Education, Skills, Which Comes First?

The problems of unemployment and  economic uncertainty in the country have resulted in doubts in some families, whether to go on spending money on the education of their  children or to push them to skill acquisition from the early stages of their lives.
Many claimed that the best thing to do is to look at the financial involvement before settling down for one at the expense the other.
The Tide’s Senior Correspondent, Lilian Peters went to town to feel the pulse of parents and entrepreneurs on what should be the needful, “education or, and  Skill acquisition”.
Guess the outcome:

Mrs Evelyn Ihesiaba
An educationist, Mrs Evelyn Ihesiaba says, “the importance of education cannot be overemphasized and as such has a vital role to play in the life of any individual, child or otherwise. The basic aim of getting educated shouldn’t be centered on getting a white collar job.
“Education is more like a human refinery that tends to polish one’s persona. Such a tool shouldn’t be placed side by side with skill acquisition”.
To Mrs. Ihesiaba, who has 1st degree in Engineering and Masters in education, “It is not advisable to take a child straight to skill acquisition without first introducing him/her to any form of formal education. Skill acquisition could be introduced to a child mid-education phases (terminal breaks).
“Education is a major factor that fosters the  actualisation of one’s destiny. It should be education and skill acquisition. Parents should expose their children to the two, to gender a better tomorrow”.
Ihesiaba who is in the education industry noted that education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession, especially at a school or university.
The educationist said that the issue of determination should not be removed from the learning process which she noted guarantees success in the knowledge industry.

To an entrepreneur that sales second hand women and children clothes in Port Harcourt, fundly called “OK clothes”, Mrs Ify Ejemuta, education is the first and best thing parents should give to their children.
“With education, one will never be a second class citizen among his/her mates because there are places skills cannot take a person to but education will.
“Only educated people recognise and take opportunities. Without education one would be timid and afraid to meet with some classes of people in the society.
“When a person is educated, no matter how long it takes for the person to be fixed, one day the miracle would happen and the person would recover the lost years”, she said.
Ejemuta noted that skills serves as a sustaining factor to the graduate during the period of waiting, adding that without education as the basis life becomes frustrating.
“Skill is good but cannot achieve a desired purpose without education. No parent should send his/her child to learn any skill without first sending the child to school because education brightens a child’s future and destiny.
“Children that have parents that refused to send them to school should plead with their parents to send them back to school or struggle to train themselves with money made from skills, she added.
She retereited that education can commence at any time, which she said is better than never, saying, “there is free education up to Senior secondary level in the state.
“Last year Gov Nyesom Wike paid for common entrance, junior and Senior WAEC examinations. It will be wickedness on the part of any parent to deny the child basic education”.

A shop owner at Rumuolumini, Port Harcourt, Mrs Love Porole said “it is not good to send a child to learn skills without former education because that child will not meet up in the present society”.
Porole who said she has suffered limitations in her business due to lack of education, said denying any child basic education in the present time is wickedness.
“I was denied education by my parents because they were ignorant. I know what I have missed and l decided my children will not suffer what I suffered.
“Today l have two graduates, one under graduate and the last one will also enter to study engineering. I feel happy for the sacrifice and all of them have one skill or the other to join with their education”, she said.
She noted that it is the duty of parents to ensure that their children are educated, adding that skills should be added and acquired alongside with education, especially during holidays.
“Employment or no employment, education remains the answer to the child’s future. Skills can only sustain but education will take them far in fulfilling the purpose for which they were created”.
“Education is the best, how l wish l can turn the hand of the clock, l would have been educated but l am happy that what I lost my children have gained it through our sacrifice as parents”.

By: My Business with Lilian Peters