Recently, a number of universities have announced figures revealing the percentage of their graduates who have found jobs. It is quite amazing that almost all of these universities have a rate higher than 90 per cent, which means most of their graduates haven't suffered from what we call "the hardship of getting a job".

This could be a piece of encouraging news for the public, as long as they don't take the quality of these jobs into consideration. Actually, what lies behind the numbers might have more meaning than the figures themselves.

We have long heard the saying "to find a job is a big job", which indicates that in this city it's quite difficult for young graduates to find an "ideal" job. Since universities have enlarged their enrollments, there are an increasing number of graduates surging into the job market every year. Intense competition has caused many graduates to give up their vocation and take up a job that is totally new or unsuitable for them. Thus, although they may have found jobs, they are not satisfied with them. And after a year, many people move on from their first job to find a new one, which has resulted in a high rate of job changing in this city.

This eventually leads to a vicious circle, since many companies become unwilling to employ university graduates. In other words, it can add to the difficulties new graduates have in finding a job of any kind. What's more, they also have to compete with other youngsters graduating from technical schools and professional schools. As a result, some university graduates might be doing the same work as technical schools graduates, which has made them question the value of university education.

Those who do not want to abandon their vocation or find work instantly might decide to pursue their studies by progressing to postgraduate institutions at home or abroad to broaden their knowledge. However, the final goal of their study is still to find a good job. So this group will also be included among the job hunters.

Although it is an exaggeration to say that "top students will go abroad, middling students will find jobs, and the rest will pursue their studies", it is quite common for students to find that they haven't been prepared for work upon graduation, so staying on at university can be the best way to escape the pressure and competition to be found in the wider society. No wonder that there are more and more students choosing to stay in school rather than go to work, while those who have to find a job feel confused and inexperienced when stepping out of their familiar environment.

So what's the real function of our universities? Should they be a paradise in which students can enjoy their youth? Or a pre-work institute to equip students for future competition?

Neither of the two answers is appropriate. University is a place where youngsters can fully develop themselves and become clear about their future choices. Four years of education is an important opportunity for people to better understand themselves and the world. In this way, when they confront the question of whether to work and how to work they will be confident and competent enough to make their own choices and shape their own lives.

But we have to admit that university education has a long way to go to meet this requirement. To some extent, it has been driven towards two extremes.

One is market oriented, only offering courses needed for future work. This utilitarian approach might raise immediate employment rates, but in the long run it will harm the quality of education, and make universities mere job training organizations.

Perhaps we can't put all the blame on the universities. Because of the difficulty in entering universities, many students just take it for granted that they should be able to enjoy themselves after achieving this goal. And when they have idled away three years of golden time, it is too late for them - with only one year remaining - to find a satisfactory job. starcomment@yahoo.com