Africa,s problem is trusting paper degree over skills and knowledge

[Rgram]

One of the disease eating up Africa's development was the brainwashed the European slave masters gave to them about school. They were taught how to read and write what the Europeans wrote,no skills attached,no knowledge just know how to read and write.

I suppose you’ve not submitted applications to places where they would not want to employ you because you’ve got a certificate. There are forms that prefer you without a certificate because, they don’t want to see you as someone that is too exposed and wouldn’t like to pay you your worth.

Mind you, those with Certs are t entirely useless you know, they just have limited time for practicals, mainly reserved for their 3rd or 4th year.

I think the issue has being favoritism, where people are employed without any qualifications but because they know someone that claims to own slots and wouldn’t be cool to disappoint.

[GiftedMAN]

One of the disease eating up Africa's development was the brainwashed the European slave masters gave to them about school. They were taught how to read and write what the Europeans wrote,no skills attached,no knowledge just know how to read and write. Today, the world has gone beyond you just acquiring degrees to you acquiring skills and knowledge. The world economy is been revolutionized and Africa lacks the man power to do that . Africans just attend universities to learn  more than what they learnt in primary and secondary schools.

From your post I would want to know how you happened to source your data to know that African's doesn't value skills but degree, to be honest Africans are the most skillful people because since most them do not go to school they believe to have skills. Again you can't expect everyone to be educated or skillful, there are people who may not like to go acquire skills but depending on their degree which they only want to offices than fieldwork.

I guess his statement was based on assumption that's why he couldn't come up with any data to back it up and for that reason you don't have to take what he said seriously because right from time Africans are not known to be people who takes degrees more serious than skills and till this moment where people now value education because of  the new age and the current generation people now try to go to school to get degrees but they still see much value in their skills. Skills is one thing that has been sustaining most people due to the high rate of unemployment, people can't value education more when they do not get employed after all the degrees they have.

[Mr Reporter]

The way African father's takes degree holder so important than skills and knowledge is so annoying, An African father will prefer suffering in other to make sure his children goes to school and acquire just a degree. They have forgotten that investing in skills and knowledge is the most powerful and valuable thing when it comes to life, because that's what put food in your table. We have forgotten all about agriculture, we see it as a local thing to learn. I am not saying education is not good, all am saying is that skills and knowledge should come first, before degree. When you look at China today, from their nursery and primarys they have started teaching their kids different kinds of skills either related to them or not, and you see them growing with it by inventing so many things that we the Africans will like and buy from them. But, in Africa at that stage our children will end up learning A,B,C,D which is wrong.

This topic it is still has me smiling i could remember when my father believed so much in this phrase that says GET A DEGREE FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN TALK TO ME….i think such has been the mentality of so many African fathers and it was like an anthem then until the system failed them and now I think don't even think they still believe in such phrases again.

Well, I think the fathers didn't just see the use of having skills without having a degree, they just want the so-called respect tagged with a government worker…and you could now hear them say my children have made it, but they failed to understand that the government job is just a dream killer it doesn't allow you to be comfortable…I just feel it because they grew up when a degree literally guaranteed you a job, pension, and status in the community.

So to them, suffering to pay school fees was an investment with guaranteed….

[Hamza2424]

One of the disease eating up Africa's development was the brainwashed the European slave masters gave to them about school. They were taught how to read and write what the Europeans wrote,no skills attached,no knowledge just know how to read and write. Today, the world has gone beyond you just acquiring degrees to you acquiring skills and knowledge. The world economy is been revolutionized and Africa lacks the man power to do that . Africans just attend universities to learn  more than what they learnt in primary and secondary schools.

This does not exist only in Africa but in Pakistan as well. The education system is changing, by the way, and with time people are coming to their senses because the older generation only thinks that education is like this.

Matric --> Intermediate --> University degree --> Government or office job

Students are not given much idea about having skills or learning technical and practical work. They are advised by their seniors to get a degree and then start applying for different kinds of jobs. The salary is too low for these kinds of jobs, so they have to learn skills later. That's how it is here. Some do overtime, some learn a skill to sell online, and some in government sectors find ways to make money under the table haha.

So everyone, after getting a degree, tries different things according to their morality level. Which should be changed, and is changing so far with real and technical methods for students, only if they can realize how important they are. If the education system is not changing, then at least change yourself because the future is in your hands, so it will automatically be changed for the upcoming generation.

[puloweh555]

One of the disease eating up Africa's development was the brainwashed the European slave masters gave to them about school. They were taught how to read and write what the Europeans wrote,no skills attached,no knowledge just know how to read and write. Today, the world has gone beyond you just acquiring degrees to you acquiring skills and knowledge. The world economy is been revolutionized and Africa lacks the man power to do that . Africans just attend universities to learn  more than what they learnt in primary and secondary schools.

