The 80s generation - education

This is definitely a complex socioeconomic phenomenon that one must write about these days.

They are born in the years of prosperity that last through their young childhood. Then they see the recessions. Not once. Not twice. Not thrice. Perhaps there has been too many recessions for them, occurring too frequently for them to adapt to even one. 

Education

To be honest, education is one thing that has been in turmoils for people born in the 1980s. It is not that they have not enough options. It is that they have too many options - and mind you, that is not so much of a good thing.

For those born in the 70s, when they have finished their school certificate examination, they can study up to matriculation (which, they can apply for universities/higher education afterwards), or they can come out and work. There are the vocational schools e.g. Haking Wong Technical Institute[1], which allows youngsters to be trained into somebody who can do their job really well in a certain sector.

For those born in the 80s, though, as the number of universities grew, higher education became a necessity rather than a privilege, a basic need rather than a luxury. And then the government gave them something called "associate degree" which (1) cost an arm and a leg, (2) teaches little that is practical, and (3) had extremely lax graduation requirements -- to some, it is almost like selling the diploma rather than doing education[2] - of course it is just an example... but if you can let these people graduate...

It looks really bad -- to the previous generation -- these people born in the 80s are not learning for the sake of learning, they are learning for the sake of not working.

Readers, what do you think?

[1] I can still remember the free soup that was available in the canteen in Haking Wong back in the days. The meals there was affordable, and most importantly, one can be sure that he is well fed there with just $20...
[2] My experience with these associate degree people is that.. I once came across a biological science major - I asked him if he could tell me the features of various phyla of the animal kingdom - he couldn't. I asked the same for the plant kingdom - he couldn't. I asked for the most important cycle in the body - Kreb's cycle - he can't even remember the intermediates (and I was only asking for citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate and oxaloacetate - i wasn't asking for the details). So what kind of biological science major is he....