Why belittle humanitarian courses?

While growing up, my parents always emphasized how there is no better job than being a doctor or engineer. They always urged my siblings and I to concentrate on mathematics and other science subjects. None of us really wanted to be doctors or engineers. If we were to pursue medicine or engineering, it meant that we would only do so for the happiness of our parents. We confessed our dislike for the professions to our parents and they insisted we take up other science related professions. So my siblings and I actually grew up thinking that the other professions were just other options when you failed sciences like engineering, Zoology, medicine and other sciences. Parents, teachers, distant relatives and generally the whole society had a negative attitude towards humanitarian courses such as Social Work and Social Administration among others. Sometimes students are afraid to mention what they are studying when they are pursuing humanitarian courses. They would rather opt to lie and associate themselves with study courses like Engineering or medicine. Emmanuel Karekezi, a student at School of Finance and Banking (SFB) say that this whole attitude and mentality started way back in our communities were humanitarian courses were not respected. “In society, there was some sort of status and prestige given to people in the science professions therefore, shunning other professions for obvious reasons—we all want to feel prestigious as a doctor or an Engineer but not a social worker,” Karekezi adds. Karekezi notes that the other professions may have gained high prestige but humanitarian courses are equally important. He advises: “Parents not to discourage their children from pursuing humanitarian courses if that is what they want.” m.kaitesi@yahoo.com