True. In fact, this phenomenon is not unique to Africa but also to many other countries including my own, perhaps even Europe and America. Degrees and diplomas are still often the primary criteria for employers because they often signal effort and perseverance. However, currently a bachelor's degree is no guarantee, especially in terms of skills. Many people without a diploma are highly skilled and highly paid because of their demonstrated abilities. This is all due to the system in many countries, especially with the increasing number of job applicants which inevitably forces employers to set educational standards.

So, the solution must indeed be to change the education system. Current education only focuses on basic literacy not practical skills. Furthermore, I believe that the obstacles encountered in Africa are numerous. Besides the low quality of education and a curriculum that still focuses on theory, there is also widespread corruption due to weak governance. The impact of this failed education system makes it difficult for people to adapt to the needs of today's modern economy.

[Cossyblack]

This topic it is still has me smiling i could remember when my father believed so much in this phrase that says GET A DEGREE FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN TALK TO ME….i think such has been the mentality of so many African fathers and it was like an anthem then until the system failed them and now I think don't even think they still believe in such phrases again.

I believe your dad was saying these probably because during his time,there were few Africans who were educated and then it was an honour or prestige if you get a university degree. So a lot of parents during that time were keen to see that their children are educated so that everyone will start respecting them. And again since there were few Africans who were educated,if you manage to get a degree it easy to get a highly paid job but it's different now. We now have hundreds of thousands of graduates in Africa,the system has changed because it has been polluted in the sense that even if you have a degree and probably a skill, You might need to bribe your way in to get the job. So It is no longer knowledge or how educated you are,money and connection are involved too.

[Cyber_warrior]

This topic it is still has me smiling i could remember when my father believed so much in this phrase that says GET A DEGREE FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN TALK TO ME….i think such has been the mentality of so many African fathers and it was like an anthem then until the system failed them and now I think don't even think they still believe in such phrases again.

I believe your dad was saying these probably because during his time,there were few Africans who were educated and then it was an honour or prestige if you get a university degree. So a lot of parents during that time were keen to see that their children are educated so that everyone will start respecting them. And again since there were few Africans who were educated,if you manage to get a degree it easy to get a highly paid job but it's different now. We now have hundreds of thousands of graduates in Africa,the system has changed because it has been polluted in the sense that even if you have a degree and probably a skill, You might need to bribe your way in to get the job. So It is no longer knowledge or how educated you are,money and connection are involved too.

When you look at the number of degree graduates African countries produces every year you will see that we have millions of graduates all over Africa. I can even say Almost every household in African have a graduate, and since the system is failing them, 70 percent of them are unemployed. I can look at my community and pick out hundreds of graduates but most of them are now into job that don’t even require their certificate.

Now to survive in Africa you need to get a skill, or at least get yourself a job that don’t really require ur degree, because the degree can hardly get you a job. In Africa now corruption have made it so hard for degree graduates to even have an average life.

Get educated, get a skill, improve yourself.

[Y3shot]

That's true but now I think things are changing now, a lot of people are now demanding for people with skills, a lot of companies now ask for your years of experience before working with them and if they consider to employ you they are going to pay a out to through a learning programme that would go on for sometime before you can be allowed to start working. But it is better to have the skill, knowledge and certificate, because Africa can be very funny.

Things will definitely change for sure. There was a time when the certificate was the only hope and way to secure a good job and to become rich in society, and we are in the era of technology whereby people don't really need to gain certificates or university education. I will also appreciate the lack of employment because this has really opened the eyes of many to understand they do not need to get a higher degree to become rich or be relevant to society. We should also appreciate technology, which has provided good opportunities for many to generate more for themselves. I'm sure we are heading toward an era where people go to school to be enlightened and not necessarily to acquire a degree for a job.

[Doll2233]

~

When employers come to the knowledge that certificates or paper degrees can be illegally obtained or obtained even though unqualified for it, they will start prioritizing skills over paper degree as some companies already do. It is difficult for an individual to cheat his way through and get a skilled job because skill is required for performance and if you are unskilled for a particular job role, performance is hard to achieve. Companies that employ people based on the skill they possess over the paper degree that they have will always do better than companies that focus on employing people based on paper degrees alone.

The main problem is not the value of education, but the real problem is the weak verification and corruption. A person with a genuine degree represents the years of learning, discipline and exposure to the practical knowledge and concepts that cannot be gained through only experience or through self study.
The best employers do not choose between the skills and degree, but they look for both. They verify all the academic qualifications and also assess the practical knowledge of the person through interviews, tests and evaluate the candidate's willingness to learn. There are many professions where practical skills without academic training can be dangerous, for those experience may carry more weight.

