Stop imposing careers on your children; allow them to explore – MoE Director advises

The Strategy and Innovations Director at the Ministry of Education (MoE), Mr Aaron Twum Akwaboah, has passionately advised to parents to stop making decisions for their children regarding their career.

He said this on Class 91.3 FM’s ‘Transformation Agenda Series on Education’ programme hosted by Abraham Aidoo.

Mr Akwaboah asserted that parents “should make a conscious effort not to impose anything on their children.”

“One thing you should not do is put a box around them. Stop telling them what to do. Just stop!” he stressed.

He advised parents to listen to their children regarding their career dreams and note also that they may change their minds.

“One the first show here, I asked my little brother what he wants to do and he [said] he wants to be in the military so we call him General now because that’s the highest. Now, we’ve already had the conversation so number one: you [parent; guardian] ask and they [children] may tell you,” he said.

“They may change [their minds] all the time and be ready to have them change. You know, in June, I’m a doctor. In august, I want to be a lawyer, I want to be engineer, I want to be this,” the MoE official noted.

Furthermore, Mr Akwaboah advised that parents and guardians expose their children to people in high positions and encouraged them to ask questions. This, he said, will enable them to gain more insight into their career options.

“Expose them to as many creatives as possible. If you have friends and families that have high careers, expose them to many of them. If you have an uncle who is a bank manager [let the child meet him],” he averred.

“Ask them some things; interview professionals around your children. Ask your child, ‘Ok, here are three [or] four questions… Ask that person [professional, when we meet them],” he cited. “I would love that if I had a child and I brought them here, I would say [to them], ‘Go ask Dr Aidoo about being a journalist. Go ask him about being a radio presenter’.”

He also highlighted the place of research for both parent and child, saying: “So, you ask the questions, you engage with people doing that job and also, do online and digital research. There are so many ways to think about it.”

He concluded by saying indicating that playtime could also help a parent identify a child’s career path.

“Whenever you are engaging in fun activities with your child, ask them, would you like to do that? Or how do you think this is done? Because then you can find out their career.

“For example, you are watching the Avengers film and you are watching the Hulk come out of the thing and you are like, ‘No! There’s no way that there can be a person who is green and weighs 800kg. How is that happening?’ And then you ask the question and you realise that there’s someone who is a computer programmer who did it. Now, your child knows it exists,” Mr Akwaboah stressed.