May

Australia Samoa Newspaper
Knowledge is Power
02 May 2016
11
EDUCATION – Just BELIEVE that YOU CAN DO BETTER!
YOU CAN ACHIEVE!
The definition of Education is not limited
to classroom learning. There are
number of academics that could debate
this statement, of course, however I
do not believe our statement is too far off
the mark. There are many definitions of education
out there, but the following, as published
on www.dictionary.com confirms the
meaning of education as…
“the act or process of imparting or acquiring
general knowledge, developing the powers
of reasoning and judgment, and generally
of preparing oneself or others intellectually
for mature life…” OR “….an enlightening experience…”
Of course we can NEVER discount the
high value and regard of a primary, secondary
or tertiary education, in this society that
we live in, and in general, for those “pieces of
papers” or certificates/diplomas/degrees/
masters/PHDs, can dictate how much we
can potentially earn in wages or salaries,
compared to those that do not possess some
type of academic institution affirmation of
skills/knowledge level. I too come from a
family of academics, and have firsthand experience
of what that degree can do to your
purse, with goals, hard work and perseverance.
BUT people learn at different paces, in
different ways, and in different times. Some
continue school before working. Others do
both at the same time. Others defer tertiary
studies to work and think about what they
want to be, then study at a much later time.
We are saying, you learn every single minute
of every single day by the things happening
or words said around us. Others learn better
when they are given a demonstration of the
task, rather than reading about it in a manual
or text book. We do not learn only from
teachers in a classroom setup.
In my working experience in the Human
Resources field, I have also come across few
individuals with not only one, but two or more
university degrees under their belts. Of those,
I found only some that lacked common
sense and knowledge of application. That is,
they could not demonstrate that they could
apply their learned knowledge to everyday situations.
They instead liked to quote the text
books as a solution to a problem, rather than
taking the theory and using same as a guide
to finding a workable or feasible solution.
Australian education systems are very well
focused on teaching students the skills to
analyse and criticize situations in order to realise
the BEST options to apply. How you can
get a distinction in your grades is dependent
on how well you can demonstrate in your assignments
and exams, your understanding of
the “theories” (or methodologies/strategies)
to solve problems at hand. These skills become
really handy also in enhancing common
sense in one’s life.
In my working career, I have also been
blessed with being associated with a few very
successful high achievers that never went
to university. I have learned so much from
them. Usually, these non tertiary graduates,
are self motivators, or self driven individuals.
Their financial circumstances in their families
prevented some from getting to university.
But it did not stop them from learning. How
did they get ahead? They worked extremely
hard in the jobs they were entrusted with,
and worked their way up. Their employers recognized
their valuable contributions in their
workplaces and often recommended such
individuals to workshops or TAFE courses.
Others worked on their jobs and saved money
to put themselves
through courses. While
others worked and paid
very close attention to
workers that were “seniors”
or considered
“experts” in their fields.
They asked a lot of questions,
and they “DRE-
AMED”. They visualised
themselves to be better
and that they will one
day be a “manager”, or
“business owner”, or
“nurse”, or “mechanic”,
or “graphics designer”,
a “doctor”, a “caregiver”,
“a devout mother”,
a “servant of God”, or a
well-regarded “Chef” to
name only a few. None
of these individuals
dwelled on their financially
disadvantaged situation.
If you have a passion/hobby,
make something of that passion/
hobby. DO NOT LET others pull you down, or
doubt yourself. You have a natural talent?
Find out how you can earn money using that
talent. While I was at high school, like most
kids do, I took on an AVON job and sold a lot
of Avon products to just friends at school,
our neighbours in our street, teachers, you
name it. I calculated what I wanted to earn
in commission (my target), then pushed my
sales to ensure I achieve my target. While at
University, my sister and I could not get AUStudy
allowances of more than AUD30.00 a
fortnight, just enough to cover our weekly bus
passes to classes in the 90’s. Our allowances
from the parents did not account for movies
or pizza now and then with Uni friends, or the
occasional visit to the clubs as most kids would
do. So instead of being depressed about
it, I ensured my school work was done of course,
and then I used to play billiard/pool for
money, and type up Master Degree students’
thesis. Back then I charged $0.01c per word,
but could basically earn $100-$300.00 per
Thesis/assignment. I was very driven as I certainly
did not want to miss out on the fun, but
at the same time, did not want to burden my
parents by asking them for more money. My
father used to tell us everyday, “Where there
is a Will, there is a Way!” – that means, nothing
is impossible when you put your mind,
heart, and soul into anything you strive for.
