The Purpose of the Higher Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Purpose of the Higher Education - Essay Example In most cases, the ideas of students are rarely considered when higher learning institutions are developing the curriculum. Due to the fact that we are living in a dynamic environment that is characterized by changes, it is imperative for students to be involved in the curriculum development since they may have some enterprising ideas that can help to improve the whole education system. This idea is supported by Kelly Sousa (http://whichwaync.com/2012/07/18/a-job-offer-a-skill-set-a-higher-tolerance-what-does-college-provide/, July 18, 2012) who posts to the effect that technical skills are gaining more priority as a result of the fact that the world has significantly industrialized. Various courses that are offered at higher learning institutions are theoretical in terms of their design. Students are taught various theories related to a particular area of study and in most cases, this kind of study is mainly academic in nature. However, after graduating from different tertiary insti tutions, many people rarely apply the theoretical knowledge they are taught at universities. Instead, they often encounter different problems that may require experience in that particular area. This experience is often gained through constant practice. It can be noted that some people are offered training at their work which may be costly to the companies since they will have to retrain the newly employed people. Some studies have shown that knowledge is more important since it is regarded as a stepping stone to a career by different people. Higher education is mainly designed to develop people better so that they can be in a position to find solutions to problems they may encounter in their lives. in workplaces, people are expected to make decisions and they should try to find solutions to problems they come across in their work. This is the reason why students should also put their input in the development of the curriculum. The problem with the current curriculum is that it is s kewed in favor of generating theoretical knowledge rather than developing the skills of the students so that they can be in a better position to deal with various technical problems they may encounter in their work. Therefore, it is recommended that people who are pursuing studies in areas that are technical in nature should be exposed to more practice in the actual field of their specialty so that they gain the much-needed knowledge. These students should be attached to different companies for longer periods as part of their learning since this will help them to gain different skills that are required for them to carry out various tasks. Theory and practice should be balanced in order for the students to gain the knowledge that can be transformed in order for them to deal with different problems they may face in their work. Various people seek education for monetary reasons since they believe that they will get better job opportunities that are characterized by high salaries. The c urriculum offered at tertiary institutions is designed in such a way that it helps people with higher qualifications to get high positions in different organizations. For instance, managers, as well as other people with influential positions, are highly qualified and they are paid lucrative salaries as a result of the high qualifications they have.