Education Errors

This time of year see's grade 12 students all over Australia freaking out about what they will be doing with their lives. Some have a firm idea, many will go on to get a trade of some form, others will go on to university to get a degree which will lead to a dream job such as a doctor or a lawyer. But what about those students who are still unsure about what their lives will be like when they are older. THIS IS OK! I don't understand how the education system expects children to know the exact path that they will be taking by 17 years of age. Students seem to be told that you either get a trade or go off to uni, and if you go to uni it's so you can get yourself a job after. THIS ISN'T THE POINT! University is so you are able to further your education, just because you get a degree in chemistry doesn't mean you have to have a job related to chemistry. It simply means you have a passion for chemistry and wanted to learn more about the subject. I understand that for some jobs, such as lawyers or doctors, you do need a degree but this doesn't mean it's the only reason to get one. Too many people are using university as a form of vocation rather than education. Statistically people graduating from school now will have at least 3-4 career changes in their life time. This means you shouldn't be worried if the job you choose now is going to be the best job to have in 20 years because there is a very big chance the job you will have doesn't even exist yet. I would like to hope that if our society starts to put a focus and an importance on furthering education then we will have less young children swearing and dropping out of school for no reason. We need to show that being educated isn't something to be shunned for, but rather celebrate the educated and encourage others to do the same. It happens time and time again where the educated or "nerds" are picked on, purely because they are smart. In some cases this actually cause the person to feel that being smart is a curse and they try to hide their brains away. We need to band together and show that a brain isn't something to hide, you should be proud of your intelligence.
My advice for all those people choosing their career path but are unsure of what to do, just pick something you love and are passionate about. If you do this then you will be successful, if you are truly passionate about something you will find away to make it your job.
My advice for all of those people who tease the smart kids, I'd be careful because one day, we will probably all be working for them.