[slapper]

What is really costing us is the psychology that was put in place with the literacy. The degree was used as a class signal. Evidence of your entrance into respectability. Now the world went on. 2026 is the era of the global economy driven by data, AI infrastructure, cloud engineering, and systems thinking. Openly employers stating that they cannot find people to fill high valued technical jobs locally. The fix starts with what something like vocational training in Germany or Singapore already proved. Economies can be world-class, if technical skill is considered prestigious and not consolation.

[Obulis]

Painful reality!
But the matter of undevelopment and or underdevelopment in Africa is not just about about being brainwashed about schooling, as much as we can't undermine the advantages of having general language and having a general coded pattern of communication (writing) one can't also undermine all the evils done by the European to Africa. But when you look at what is happening in Africa today, you should not also undermine the fact that African leaders has so much enjoyed this brainwashing making them to keep the people away from a chance of awakening so that they'll keep exploiting their people. Time has passed now and for some Africa countries it's already getting to a century since Africans took over leadership of their people from European, so at this point we can still talk about what the Europeans did to Africans but still pointing this fingers should not be like a blame game. Even the masses that are being suffered by their people has direct contribution to how Africa is today.

This leaders don't use their children and families to execute any form of evil like killing men and women who loves development for everyone they use the masses. Unwillingness of Africans to develop their various nations is the problem and not longer the Europeans. Schools has been overrated yet schools are also left undeveloped not to fit the world class or look similar with recent levels of schools in well doing country and has also left national orientation to skills acquisitions untapped thereby directly and indirectly pioneering the undevelopment in their various nations. Right now we can say Africans are now their problems for all the so-called leaders to still keep enjoying the brainwashing and also tirelessly keep brainwashing their people and that means the people still loves the brainwashing because they're directly or indirectly supportive to the brainwashing.

[Miles2006]

One of the disease eating up Africa's development was the brainwashed the European slave masters gave to them about school. They were taught how to read and write what the Europeans wrote,no skills attached,no knowledge just know how to read and write. Today, the world has gone beyond you just acquiring degrees to you acquiring skills and knowledge. The world economy is been revolutionized and Africa lacks the man power to do that . Africans just attend universities to learn  more than what they learnt in primary and secondary schools.

Op is making an actual sense here in other words not condemning education totally but, bring an alternative that will definitely help an individual out of financial crisis most importantly.
School is seen as a non factor nowadays, the education system is no longer valued as a result of bad government, otherwise a well doing country will be able to provide a standard paying job for graduates but, now it seems young people waste their time in school instead of learning skill, although I don’t agree with this because education is important but, it’s no longer needed in most cases mostly modern job application basically they prefer the practical aspect of work than school certificate.

[Thomas krik]

I don't think this is only Africa's problem. Many developing countries also place too much value on certificates instead of practical skills and experience. At the same time, education is still very important because it gives people knowledge and helps them develop their abilities. The best approach is to combine both education and practical skills, because having one without the other may not be enough to succeed.

[Die_empty]

Things will definitely change for sure. There was a time when the certificate was the only hope and way to secure a good job and to become rich in society, and we are in the era of technology whereby people don't really need to gain certificates or university education. I will also appreciate the lack of employment because this has really opened the eyes of many to understand they do not need to get a higher degree to become rich or be relevant to society. We should also appreciate technology, which has provided good opportunities for many to generate more for themselves. I'm sure we are heading toward an era where people go to school to be enlightened and not necessarily to acquire a degree for a job.

Some reasons have contributed to the growing worthlessness of certificates. First is the dynamic nature of global technology. As new equipment and devices are invented new skills are needed to build, use, maintain,  destroy, and recycle them. Some educational systems have failed to upgrade or change thier curriculum to fit modern realities. It's like a school training students on the use of manual typewriters while people are using automated or AI-run recorders to write documents. Some schools are still offering outdated courses and giving out certificates. Some programs should have been scrabbed a long time ago.

Another problem is that most schools offer more theory courses than practicals. We live in a world where every professional has a tool to improve performance. Some of the graduates are not employable because they cannot use technology tools to perform tasks. Even if you are a graduate with good certificates and cannot utilize artificial intelligence tools and other technologies, that person might never secure a good job.

[MArsland]

That's true but now I think things are changing now, a lot of people are now demanding for people with skills, a lot of companies now ask for your years of experience before working with them and if they consider to employ you they are going to pay a out to through a learning programme that would go on for sometime before you can be allowed to start working. But it is better to have the skill, knowledge and certificate, because Africa can be very funny.

