Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.


Education is the tool which unlocks human intellect. Education is supposed to be a tool which facilitates a human to hone their skills to become more able to add to the society. Education Institutions are the temples which ensure that the process of education reaches the masses and build a more productive and advanced society. Students of such institutions have an eclectic courses to choose from according to their skills and interests. Educational Institutions have a major role to play in the lives of an individual but I feel they do not have the right to dissuade students from pursuing fields they are likely not to succeed.
Success is a vague term. Its perception depends on the individual’s priorities in life. For some, success maybe to be affluent while for others, it might be to gain knowledge and be affluent in their abilities irrespective of the money involved. Institutions dissuading students from taking up fields based on their perception of success is absolutely wrong as it is not only detrimental to the student but also to the society. An individual may aim only to add to the society through his or her abilities and not be concerned with the money that comes along with it. If such individuals are restrained from taking up their respective fields based on the salary they can draw later then it will be a major loss for the society as a whole and miss out on maybe some revolutionary changes the person could have brought. For instance, Nikola Tesla, now known as one of the most renowned scientists of all times was not concerned with the profits his innovations give rise to. His main concern was to make the electrical systems better and that’s all he did and made remarkable discoveries. If he was concerned with the revenue generated from his innovations then it would have been a distraction leading to lesser inventions and patents.
The main purpose of educational institutions is to provide the students with all the possibilities so that they have a fair idea of all and can choose a branch of study which suits them the best. If not given a fair chance, some students might never succeed in life. A student adept in Mathematics if told to take up English Literature against his or her interests will finally harm the career of the student. Teachers should also treat students with patience as the ones who seem incorrigible today maybe the brightest minds of tomorrow. The great Albert Einstein proves this point better than anyone. He was a dropout from school as the system was too absurd for him as he had to study subjects which did not interest him and he found no real life relevance in. Thus forcing a student to take a field of study against his or her interests will not be beneficial.
There are also phases in the lives of students when they are nonchalant and do not seem to care about anything in the world. They are sometimes so not serious regarding their work that they might even fail a class or leave their field of genuine interest. If educational institutions judge the student during this phase of life and dissuade them from say, the field of study they would want to pursue then it will only lead to doom. Similarly, domestic and social problems may also disturb the mind of a student and deviate them from their work and often suck out their power of self-control. For instance, the loss of a parent may leave a student unnerved and he or she will not be able to concentrate on Mathematics which might be their field of interest.
Although often some students might be naïve enough to think that they are carved out for a particular field of study but are unable to grasp the basic concepts even. These students need to counselled and exposed to the various choices of subjects they can otherwise choose from.
Educational Institutions might be the pillars of our society by they should not adjudicate if a student should pursue a particular field of study. They should provide for all the needs and knowledge that a student might need in order to ensure a bright future for the society as a whole.