IT IS NEVER TOO LATE. If you didn’t go to
University, then IT DOES NOT MATTER ONE
BIT. Read books about whatever career you
want to pursue. If you want to do a trade and
be a plumber, GO AHEAD. BUT aim to be at
least one of the BEST plumbers in your industry.
Plumbers or any trade, can bring in
a very steady income for you and your family.
Excellent in sports? Train hard or enrol in Little
Athletics if you can. Want to be in Construction?
Try and get a Green Card and White
Card. See if these courses are offered for free
by Centrelink. There is no age limit to studying,
and you can research anything on the
internet these days. Self educate, and open
your ears when people with more knowledge
are talking sensibly and responsibly – you
can learn a lot from the wise and experienced.
Watch the news or documentaries, to
keep up-to-date with current
affairs. Don’t know how to
Cook? Search on YouTube
on how to make that scrumptious
meal. I can’t even get
away anymore with saying
‘I don’t know how to cook!”
because all these resources
are readily available on line
to tutor anyone who doesn’t
know how to do almost anything
– good and bad.
You just have to ignore
negative thoughts, and negative
advice, and find out
what the cheapest way possible to do an effective
short course if there are no free courses
offered by Centrelink. If you are able to,
then subscribe to whatever software that you
want to use, and self teach yourself on how
to use the software instead of spending money
for someone else to teach you. Download
free trial software and give it a go on how to
use them. Software downloads as you know,
normally come in 30 day free trial periods.
Eventually, you will be near as good as one
that’s gone to school for using that particular
software. If you have a smartphone, google
whatever subject comes to mind that really
interests you, to learn more.
If you are not sure what career you want
to be pursue, you might want to have a think
about looking into careers that are in high
demand in Australia. They are in high demand
because there is a shortage of people
with this skill, yet more job offers are available
for same. According to the Australian
Government’s SKILL SHORTAGE LIST published
February this year (https://docs.employment.gov.au/documents/skill-shortagelist-australia)
the following skills are in high
demand nationally. If you click on this link
given, you will be able to see a further breakdown
in terms of industry, State, and so
on. We hope this will help you make up your
mind if you are not able to go forward in life
or career.
I recently heard about a Pacific Islander
that was born in the Islands, migrated to
Australia, and lived with his parents in the Mt
Druitt NSW area. In the 70’s-80’s, according
to this gentleman, Pacific Islanders living in
Mt Druitt area were generally not known to
excel in school academically, let alone go to
university. He did not come from a family with
a lot of finances to spare. The parents were
Maiava Tricia Brunt
just honest, hardworking people, who pushed
their children to DO BETTER. They also knew
their Thomas* (not his true name), was not
a “bright” one at school. But still, they said
to him, “You CAN do better!”. Thomas spoke
fondly to a group recently of his parents, how
they always were proud with whatever he did,
but after cheering him on and acknowledging
his effort, his father would
always say after, “Thomas
I know you can do better”.
Thomas thought, “but no one
who came from Mt Druitt, do
any better than a factory job
or cleaning work!”. Thomas
thought that whatever happens,
it would be ok to get a
factory job, as that was what
people from his surrounds
were generally employed as.
Yet Thomas’s father refused
to believe this, and believed
Thomas could do better. This
belief became instilled mentally in Thomas
and sure enough, Thomas started to believe
it, so he worked, and he applied, and got better
work, and exerted a lot of effort, with just
a secondary education under his sleeve. Well
folks, this gentleman from Mt Druitt ended
up an expatriate in London through a sports
scholarship. Who would’ve thought this boy
from the Islands would end up earning big in
Europe?
If your parents are not telling you this, then
let us tell you – YOU CAN DO BETTER. Think
beyond the square, and dream. Visualize yourself
to be the successful person in whatever
field you want to be in. Do not worry if you
did not make it into university. Do not worry if
your address is not from an area outside of
Mt Druitt or Claymore or Blacktown or Minto
or any other suburb that is looked upon by
the general population as disadvantaged.
UPF operates out of Minto and they are blessed.
Just pray, and work hard, and dream.
BELIEVE that YOU CAN DO BETTER. The rest
of your success will follow. You do not have to
become a doctor or lawyer to be successful. If
you live comfortably, and always have food on
the table, a healthy family, and strive to help
the young ones in your family DO BETTER,
then YOU are successful.
Do not forget to love those around you,
when you achieve. Do not become arrogant
when you achieve. Do not look down upon
others, when you achieve. Do not live beyond
your means, when you achieve. AND
you do not need to impress anyone, or need
anyone’s approval in order to achieve. Achieve
for YOU and for the betterment of your
family. If you dream of owning a business,
then DO NOT STOP that dream, and one day
(especially in God’s good timing), YOU WILL
DO BETTER. YOU WILL ACHIEVE.