Africa's issue: valuing degrees over real skills

A major problem holding back Africa's growth is this mindset implanted by European colonizers about education. They were taught to just read and write what was handed to them by the Europeans, without any real skills or knowledge. Fast forward to today, and the world has moved past just getting degrees; it's all about skills and knowledge now. The global economy is changing rapidly, and Africa doesn't have the workforce to keep up. Many Africans go through university but end up learning stuff they should’ve picked up in primary and secondary school.

It is not in Africa alone, I think the same situation is happening in our country as well where unemployment and underemployment are high, because the curriculum in schools is not yet updated with the recent demands worldwide. We are taught to study so we can find a good job after we graduate, but after experiencing all that myself, I feel there is still something lacking, and I would say 50% of my knowledge was learned outside school. By being active online, especially in the forum, it made me smarter, and now I do not work anymore, I started my own business and created jobs for people, I just got out of the rat race.

Bringing education to Africa by the European isn't bad it would have even be more difficult if we can't read or write you wouldn't also have been in this forum if you can't read or write, in the days of my grandfather those who has the opportunity to be educated were the ones occupying most important offices in the society but now things has actually changed only degree doesn't save again people with skills are even getting it clear now but leaning the skill was also possible because of the little knowledge they have aquire in the primary and secondary education most people with degree now also have skill because of how hard it is now to get a job through the degree they have aquired in the university.

School supposed to be about practicals used in supporting theories, but Africa is mostly about theories. If this one is left beside, also Africa lack knowledge of innovations which are very important. It is very surprising that Africa has nothing good that they are developing that we know of. They are just lagging behind all the time. Your governments also do not seat down, to think about this and know a way forward which makes Africa not yet be in 2026. It is like Africa is 10 years behind.

I remember we had topic here, when in UK it was said that there is a demand in doctors and nurses, people went to study that profession, and after years, when they graduate, they find out there is no real need in doctors and they cant find jobs. People wasted years. Same situation I think is in Africa and everywhere else, where people dont follow job market, dont monitor job situation and not able to do planning or foreseen situation on job market. Problem is that people study to get paper than to get knowledge that will be demanded.

It is not a one continent problem. It is a global problem that exist in most developing countries. However, education is vital. The most successful people in the world went through series of education, without the education I'm sure they won't be were they are today.

Then the problem is probably your curriculum, your education standard, policies, tradition, and whatnot. In the first place, how could somebody be able to graduate from the university without having acquired skills and knowledge? I'm sure this isn't as simple as it may seem. Neither is this a problem about the past colonization, at least not mainly it. If it were, then perhaps you've been in slumber for too long. But I can relate. From where I am, most university graduates are merely taught a little of everything. They end up masters of none.

The problem is not about education the problem is how the government of different African countries see education, in Nigeria, where I’m coming from our government see education, as how to read and write, which is why we are finding it difficult to create jobs, if only they can understand that education is not only about reading and writing education is about expanding your thinking and making people productive, if African countries change the perspective on how they see education believe me things will change for good. The European countries value education, and they are still doing very well for themselves and the reason is because they see education as something that will change your perspective of reasoning and make you productive in different areas of life.

If you think higher education is just about learning to read and write, then I have a feeling you didn't get anywhere close to going to university. In order to have a basic society you need these things, yet it is not the only thing you need to prosper. Proper emergency services, low crime rates, trust between strangers, institutions like a central bank, a judiciary that can make independent legal decisions without interference and many other things that take centuries of working together. Africa has been conquered and divided so many times, outside forces continue to separate through tribalism and there is such overpopulation with low resources, that it's hard to really break ahead.

Bullshit! Quit whinging and moaning about schools, and religion if you're not going to criticise the system which has never benefited Africans but rather, plants colonial puppets who leave you in ruins. It is the system, you have to look at it and call it what it means. I repeat, the system was never created to see Africans benefit from it, so why use it?

