were covered up and you were still pushed up – if you had the A’s.
Look at the number of ministers in the Cabinet who are there for their A’s rather than their abilities as leaders. Indeed, they hardly have the personality and qualities a leader needs.
It does not help that you get no respect if you are not a scholar. There is so much elitism drenching this society. So much looking down on so-called lower-class jobs. So little appreciation that all play a part in this jigsaw puzzle.
How is the govt going to change ITS mindset on all this? By preaching that degrees are a hindrance today? Will those who can actually perform be promoted? Be allowed to rise to the highest levels? Will glass ceilings for non-degree holders be removed? No one will pull rank and say, I’m a scholar. I know better than you who has so much experience in this area, and you don’t even have a degree?
This govt’s inability to and awkwardness with change makes any change in its elitist thinking and worship of scholars highly unlikely. Like too many claims and pronouncements, it will remain just words.
