Over the past 10 years, there has been an attempt to convince us that university and postgraduate studies are not necessary to succeed in life, associating higher education with "earning more money" and achieving a better position in society.
Some of the most influential people in Mexico and the world have tried to persuade the new generations that professional studies are not important. Some of these people include:
· Entrepreneur Ricardo Salinas Pliego claimed that spending a lifetime studying is useless, as he stated it does not generate any experience when starting a business.
“I tell the kids that the idea that the more they study and the more degrees they have, the better they will do is not true,” he said during his talk with young people at the EXMA 2022 Marketing event held in September 2022.
Instead, the businessman recommends "going out and doing things, because when you go from career to career, a postgraduate degree and then a doctorate... that 'wey' is useless," he added in his peculiar style.
· According to Anna Wintour, the most powerful woman in the fashion world, she also did not go to university. She began working in a boutique at 15, took some fashion courses after finishing high school, but left because she realized that "you either know about fashion, or you don't." She entered a magazine called Oz, and over the years, after working for various publications, she reached Vogue, where she has reigned for 30 years.
· Elon Musk believes that having a university degree does not mean you possess "exceptional ability" since you can learn anything online for free. Musk asserts that many universities do not teach the skills that business leaders most need in their workforce. He states that companies like LinkedIn have reported that many popular companies, including these tech giants, do not require employees to have a university degree.
· Oprah Winfrey's life is a story of personal overcoming that has inspired many people. She grew up in an extremely poor environment, but that did not stop her from getting a scholarship to the University of Tennessee.
However, at the age of 19 he abandoned university studies and opted for a career in the media. Before she turned 20 she became the first black news anchor on Nashville television and that was just the beginning of her meteoric trajectory that she would solidify with her own show.
However, it's essential to emphasize that the examples mentioned above are specific cases of success, representing less than 1% of the world's population.
And why do we say, "Enough of belittling university or postgraduate studies?" To understand this, it's relevant to discuss the level of illiteracy in our country.
Illiteracy in Mexico is defined as the inability of people over 15 years old to read and write a note. It is an indicator in which, despite progressive reductions, progress remains slow and uneven across the country.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography estimates, in 2015 there were 88.15 million people aged 15 and over in the country; of them, 4.44 million were considered illiterate, i.e., 5% of the population in the specified age group.
And how are we in terms of university-level studies?
According to "Animal Político," in Mexico, only 17% of young people manage to study at the university.
This percentage places the country as the one with the lowest number of higher education students among the OECD countries. Only 1% have a master's degree, and less than that have a doctorate.
Accessing higher education is still a challenge in Mexico, as only 17% of people aged 25 to 64 manage to have university studies. This places the country at the bottom in terms of the lowest proportion among OECD countries, whose average is 37%, according to the 2017 OECD Education Outlook.
Some countries that are below Mexico include Brazil (15%), China (10%), India (11%), Indonesia (10%), and South Africa (12%).
The study details that only 1% of Mexicans in that age range have a master's or equivalent, while less than 1% have a doctorate.
This contrasts with countries like Israel, where education levels beyond university are 50%; in Australia, it's 44; Norway is 43%, and in Italy, it's 18%.
In 2016, 53% of young adults aged 25 to 34 and 63% of people aged 25 to 64 only had education below upper secondary level.
The OECD highlights that the level of education has a direct relationship with employment because the higher the level of education, the higher the rate of finding a job.
For those below upper secondary level, the employment rate is 65% for people aged 25 to 64, while for the population with upper secondary and higher education, it is 70% and 80%, respectively.
Both rates are close to the OECD averages of 75% and 84%, respectively.
People's incomes also increase with the level of education achieved, and in Mexico, they are considerably higher than in most OECD countries if the person has a university degree.
In Mexico, adults with a higher education degree earn on average more than twice as much as adults with only upper secondary education, explains the study.
Adults with a higher technical degree earn 30% more than those with only upper secondary education. Those with a master's or doctorate earn almost four times more than those with upper secondary education.
So, what is the purpose of studying a university degree or a postgraduate?
According to "University ETAC," studying a university degree is one of the best ways to develop your intellectual power, which is nourished through academic training aligned with your interests, abilities, and goals.
"University ETAC" also mentions that the reasons for studying university are not limited to obtaining a title that adds something to a person's name or description. It is also access to many opportunities for personal and professional development.
Among the main reasons why studying a university degree is essential are:
· Certifies a person as someone with advanced knowledge in a specific area
· Allows the development of specific technical and intellectual skills
· Improves social and communication skills
· Provides access to different job opportunities
· Contributes to emotional maturity
These reasons have many other consequences that help build a professional career and heritage that improve the quality of life for all those who decide to prepare academically with a university degree.
While a university degree or a postgraduate does not guarantee success, it helps develop emotional and intellectual skills.
If one of the main problems in our country is the low population with education and even more with professional studies, let's stop saying that university and postgraduate studies are useless and do not guarantee success. Perhaps they do not guarantee success, but they bring us closer to it. Whether you decide to have a job or start a business, studies will be the foundation to successfully navigate those plans you have in your professional life.
Ricardo Salinas Pliego himself, in an interview, mentioned: "If you want to start a business and don't know accounting, better don't do it," but he forgot to mention that accounting and finance can be learned... at university!