Importance of fieldwork

I have always wished to study abroad. However, due to some unavoidable circumstances, I couldn't make it and got admitted to a renowned university in Bangladesh. When I started my classes, I was handed a few assignments which needed fieldwork. I found my group members grumbling, “This teacher is so weird, maybe he is a new one. Why go for a fieldwork? Let's just make something. Who will know whether we went to the field for it or not?” I was dumbfounded.
A friend of mine was studying abroad. When I asked him about his group projects, he said they were bound to do practical work. They need to record everything, from group discussions to fieldwork so that the teacher comes to know what actually occurred.
Every year in Bangladesh, thousands of students become graduates, but very few can join good jobs. Why is it so? The reason is they lack technical and practical knowledge but pass the examination through learning by rote. It is high time authorities concerned modernised our education system so that we can compete globally.