Things will definitely change for sure. There was a time when the certificate was the only hope and way to secure a good job and to become rich in society, and we are in the era of technology whereby people don't really need to gain certificates or university education. I will also appreciate the lack of employment because this has really opened the eyes of many to understand they do not need to get a higher degree to become rich or be relevant to society. We should also appreciate technology, which has provided good opportunities for many to generate more for themselves. I'm sure we are heading toward an era where people go to school to be enlightened and not necessarily to acquire a degree for a job.

Now to be able to grow and compete companies need to change the system of receiving employees to focus more on what applicants can offer rather than setting specific requirements through a diploma. Governments and companies need to be open to non-formal talent, there are many people with above-average skills who are able to make a big contribution to the company.
Of course, this does not mean that diplomas are not important, there are still companies that must set standards but portions and criteria that must be balanced in accepting applicants.

[Haunebu]

Most of the modern world trusts degrees over proper skills and knowledge which is understandable considering that this has become the standard over generations and not something that will simply change overnight op.

Both degrees and skills are essential in order to survive these days unless you are rich as hell and don't really need either. Degrees get your foot into the door, but skills help you continue moving forward basically.

[Somegory]

One of the disease eating up Africa's development was the brainwashed the European slave masters gave to them about school. They were taught how to read and write what the Europeans wrote,no skills attached,no knowledge just know how to read and write. Today, the world has gone beyond you just acquiring degrees to you acquiring skills and knowledge. The world economy is been revolutionized and Africa lacks the man power to do that . Africans just attend universities to learn  more than what they learnt in primary and secondary schools.

The same education that's no longer even prioritised in my country? You can get the legal degrees illegally in my country today if you can pay handful amount of money for it, this is why some people are calling school a total scam.

We should be building more than doing the theories of education, practical will always have the upper advantage over everything, they don't just use the school system on us but also religions too.

That one country that I am so jealous of is china, they trained their kids since very young age to build, they have the practical brains than all kids in developing country, the problem now people have gotten used to it..

[Nathrixxx]

This is not only Africa that is affected in such kind of mentality, people think that it is only by their certificate that they need to be successful in life, whereas there are times we may also needed to get additional exposure and  experience, backing up our degree with experience and being skillful will be an added advantage for us, this is what many don't know and the only have the degree without any form of work experience.

[Curious T]

Bullshit. Africa's biggest problem is having shit politicians and a horrible system. The same Europeans that give us schools and degrees are doing the same thing, yet they have better countries. Schools are still at the forefront of the world today. In fact, I can make an argument that the reason Africa is like this is that our educational system is too poor. And the educational system is poor because we have greedy leaders who only care about themselves. They don't care about making the country a better place for people to live in.

The fact that we are blaming schools for the situation in Africa shows how messed up we are. Look at the best countries in the world; they have the best education systems. Do you think a country will have people intelligent enough to build revolutionary innovation without schools and an education? Today in Africa, we have leaders who don't even have first degrees, and you can see the difference. The past two leaders of my country, Nigeria, don't have first degrees, and you can see the obvious difference between them and the one before them.

In fact, it is because Africa is so messed up that you'll tell people who have degrees to get a skill. Don't you see how insane that is? That a person who has spent years learning a field would need to get another skill just to survive. That is a sign of a failed system. I sense a lot of ignorance in your post.

[Synchronice]

One of the disease eating up Africa's development was the brainwashed the European slave masters gave to them about school. They were taught how to read and write what the Europeans wrote,no skills attached,no knowledge just know how to read and write. Today, the world has gone beyond you just acquiring degrees to you acquiring skills and knowledge. The world economy is been revolutionized and Africa lacks the man power to do that . Africans just attend universities to learn  more than what they learnt in primary and secondary schools.

That's not only in Africa but in many countries and honestly, degrees aren't as bad as you think. There are people who perform much better than those with degrees but there are also people with degrees who perform extremely well. The main idea of degree is that you are a person who could attend University for 4 years or more, get high degrees, was very responsible and followed orders. Such a person is a very good candidate for any corporate company because they obey easily.
Do you need degree to succeed in life? Of course, not. Are countries and companies changing their attitude towards degrees? Yes, because today, degrees don't mean much since every has access to education and there aren't any secret books in Harvard and Oxford. Everything is available for everyone and these universities mostly are great locations for connections.
By the way, that's not only Africa's problem but that problem still exists in too many countries. Old people in the government equals to old rules. Their brain is designed differently and modern generation thinks differently.