After completing high school exams like HSC, A-Levels, or their equivalents, a multitude of opportunities present themselves to individuals. However, a significant number of students tend to pursue higher education without a clear vision of their future career paths even in their late teens. Some may briefly explore entrepreneurship, but most ultimately return to academia, banking on the belief that obtaining another degree will lead to stability. If not, there is the option of pursuing Master’s programs, which allow for switching disciplines, albeit without a clear direction in their twenties.
Despite being commonly seen as a pathway to prosperity and social advancement, tertiary education is facing a profound crisis. This crisis is particularly evident in developing countries, where the emphasis on obtaining a degree overshadows the pursuit of genuine knowledge. The critical challenges confronting higher education today, often referred to as the “dilemma triangle,” collectively undermine the quality, purpose, and value of university degrees, hindering authentic socio-economic progress and the realization of individual potential.
The first corner of this dilemma is the inflated “status symbolization” associated with a university degree in many societies, including ours. What was once a symbol of academic accomplishment has now transformed into a social commodity, necessary for maintaining family reputation, securing a good marriage, or climbing the corporate ladder. This societal pressure places more importance on enrollment and possessing the certificate rather than the actual educational experience.
The second aspect of the dilemma represents the systemic flaw of “oversimplified access” to higher education. Due to rapid and largely unregulated expansion, academic quality has been compromised. With the focus on increasing enrollment rates and generating revenue, access to higher education has become overly simplified in certain contexts. While making education accessible to all is a noble goal, expanding access without ensuring quality control, faculty development, or proper infrastructure puts the entire system at risk.
Admission criteria are sometimes designed to accommodate large numbers of students, leading to overcrowded classrooms that hinder meaningful student-teacher interactions and curricula that lack depth. Many universities, especially private and profit-driven institutions, prioritize student retention over academic rigor, resulting in grade inflation and lenient assessments that allow students to progress without mastering essential concepts.
The final and perhaps most concerning aspect is “guided ignorance,” where educational institutions steer students toward compliance and superficial knowledge instead of fostering independent thinking. This phenomenon is a result of societal pressure for easy credentials and the oversimplified access to education that enables shortcuts to obtaining these credentials.
The lack of emphasis on critical analysis, coupled with outdated curricula that do not align with industry needs, perpetuates “guided ignorance.” Students are taught what to know rather than how to learn, evaluate, or adapt. The educational system discourages intellectual risk-taking, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary thinking, qualities essential for innovation and leadership. The focus remains on passing standardized exams that test memory retention rather than practical application.
In order to address these issues, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the purpose and structure of tertiary education, along with a change in societal perspectives. Institutions should prioritize building capabilities over credentialing, while students should be equipped with the skills necessary for the workforce early on. This requires revising curricula to emphasize critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and entrepreneurial abilities.
Moreover, investing in a qualified teaching force is crucial at all levels of education. Society must challenge the notion that an academic degree is solely a status symbol and instead promote the idea that it signifies genuine intellectual and professional readiness. By dismantling the dilemma triangle systematically, we can restore the integrity and value of higher education for the upcoming generation of nation-builders.