'Stop imposing careers on children'

The Director of the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the Ghana Education Service, Ms Josephine G. Pokoo Aikins, has advised parents to stop imposing careers on their children.

She said it was totally unacceptable for parents to force their children to pursue careers that might not be in their areas of interest, since such decisions could negatively affect their future.

According to her, children should be allowed to choose careers based on their capabilities, interests, as well as academic performance.

 
Parental guidance
Addressing a seminar organised by the Department of Psychology and Education of the University of Education, Winneba, Ms Pokoo Aikins, explained that what was important was for parents to guide their children to choose suitable careers based on their strengths and weaknesses.

The event was held for students of the Seventh Day Adventist Senior High School (SEDASS), on the theme: “Wise career path of students: A sure way to successful life”.

Ms Pokoo Aikins indicated that most parents did not take into consideration the interests of their children but were rather interested only  in ensuring that the children pursued careers and courses the parents preferred.

 
Essence of career
Ms Pokoo Aikins stressed that if children were not guided to select careers that best suited them but rather had careers imposed on them, it might negatively impact on their lives and the nation at large.

She cited instances where some parents who owned companies and other businesses forced their children to pursue courses related to those fields so that they could manage such firms in their absence, adding that if the child had no interest in that field, it would lead to the collapse of the business.

She, therefore, urged parents to make use of counsellors in schools in choosing careers for their children.

The Vice-chairman of the school, Mrs Augustina Dadebo Atkinson, said there were many professionals who earned better salaries but did not have job satisfaction,  and stressed that the seminar was to sensitise students and parents to what it took to put students on a good career path so that their successes in life could be assured.