Expectation syndrome is dangerous

 STUDENTS at the University of Natural Resources and Environment in East New Britain got a rude awakening from Vice Chancellor Prof Philip Siaguru on Monday to kick-start their orientation and registration week.

“The young generation has been brain-washed from the time they are born to now when you have entered the university that to be successful and wealthy you have to get a good education and a good job.

“What a whole lot of nonsense! 

“Your parents have misled you because they are greedy and they are using you as an interest-bearing deposit in the bank for their own selfishness when they hit old age.”

Siaguru’s no-nonsense re­marks must have hit the students like a ton of bricks.

Hopefully, his words will stick in the back of their heads throughout their university years and for the rest of their lives.

We support the vice-chancellor’s statement that the “expectation” syndrome is crippling Papua New Guinea.

These days, many parents expect their children to be successful by graduating from university or other tertiary institutions and getting good jobs that will sustain them and their extended families.

Most parents in this country view their children’s education as a long-term investment just like the interest-bearing deposit (IBD) referred to by Siaguru.

The vice-chancellor wants his students to stand up for themselves by ditching their parents’ expectations and discarding the IBD tag.

“Your choice for coming here is noble and your profession is golden. 

“It is prime time and important that you use your training time more wisely and when you leave here, give yourself some experience time and after two or three years of employment, take the risk and start your own business.

“This nation state will not fly the flag at half-mast for you when you fall in the natural resource fields or at old age.

“Some of us have reached that stage and we look back with regrets because the opportunities for us to be self-employed and in the process create employment were presented to us but we chose the comforts of employment and good jobs because that was what our parents brain-washed us with. 

“We will remain forever their IBDs in the bank.”

The vice chancellor challenged his students to become entrepreneurs in agriculture and fisheries.

“Go out of this institution after you have received training in either agriculture or fisheries and venture into creating your own business and create employment. That will be security for yourself, your children and for this nation.”

Siaguru’s remarks were meant for UNRE students but it would be wise of students in other universities around the country to take heed of his words of advice and encouragement.

While we agree with him that students must “rise and fall” for themselves, they should be mindful of the sacrifices made by their parents and guardians in their education.

Much of that burden is now being borne by the O’Neill Government through its free education policy and the tuition fee free initiative.

Nonetheless, parents still need to pay for school uniforms, lunches, transport and other accessories.

It is still a long and winding road to get a child properly educated in this country.

Many children have become success stories but they are only a minority. 

The majority of children continue to be pushed out of school early by the current external examination system.

Indeed, it will be a relief for parents when the grades 8 and 10 external examinations are finally done away with and for all students to continue to grade 12.

Last year’s school dropouts have joined thousands from the previous years who are not able to find employment because of their low levels of education.

Unfortunately, these children will continue to depend on their parents for a long time, even after they reach adulthood.

In fact, there is an increasing number of PNG children who continue to be dependent on their parents long after they have left school. 

They still live with their parents and even raise their own children in the very homes they grew up in.