Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.

The statement provided pushes the point that educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed. This opinion seems in contradiction with the primary purpose of educational institutions, which is to provide a learning environment to students which helps them in growing. The main responsibility is to nurture and hone the skills of students. The chief tenet of all educational institutions is to help students in identifying their passion and then help them in achieving it by constant guidance. Dissuasion should not be considered a mainstream tool in dealing with students.

This brings us to the question of what defines success. The author states that students should be dissuaded in case it is established that they are unlikely to succeed in that particular field. But the fact remains that success can mean different things for different people. Some people define it as acquiring money, whereas some give more importance to popularity and fame; still others perceive making great contributions to the field itself as a measure of success, even if it is not accompanied by money or fame. For a few people just enjoying your work and deriving pleasure from it is another way of defining success. Therefore, it would be unfair to dissuade a student to not pursue study in a particular field just because it does not conform to some predefined idea of success. Renowned artist Vincent Van Gogh did not enjoy any recognition during his lifetime. He spent his lifetime in penury with his paintings not finding any takers. His contemporaries surely declared him a failure. But years later he his considered as an icon. What he could not achieve in his lifetime, he has achieved after his death. Today, his paintings have become invaluable pieces of art which are adorned in galleries and the collections of art connosieurs. If he were to take the rigid definition of success seriously we would never have witnessed his wonderful contribution to art.

In somewhat similar manner, sometimes unconventionally disruptive thinking is classified as a mark of potential failure. Students possessing ideas deviating from the norm are seen as dense or unlikely to succeed in a particular field. Some students are late learners who are unable to grasp the fundamentals of a subject quickly. This does not mean that they will be utter failures in a particular field. A very inspiring case is that of Albert Einstein. Einstein was rejected from his school as he was considered a slow, incorrigible child who would never be able to learn anything. HIs mother took it upon herself to give him an education which led to him being homeschooled. Einstein grew up to become the greatest minds of all times giving us the highly important theory of relativity.

These cases throw light on the various ways in which educational institutions and society can make misinformed judgements about a student's capabilities. Sometimes what we mark ingredients to potential failure might work out for the best in the end. There can be cases where students showing subpar talents can lead to despair and turmoil on the part of student. In such cases it can be good idea for educational institutions to intervene. But even then, rather than focussing on outright dissuasion there should be a thrust on providing right kind of counselling. Sometimes, a student's passion can be channelized in a better way by creating a dialogue instead of resorting to abandonment of pursuit in a particular field of study.

In conclusion, it is important to not give in to the conventional definitions of success to decide the future of any student. Discouraging a student to go forth on a path is never healthy way to deal with such cases. A good education environment must always focus on helping the student overcome odds and hone his or her skills. Even when things are not progressing in the desired manner counselling is a much better way to help a student, than to discourage him pointblank. The main responsibility of educational institutions is to provide a nurturing environment for learning to all students.