In the Pursuit of Authenticity….with Botched Certificates?

Botched.

Meaning:
1. To carry out (a task) badly or carelessly.

2. To perform poorly or ruin through clumsiness or ineptitude.

“he was accused of botching the job”

synonyms: bungle, do badly, do clumsily, make a mess of, mismanage, mishandle,mangle, fumble

Authenticity.
Meaning: The quality of being genuine, real or original.

Quite frankly, a lot of certificates making the rounds through our education systems are botched.

It is very worrying that students from secondary school up to graduate school level (Masters) are adorned with apparels called ‘certificates’ with questionable authenticity.

You find students who should be able to undergo basic research at graduate school resorting to ‘backdoor’ antics that only lead to the award of paper certificates with questionable value.

We should be worried about this. This is because it leaves us very little to build upon.

Do we blame the students?

No.

So, they struggle to patch up, make up, dress up, fill up, clean up through many means…some unbelievably hideous! Do not forget quickly that they (students) are possibly coming from an adulterated previous knowledge bank.

If our systems are largely designed to rely on graduate certifications for a person to:
• have a decent, well paying job
• afford the ‘bear necessities’
• become family sufficient
• save for future plans
• afford ‘good’ healthcare
• enjoy little luxuries
….then who’s to blame?

For survival, as humans, they’d better go get that degree albeit gotten by copying, pasting, and impersonating!!!!

Education at certain levels (Masters up) should really be exempted from the above ‘backdoor antics’. Let those who have the doggedness, smarts, preparedness and poise go for it.

Not every Chika!

….and let others be provided opportunities to be very successful through other means of education and/or professionalism found in vocational and technical colleges.
We are seeing the benefits of building skills in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Aviation, Fashion, Software Management, Food, Woodwork, Mechanics, Textile, Tourism etc that do not have to be developed within university walls…and they thrive!

In the pursuit of AUTHENTICITY, let’s build a system that would not allow for BOTCHED CERTIFICATES. Let’s do away with an over dependence on degrees.

We should emancipate. We should. Playing the blame game is sweet, but working a way out is bliss! We must now focus on building new kinds of schools. Non-traditional schools. It is our way out…it truly is. Where we can grow industries from our collective human passions. That would be the day, the time, the period when we arrive.

…but if we’d like our children or students to be better, we must first model authenticity before teaching it.

It is a teachable quality.