Whether university education systems should focus on practical skills to encourage young people to enter the job market or advanced education to cultivate intellectual thinkers has long been a subject of debate. In my opinion, the first option would be far more beneficial.
To begin with, no matter how modern our lives become, our society still needs people who do manual labor – jobs that rely solely on an individual’s physical effort – to function. It is very common to see younger generations wanting a comfortable desk job, relying only on their cognitive abilities and nothing more. What causes this situation is a complex issue, but to summarize, it often stems from the older generation’s advice. To solve this misconception, prioritizing skill-based education is a perfect fit.
In addition, it is an undeniable fact that high-level theoretical education is much harder for most people, as it demands both high analytical aptitude and relentless years of studying. For example, sitting at a desk and struggling for hours to grasp abstract concepts creates pure stress until one fully understands them. Unlike skill-based training, this path relies heavily on an individual’s innate analytical capacity, which is difficult to develop later in life. It would be unrealistic to assume that everyone possesses these specific traits or the drive to follow such a demanding path.
To conclude, I believe only a limited percentage of people need to pursue advanced theoretical education. Imposing it on every university student is unnecessary for society to function and represents a waste of resources.