Iqbal Hussain
Two incidents, just a day apart, made me pause and ask a question we can no longer afford to ignore: Where are we heading, and what is the future of education if degrees do not translate into opportunities? A recent NITI Aayog report has highlighted a worrying trend in Jammu and Kashmir. The Gross Enrolment Ratio at the higher-secondary level declined from 48.58 per cent in 2014–15 to 44.8 per cent in 2024–25. More significantly, the transition rate from secondary to higher secondary education fell from 93.38 per cent to 72.9 per cent during the same period. These figures deserve more than statistical attention. They should compel policymakers, educators and society to reflect on why young people are increasingly uncertain about the value and outcome of prolonged education. The very next day, I came across the deeply distressing story of a woman from Anantnag shared on social media. Her husband, despite holding several degrees and making repeated efforts to secure employment, had been unable to find a suitable job.
The family’s financial situation had become so difficult that she appealed even to ordinary people through social media to help her husband find any private employment so that he could earn enough to feed his family. One is a statistic; the other is a human story. Together, they point towards an alarming situation and raise a serious concern about our education system, government policies and the future of our educated youth. For generations, education has been regarded as the pathway to a better life. Parents make enormous sacrifices to educate their children, hoping that degrees will bring knowledge, dignity and economic security. But what happens when years of study end with a certificate and a long wait for employment? This is not an argument against education. Rather, it is an argument for rethinking what education should achieve. Perhaps it is time to seriously review our education system as well as the policies connecting education with employment.
Are we adequately preparing students for the realities of today’s job market? Are schools and colleges providing sufficient practical and vocational skills? Are government policies creating enough opportunities for educated young people to use their knowledge productively? These questions remind us of Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Nai Talim, centred on the development of the Head, Heart and Hand. Gandhi believed education should not remain confined to books and examinations. It should develop intellect, character and practical abilities while connecting learning with productive work. That philosophy deserves renewed attention today. Our schools and colleges should produce not merely degree holders, but skilled, confident and capable individuals.
“The disconnect between rising education levels and actual job availability signals a critical need to reform education policies. To prevent widespread disappointment and youth unemployment, education must shift from granting degrees to providing practical skills, career opportunities, and economic independence.”
Vocational education, entrepreneurship, digital skills, handicrafts, agriculture, environmental skills and other locally relevant practical abilities should become an integral part of mainstream education—not an inferior alternative to academic learning. Students should be given opportunities to acquire skills alongside academic knowledge. Career counselling, apprenticeships, internships and entrepreneurship programmes should become meaningful components of education rather than occasional activities. But the responsibility cannot be placed entirely on students. Policymakers, educational institutions and government must act together.
Skill development must be connected with actual employment opportunities, apprenticeships, markets, finance and mentorship. Government must strengthen the environment for entrepreneurship and self-employment while encouraging the growth of the private sector. Educational institutions should also establish stronger links with industries, businesses and local enterprises. Kashmir’s youth are not lacking in talent, ambition or educational aspirations. What they need is an education system that connects knowledge with skills, skills with opportunity, and opportunity with dignity.
A degree should not be the destination of education. It should be a foundation for a meaningful and productive life. The two incidents that prompted this reflection should therefore not be dismissed as isolated events. They should serve as a wake-up call. Declining educational participation and the painful struggle of educated families to find employment demand a serious review of our educational priorities and government policies. The real question is not simply how many students are studying or how many degrees are being awarded. The real question is: Are we preparing our young people for the life that awaits them after graduation? The time to rethink education is now—before disappointment replaces hope and degrees become symbols of unemployment rather than instruments of empowerment. Our youth need more than certificates. They need skills to work, opportunities to succeed and the dignity of being able to feed their families through their own efforts.
(The author is a teacher and Environmental Science researcher pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
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