5 Things to Consider in Choosing and Deciding on What Career Path to Take for Graduating High School Students

 By:  Gilbert M. Forbes
DepEd Quezon, CALABARZON

Reality speaks that only one in every college graduates actually land a job related to their course and discipline.  Majority don't and the most unlucky just join the bandwagon of the unemployed or 'tambays.'

There are actually lots of available jobs in the industry today which has remained unfilled due to existing mismatch with what the industry actually needs and our schools are producing.

Contrary to popular belief, there is MUCH money in Agriculture.

In this regard, I recalled what has transfired a couple of days ago while travelling on my way to work. I heard sitmates discussing on what course they intend their siblings to take after graduation.  One said that "I like her just take education, however, she doesnt like it that's why, may be just Hotel and Restaurant Management (gusto ko magteacher na lang sya, kaso ayaw, kaya Hotel and Restaurant Management na lang siguro). 

This could be prevented if we could learn to consider the following:

1.  The labor market trends and industry needs.  What is needed by the labor market today and two to five years from now?  The classified ads will give you a clue of what possibly is the best career will land you a job after graduation.  Dont just go with the craze or peer influence.  Remember, its about yourself and your future.

2.  Competence and passion.  Consider your competence, skills, abilities and what you like and love to do.  Your passion and interest and the areas you excel the most. The result of your NCAE (National Career Assessment Examination) will guide you what career suits you. It does mean that what you wanted may simply be unfit on what you can do and is passionate of doing. Much more what you think is the in-thing at present is absolutely not what the industry and the employers need and wanted two to five years from now. 

3.  Resources.  Apart from competence and skills is the availability of resources.  Does your family can afford the course you want to take?  If not, look for scholarships available.  There are lots of available scholarships that the government and the private sectors offer to deserving students. 

4.  Choose the right institution.  For those who will opt to enroll in college, choose credible institutions with record of quality academic standards and high board passing rates.  Don't be fooled by schools that produce Board topnotchers but have a low passing rate.  For those who opt to take courses with a much higher employability, consider TESDA or the Technical and Skills Development Authority.

5.  Consider and balance all your options. After considering your resources, you have to consider your options.  May be you could consider technical and agricultural courses.  The government agency TESDA offers lots of technical courses whose employability is very high.  Not only that you will only be trained for a short time.  There are also private and non-government run technical institutions where their students already earn while are studying!

It is a cutlural belief that being professional is the best route to success.  On the contrary it's not for there are varying route to success.  The professional world doesnt simply have the monopoly of it.  Success depends on the person. 

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Basic Guide in Choosing the Right Career for High School Graduating Students

The Dismal State of Graduate Education 

The Dismal State of Graduate Education

By:  Gilbert M. Forbes

If basic and tertiary education are describe to be sub-standard, nothing will seem to surpass Graduate Education in the country as observers in the early and late nineties until now constantly describe and affirm.

Photo courtesy of fewsimplethoughts.com

Seven years ago data on graduate enrollment reveals that 43.8% of the total enrollment was in teacher education.  The doctoral level is far higher having a share of 62.6% (Garcia 1996). Thus, it is predicted to increase further encouraging the proliferation of ‘diploma mill’ type of institutions and unqualified graduates.

From this vantage, it appears that their ability to respond to new challenges is questionable hence, “it is preposterous to think of a bureaucracy manned by full-fledged MA’s and Ph.D’s who know little about their disciplines”(Angel Alcala 1996).

Given the fact that the kind of school management being employed by our school leaders is still far fetched from what it is desired is a reflection and is in direct relation with the fact that many of this masters and doctors know little of their disciplines

In recognition for this claim, weight other than that of graduate education is given on merit and performance in the current DepEd setup although, being a full fledged MA and better Doctor, still puts somebody ahead than those who don’t regardless of how and where their degrees were taken.

Adding insult to injury is the still popular belief and thinking that majority have when it comes to graduate education not only in the area of educational administration and educational management but also in other disciplines.  “The requirement of graduate units as a prerequisite for promotion and advancement was abused and misinterpreted.  For instance, instead of aiming to become researchers and creators of knowledge, many graduate students aim for graduate units or a CAR (Complete Academic Requirements) to comply with academic requirements,”(Angel C. Alcala, EDCOM Chairman 1996).

Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino in his article entitled The Woeful State of Graduate Education, said that research that typifies graduate work in other countries will hardly be found in many of our graduate institutions. Theses and dissertations are often perfunctory and dull: ?Reading Problems of Grade 6 Pupils of Barangay Maraburab?, ?Job Satisfaction of the Pumping Station at Iriga? and other inconsequential products of half an attempt at diligence are willingly accepted ?in partial fulfillment of requirements? for high-sounding degrees.

Taken altogether, “these studies are as localized as they are unrelated to each other. This must be partly due to the fact that these studies were done independently and are therefore, desperate and unrelated to one another (Ochave, 1996).

Sad to say, but there are even some state colleges and universities in the provinces which are contributing to this malady, to think that there are many instances that they require their students to finish their thesis in just a semester.  To make sure that their students will finish in that short while, thesis advisers use to require their students to report to them even during week days.

There are, to be sure, graduate programs in the Philippines that compare favorably with those offered by creditable foreign institutions abroad, but with a graduate school or more in almost every province and cities of our country now, those that contribute to Philippine education reliable masters and credible doctors are indeed few.

It is limited to CHED’s center of excellence.  However, only few, dare to enroll in this institutions for even with those who have money, will just prefer institutions that will insure that they will graduate and this will be credited when they apply for promotion.

In a keynote speech delivered by then Secretary of Education Isidro Cariño in a PAGE national conference in 1991, he noted the persistent rumors (until now) about the “ghost writing” of thesis and dissertations and “trading” of finished manuscripts.  He also noted the proliferation of masters and doctoral program of dubious quality.  As long as one has the money, it is said that thesis isn’t a problem.

Dr. Josefina Cortez once said in 1994 that graduate education suffers from “diploma disease” virus.   The situation becomes even more serious if we consider that most of the products of these graduate programs end up as school leaders managing, leading, directing, and supervising our schools. Or at the outset, teaching and handling administrative positions in our colleges and universities.

Currently, DepEd has just released a new memorandum with regards to school principals who want reclassification which require them to be full-fledged MA’s plus additional units in Doctoral as they climb up the ladder.

Just recently, the Civil Service Commission has released an issuance putting MA degrees as a requirement for all Level II position appointments, thus increasing more the demand for MA and Doctoral degrees from both quality and mediocre graduate colleges in the land.

Indeed, it would be bread and butter, or a milking cow for scrupulous graduate institutions and of thesis advisers who themselves have a difficult grasp of their disciplines hence they themselves are products of mediocrity.

If our graduate institutions doesn’t merely meet standards of this globalized world, how could we expect Basic Education manned by products of these graduate institutions?  The Civil Service Commission should think about this while CHED should strengthen the regulation, accreditation and policies governing the operations of Graduate Schools in the country.

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(Mr. Gilbert M. Forbes had his Bachelors Degree and MA in Educational Management (CAR) from the Philippine Normal University.  A campus paper adviser and trainer for 13 years.  Currently, he is a school principal in one of the central schools in the Division of Quezon.) 

References:

Alcala Angel C., Excellence of Graduate Education Research, Sangguni, Vol. IX No. 1, Philippine Normal University Press, October 1997

Garcia Ester A., General Directions for Graduate Education:  The CHED Viewpoint; Sangguni, Vol. IX No. 1, October 1997

Ochave Jesus A., Towards the Development of a General Framework for Research in Teacher Education in the Philippines, Sangguni, Vol. IX No. 1, Philippine Normal University Press, October 1997

Callangan Aquino, Ranhilio C., The Woeful State of Graduate Education, Manila Standard, September 8, 2008

Garcia Ester A., General Directions for Graduate Education:  The CHED Viewpoint; Sangguni, Vol. IX No. 1, October 1997

Ochave Jesus A., Towards the Development of a General Framework for Research in Teacher Education in the Philippines, Sangguni, Vol. IX No. 1, Philippine Normal University Press, October 1997