Three out of 10 middle and high school students in a survey last year said that they had no job goals in mind. The hopes, expectations and dreams ― the typical characterization of youth ― seem to have been snuffed out in today’s youngsters.

In the survey of 180,000 elementary, middle and high school students, those who said they had a desired job cited teaching as their No. 1 choice. On a positive note, this could be a sign of respect for teachers. Yet, it is difficult to shake off the feeling that something is amiss. Where are all the young boys who shouted “President!” when asked what they wanted to grow up to be?

Teaching has been a popular profession as it offers good income, stability and a good pension scheme. It has always been a popular choice among women, and female teachers are sought-after marriage partners.

Last year’s survey showed the profession’s popularity has also spread to boys. Among middle school boys, 8.9 percent cited teaching as the job they wanted, and the figure for high school boys stayed about the same at 9 percent. Meanwhile, the figure for middle school girls stood at 19.4 percent, while among high school girls the figure declined to 15.6 percent.

Also notable was the trend toward seeking stable jobs. Researcher, office worker, police officer were also popular. The entrepreneurial spirit was hard to find, as CEO or businessperson failed to make it to the top five popular jobs except among high school boys, 4.1 percent of whom responded they wanted to be a CEO or businessman.

The survey also asked parents of the students about job choices for their children. Teaching was the overwhelming choice among parents as well. In Korea, where parents exercise a great deal of influence over their children, teaching as the preferred job of choice among school students may strongly reflect the parents’ wishes. In other words, parents may be telling their children to take the safe, stable route. Indeed, 31.8 percent of high school students surveyed said that they were most influenced by their parents in choosing their future occupations.

Perhaps in these difficult economic times, it is only natural for parents to want their children to have a job that offers stability. High school students know all too well the plight of many young people who move from one internship or part-time job to another, with employment prospects growing dimmer this year as businesses across the board cut down on their annual recruitments.

But how about the younger ones? Is it natural at their age to play it safe? Where is the spirit of challenge, the willingness to take a chance? Society should create an atmosphere where youngsters dare to take risks, defy conventions, and push the boundaries. Otherwise, we will be bereft of the youthful vigor and excitement that should fuel our future.