South China Normal University, a prestigious temple of education, where my son spent four years as an undergraduate, and two years in a row for a master's degree. The major is Chinese literature, a field full of traditional charm and cultural heritage. I thought that his academic qualifications and major would be a stepping stone to a good career, but the reality was cruel beyond my imagination.
After graduating, he devoted himself to the long road of job search, but for three years, he never succeeded. He has searched for private schools, tried public schools, and has taken many exams for civil servants and public institutions, but he has not been able to do so. His monthly salary is not high, only 5,000 yuan, but even such conditions have become so difficult. I began to wonder what was it that made it so difficult for him to integrate into the workplace, and what was the sadness of education?
Perhaps, the problem lies in education itself. Nowadays, education seems to focus more on the inculcation of knowledge than on the cultivation of practical application ability. Our students are crammed with all kinds of theoretical knowledge in college, but they rarely have the opportunity to put it into practice. This is especially true for majors in Chinese literature. Although it is full of cultural heritage, in today's society, there is less and less demand for it. It is also difficult for schools to adjust their curricula in time to adapt to changes in society.
On the other hand, the needs of the workplace are constantly changing. Traditional job requirements are gradually being replaced by new industries, and traditional majors such as Chinese literature are inadequate in the workplace. Private schools may be more willing to recruit graduates who are more in line with their needs, while public schools are more constrained by policies and resources and cannot easily recruit new students.
More importantly, the fierce competition has also exacerbated the sadness of education. The competition for public schools is as difficult as you can imagine, with many outstanding fresh graduates pouring in, and the number of places is limited. The situation in private schools is also not promising, although there are relatively many jobs, but there is an endless stream of job seekers. In such fierce competition, it is difficult for even the best graduates to stand out.
The sorrow of education is not only the sorrow of the individual, but also the sorrow of the whole society. Our education system needs to be reformed to focus more on the development of students' practical abilities rather than just the imparting of textbook knowledge. At the same time, the workplace also needs to be more open-minded and give more opportunities and space to people with different professional backgrounds. Only in this way can our education better serve society and benefit more people.
I hope that this difficult situation for my son will be an opportunity for us to think about education. Let's work together to pave a broader path for the future of education, so that every student can find their own bright future.