It is argued that universities should focus on providing either practical skills or theoretical knowledge. It seems to me that: it is better to universities to find a perfect balance between theory and practice. There is some pros and cons of focusing on practical work: firstly, it increases employability, secondly it helps students become accustomed to the workplace and get a wide range of special skills, however it also leads to less theoretical knowledge providing by universities and less skills required to certain professions.
Theory is considered to be an important part of curriculum, meanwhile students who acquire more practical skills in higher education are tend to have some different opportunities. One of the main benefits is increase of professionalism and employability. It can be explained by the fact that experience plays a vital role in every type of work, so lack of experience might lead to a lot of rookie problems. Also, there are a wide range of skills students will be taught. For instance, wider outlook, ability to analyze difficult problems, and critical thinking. Different tasks, pressure, and deadlines will equip learner with a lot of vocational skills and simply workplace understanding.
On the other hand, some narrowly focused professions require a large range of academic knowledge. The vast majority of scientists and doctos have to know every single rule and symptom, because mistakes can have irreversible consequences. Furthermore, sometimes universities that trying to focus on experiments and professional experience, fail to provide enough information and theory.
In conclusion, higher education than aim to provide numerous practical experience have a lot of advantages and drawbacks, in this reason, their focus should be properly balanced. It confirms and arguing my opinion.