I'll differ a bit. Every country in the world actually values degrees, the difference is the climate. Acquiring a degree is like going through a process, and getting a certification for it. It isn't a waste of time, rather it's an optional proces I mentioned climate because, in the African setting most playable opportunities require certification, as opposed to a more diversified European setting where opportunities can come from diverse industries like entertainment, logistics and construction where an individual can explore without necessarily going through the process of obtaining a college degree. Even in such situations those with a college degree still enjoy some advantages. Furthermore college degrees mostly focus on the theoretical parts of professions while acquiring skills are more practical. Are we eating the theoretical aspect is a waste? In conclusion, there's a thin line, we should not underemphasized the importance placed on college degrees, individuals should also be encouraged to learn skills alongside getting a degree, and African economy can also look out for more!

School and degrees are not a waste of time. If you think otherwise wait till you meet the illiterates. Secondly school doesn't guarantee anyone that they will start having a good life right after. Learning one skill or another is your choice. It's just like my brother said, he isn't raising a doctor if he doesn't have money for a hospital, I know the situation of Nigeria, it's a place where the leaders have no dreams of raising future leaders.

Africa has been forced into this situation. Even now, they can't find a way out, they can't come together. They think diplomacy will solve things. However, if they valued their own education and their people, they would have become much more prosperous countries long ago. Perhaps we will see this in the coming centuries I hope we will. May not only Africa, but the whole world live in justice and prosperity. I don't know if those were a bit too naive, but perhaps we will experience such a matrix.

One merits to you OP for this your post because, you summarize everything about the educational system in most African countries even though it's not all African countries that practice this type of education system. Most African schools only teach and draw the parts of insects and Animals on the black board for their students to memorize so that, they can use it and pass exam when asked as a question. I am one of those who strongly believe that, one of the reasons why African countries still largely dependent on the first world countries for virtually everything that they wants is because of the lack of vocational education. African government should prioritize giving their citizens skill based education system that will impact their students skills just like China is doing to their citizens.

I guess the system gave them no choice, eh? Almost every part of the world is colonized by the United Kingdom, and they made the laws that is suitable for them and still most of the countries are following the same after they got independence. I am sure there are many smart ones out there but they don't have the necessary infrastructure to upgrade to the Western world. I even saw many videos that teachers had to write/draw the Microsoft office page over the board in classrom instead of teach them with a computer.

This is not really an only African issue. I am not saying Africa doesn't have this issue, I am not African so I do not know. But I know my own country and people do not look to get some skills and knowledge and experience, they just want to get a degree and assume that is enough to be hired. In my country, kids at 22 or 23 years old, graduate from college with literally nothing but their degree to show for. I am sorry, that SHOULD be enough to get hired, back in the day it was. But today, if you want the same, you need to show something else, a portfolio, a way to prove that you are different than everyone else who got the same degree as you.

If i should get you correctly are you trying to tell me that anyone who is going to school or after graduation can't acquire skills? No, everyone is permissible to  go acquire skills that would help and position them in a better way than this. This is also one thing I love about most people especially the Igbo they don't usually go to school instead they go for apprenticeship and after specific period of years they would be equally settled and also open another branch of it for them to be handling on their owe as someone who has gone to learn a trading.

I think you are very correct, acquiring education is good, but I don't think it's enough for survival in today's economy.  The west has told Africans that education is the most important thing, which I don't think they are wrong, but Africans has refused to upgrade themselves and realize that they also need to acquire skill to place them in a better position in the society.  I think the major problem with Africans is that they are not trying to upgrade there educational systems to fit the present society and that's why it feels that we are backward compared to the western countries.

It is very wrong identifying  or spotting such error in Africa because that is never a problem in Africa, in Africa today the main problem behind poor productivity is nothing other than corruption. It is only in Africa that opportunities are offered to job seekers based on favour and not by merit and that is the only reason why at times it looks as if certification is considered over skills. The idea of not giving opportunities based on merit is only dominating because corruption has eaten up all the sectors and never give room for equality but only promotes choice over reality and can only be corrected once we work towards eradicating corruption.

When employers come to the knowledge that certificates or paper degrees can be illegally obtained or obtained even though unqualified for it, they will start prioritizing skills over paper degree as some companies already do. It is difficult for an individual to cheat his way through and get a skilled job because skill is required for performance and if you are unskilled for a particular job role, performance is hard to achieve. Companies that employ people based on the skill they possess over the paper degree that they have will always do better than companies that focus on employing people based on paper degrees alone.