|
|
|
DEBATE: Higher education or just matriculation?
“But Mom! This is not my age for it. I can’t do this,” said Tilehan. “What do you mean by you can’t do it? There is no fixed age for these things,” her mother replied.
“Mom, you yourself are an educated person you know that I am too young for marriage. I have just entered into my new life at college and I want to continue with it, till I get a respectable position in society.”
“I don’t care. I have decided and I am going to say yes and accept the proposal for you.” Saying this Tilehan’s mother went out of the room.
This was one of the routine arguments that Tilehan was having with her mother. Her mother wanted her to get married right away as she had a good proposal from a rich business man. But Tilehan wanted to continue with her studies and was not thinking about the marriage at that time.
Minutes passed, days passed and after a few weeks, finally her mother won and Tilehan got engaged only on her mother’s assurance that the wedding will take place after a few years.
Even after getting engaged some questions continuously arose in Tilehan’s mind, such as, whether she’ll be able to get a decent place in society and complete her education? She also wondered if she’d be able to support her family in difficult times? But the answer to these questions remained unanswered.
A few months after Tilehan’s engagement her father lost his job and getting a new job was not so easy. In this hour of difficulty Tilehan’s Mother started teaching in a school and started giving tuitions to children at home. The money she used to earn was enough for their monthly expenditure. In some months’ time her husband got a decent job and was able to support his family again. But Tilehan’s mother didn’t quit her work. She kept on educating people, as this education had helped her in the hour of disaster and difficulty. But now Tilehan’s fiance’ refused to wait for any longer and started insisting on getting married. The change of events also brought a change in her mother’s thinking. She realized that if one day (God forbid) Tilehan is caught in such a situation she will not be able to support her family and even if she doesn’t get into such a problem, she’ll never be able to compete with others if she is not highly educated. So one day she went to the Tilehan’s fiance’s house and broke the engagement. Her mother was sad that the engagement had ended but was happy all the same that finally Tilehan would get the position she deserved in the society by receiving good education.
Again days passed, weeks passed and years passed and finally one day Tilehan graduated from an Engineering University with an Electronics Engineering degree in one hand and an engagement ring on the other hand. Tilehan’s new fiance’ was a business man too, but the best part was that he was loving, understanding and caring. She got married to her fiance’ after a few weeks and now she leads a beautiful and respectable life with her husband.
So it’s your decision. Higher education or just matriculation. Syeda Fatima Ishtiaq
|
|
|
|
