Technical Education & its importance

Technical education & its importance

Basic Points:

I. Education and Types & Technical Education (Para. 1,2)  

II. Its Scope & Need (Para.3,4)  

III. Country’s Development and Economy (Para 5,6 ) 

IV. Unemployment & in Pakistan  (Para 7,8) 

V. Suggestions & Conclusion (Para 9,10)

Education is the process of acquiring knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment and generally of preparing oneself for professional life. It makes a person complete, accurate and worldly wise (experienced). Through education nations are able to face challenges with comfort and ease. Education sector is divided into three major categories. General or liberal education that refers to learn for learning’s sake like philosophy and history, religious or spiritual education that molds our character and makes us virtuous and pious and vocational or technical education that enables us to learn that how to earn a living. By Technical Education we mean education dealing with some practical or mechanical art.

“There are obviously two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.”
(James Truslow Adams)

  As a field of study, technical education covers the human ability to shape and change the physical world to meet needs, by manipulating materials and tools with techniques. It is related to the practical application of general principles and methods of scientific studies to the teaching of some trade, profession or handicraft.  It refers to learning and teaching about the usage of machinery. The purpose of technical education is to create an interest for constructive and creative work and to create expertise and skills among the students.

“It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.”
(Wilbur Wright)

    Technical education has a wide scope. It makes one expert in the field of “technical know-how”. It

makes learners well-skilled in the special fields such as agriculture, carpentry, engineering, medical, driving, piloting, etc. technical education concerns with technology. The people who have special technical skill and knowledge are called technicians. Carpenter, drivers, mechanics, engineers, doctor, pilots and so on are technicians.

“An education, other than purely professional or technical, can even seem to be an impediment.”                                            (Allan Bloom)

    Modern age is the age of technology and machine. The technology has made our life smooth and easy. The machine has entered into soul of our social life and no aspect of society is complete without it. Even the smallest thing of our daily use is manufactured by several mechanical processes. Hence there is a need for technicians and skilled workers. A technician who works on a machine should be fully trained and should possess a thorough knowledge of that machine. Therefore, importance of technical education is increasing day by day. In fact, the industrial revolution is based on technical innovations. That’s why the Quaid-e-Azam said:

“I must emphasis that greater attention should be paid to technical and vocational education.”
- November 27, 1947

    Technical education plays the vital role for the development of a country. Technicians are needed in every field of construction. To make factories, roads, bridges, canals, buildings, airports etc. needs technicians. If a country owns sufficient technical hands, it undoubtedly accelerates the pace of development. Technicians are also needed in order to produce electricity, to work in mines, to grow enough crops and vegetables.  It is also important for automated agriculture and industry, without which a country is not able to stand in the list of developed countries.

“CTE (Career and technical education) is an investment in the future of our economy, our work force and our country”
(James Langevin)

    

 It unquestionably promotes economic status of the nation. If a country has more production of goods, it can feed its people easily. GDP can be increased by exporting of extra production. If a country does not own required technicians, it has to hire them from other countries. They have to be paid more money as their salary. It results in the deterioration of country’s economy. It is important for a nation’s progress.

            “Men are only as good as their technical development allows them to be.”                                                                                 (George Orwell)

     Technical education is very important to solve the problem of unemployment. A technician can never be unemployed. He has opportunities in many fields. He does not need to request others to give him a job. Technical know-how makes him independent. He can start his own business and can provide job opportunities to other educated people. Thus, technical education helps us to alleviate (lessen) the gravity (severity) of the problem of unemployment.

“I had to gain experience as I did not have technical education.”                                                                                                   (Mikhail Kalashnikov) 

Russian Miltary Engineer who developed AK-47, Assault Rifle and other weapons.

     In Pakistan, efforts have been made to spread technical education. Government organizations like National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (PITAC) and Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) are doing their part of job. Yet, our country is facing acute problem of unemployment and lack of technicians. It is because our education system values grades is exams more than practical knowledge and learning.

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think”
(Albert Einstein)

     It is the need of the hour to promote this sector of education. The Almighty has blessed our country with large natural resources. We need technical minds to quest them. Most of the brilliant brains are wasted in cramming the books to pass in exams. Therefore, the government should make educational reforms and make technical education a part of educational system so that when the students enter in their professional life they can work better for themselves and the nation as well.

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”                                                               (Vince Lombardi)

   

To put in a nutshell, technical education is a necessary for the well-being of the person. The well-being of persons leads to the progress of the nation. This progress makes the country developed. It is important because it imparts dexterity (skill), skill, quickness, attention to detail, habit of neatness and order. People begin to have faith in the dignity of labour. It opens up a large number of opportunities to work. So, it is necessary that good and quality technical education should be offered to the people to make them eligible to live a good life. Last but not the least; the government should take radical steps to promote technical training institutes.