When I was in highschool, my parents and I, both, almost assumed that I would proceed to some post-secondary educational programme. The dominant careers then had essentially three routes: a) prepare for civil service; b) become an engineer; c) or a doctor.Professional institutions for the latter two, and a university degree for the former were the primary educational routes available and sought.

There was no distance education; polytechnics were considered good for those who couldn’t make it in engineering colleges; if you couldn’t qualify for civil service, then you would become a ‘master’ (teacher). If there was no route to post-secondary education left, then you could open a shop or join in the family business.