News Analysis |
It’s the time of the year when students from colleges and universities are either attending summer sessions to improve their grades or are looking for internships in order to gain experience in their respective fields. Unfortunately, in a country where work opportunities are scarce, it makes it incredibly difficult, for a majority of these students to get the required work experience for a bright possible future.
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Living in an age where most employers require work experience and those who promise to provide that also require work experience, the modern Pakistani student ends up running around in circles unable to find a break in the loop which would allow him or her to progress further.
The problem with these “recommendations” is that they are for the friends and families of those in a position worth recognition, which is also gained by the “quota system”, thus creating a sort of monopoly in Pakistan’s educated workforce.
Institutions often just do this because the Pakistani system does not involve merit but follows a rigid and discriminating quota system in which those with “recommendations” seem more eligible than those who have a higher I.Q level. The problem with these “recommendations” is that they are for the friends and families of those in a position worth recognition, which is also gained by the “quota system”, thus creating a sort of monopoly in Pakistan’s educated workforce.
Read more: Pakistan’s quota system: who really benefits from this discrimination?
Drawbacks of quota system
Another issue of the quota system is when it comes to jobs and internships is the fact that many of them will try to get their hands on the few who make it to Pakistans elite institutions thus forcing all the other students to play as either “trees” in the play titled internships, hence just getting ignored by the audience or don’t get selected at all. This though does make sense since these institutions consist of the brightest minds the country has to offer but neglect a majority which consists of pure and hidden raw talent.
Many of the elites which ran the show, called the “Pakistani boss”, can not stand for someone to prove them or even their expectations wrong and hence the young neglected interns are expected to follow the low expectations of the commanding officer thus not allowing for any chance of stepping up, taking a lead or even thinking critically.
Now entering into the new office, the few who do make it by somehow squeezing through the mouse hole and who we can label as the underdogs, are never given the opportunity to prove their worth. Many of the elites which ran the show, called the “Pakistani boss”, can not stand for someone to prove them or even their expectations wrong and hence the young neglected interns are expected to follow the low expectations of the commanding officer thus not allowing for any chance of stepping up, taking a lead or even thinking critically. These interns end up becoming slaves who are not allowed any creativity as creativity results in the termination.
Read more: To improve education in Pakistan we need 2-Way communication
The best part about all this is that most of these internships do not offer any pay or reward and since there is absolutely no learning, the only thing that they end up providing is a letter which states that “the above-mentioned person has served his or her time”. in simple words the only thing you leave within most Pakistani internships is; low morale, broken self-esteem and a piece of paper.
Since these jobs are about making calls to foreign lands providing alien services to and audience that is mostly racist and forcing you to be someone else entirely with a different identity and verbal appearance, subjects the interns to face people who, rather bluntly put, crush the very essence of a happy work day for these younglings.
Many of these internships are offered in call centers which are mostly for outsourced companies thus making these young premature minds, work during unhealthy and uncomfortable hours allowing for a slow decay of the youths mental and physical health. Since these jobs are about making calls to foreign lands providing alien services to and audience that is mostly racist and forcing you to be someone else entirely with a different identity and verbal appearance, subjects the interns to face people who, rather bluntly put, crush the very essence of a happy work day for these younglings.
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At the end of the day, the attitude of those organizations which are destroying the youth and hence destroying the future must be addressed so that those promising a bright future for the state end up fulfilling their promise before giving up on even trying.