What is good? University, Technical or Vocational Education for South Sudan.

 

By Ater Yuot Riak Amogpai, Ph.D.

Education has been progressively advancing in all its levels. In its evolving transformation, students must be carefully selective about their education interests. There are three major types of branches of education: vocational, technical and university. However, technical and vocational education are sometimes used synonymously. In fact, technical education refers to post high school courses of study and practical training aimed at preparation of technicians to work as supervisory staff while, vocational education on the other hands, refers to post primary school courses of study aiming to equip students with skills for a particular job such as carpenter, wilding, construction, automobile repair, electric wiring, cooking, cleaning, plumping, fashion design, etc.

Vocational Education is to give the students skills to make them ready for a particular job. It is more practical and hands-on and involves less theoretical study. Vocational education (Training) is more suitable for people who are looking for quick employment, as it trains people for jobs. It is also suitable for people looking to re-join work or transition into a new profession that requires skill. It is also very suitable for people who are short of time and resources to study at a university but can learn at flexible times.

Technical Education is the understanding and practical application of basic principles of science and mathematics. Technical education aimed at preparing graduates for occupations that are classed above the skilled crafts (vocational training) but below the scientific or engineering professions. Such persons are frequently called technicians. Technical occupations are vital in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, business administration, computers and data processing, education, environmental and resource management, graphic arts and industrial design, and health and medicine. Technical education is typically offered in post-high-school curricula that are two years in length, are not designed to lead to a bachelor’s degree, and are offered in a wide variety of institutions, such as technical institutes, junior colleges, vocational schools, and regular colleges and universities.

University Education is the traditional degree-based education system. Its aim is to make the student learn a particular stream of study. It covers the theoretical part extensively and gives students an in-depth understanding. It is commonly pursued after graduating from high school and leads to the degrees of Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD, in that sequence.  It is an investment for the future and acquiring practical skills on the job over time. A university education often gives conceptual or broad awareness that can be decided to apply to a range of roles within a line of work. University education or professional education, may include fields as science, engineering, law, medicine, economics, etc. Therefore, a university education degree is suitable for people who like in-depth knowledge and who like to become researchers, scientists and professors.

All three types of education: University, Technical and Vocational are good for South Sudan. However, the government should have a policy to prioritize technical and vocational education. Because, industrialization starts with technical and vocational education. Not many are interested or able to invest in university education. They prefer hands- on jobs with a stable income. Thus, I suggest 80% of the primary and high students should be prepared for technical and vocational education while the rest of the 20% reserves for university education who want to go for further knowledge acquisition. Those trained technical and vocational graduates immediately entered the market with their needed skills in hand. Currently, the government has no student support such as student’s loans, therefore, university education is entirely our own responsibility.