Today a joint student-faculty strike was called in opposition to cuts to California’s university and college budget. The strike received a great deal of publicity, at least on campus. In the end it was simply a noisy nuisance. My primary professor, whose class I had at the time the walk-out, continued to lecture as usual and class went on much as it always has. Well, except for the noise-patrol chanting the same tired slogans from the 1960s over and over again. “Affordable quality education is a human right”.
No, a basic education is a universal right — university is a privilege. Frankly, it is a privilege too freely given to the inept and hopeless. There should, in fact, be fewer spaces available and fewer programmes offered. That taxes go to support degrees in dance, theatre management, and “liberal studies” is simply beyond and rationale. If people wish to learn to dance, by all means they should — there are always a number of private dance academies that offer lessons, some at reasonable prices. If people wish to learn theatre management they should be allowed to — at theatres and private schools. Studying Japanese is a hobby, so I take it privately at both a language school and with a tutor. My whim, my money, my time. As for cost… Grants pay for my tuition and even then there is money left over. My debts are incurred not because of university fees, but because I insisted on living in one of the USA’s most expensive cities and having my own flat.
As for liberal studies… If students are so utterly inept as not to be able to choose a primary course of study, why should they be allowed to create one for themselves? Am I supposed to somehow, hearing the plight of mediocre dance students whose marks in actual subjects such as language, history, and the sciences, be moved?
Perhaps unsupported accusations that the chancellor of the California State University system is corrupt and spelling his name as (G)reed. Is he inept, clueless, and out of his depth? Likely so, yes. These points are subjective and can be argued either way. But to label him as corrupt? That is somewhat more an objective term, one with legal definitions. Actually, libel as legal definitions, too. Rant over.
Boadicea's Chariot 
It seems to be a problem shared with the UK. There are FAR too many places at university here and it has been a stated aim of the present and previous bunch of buffoons in charge of the country to have 50% of school leavers go to university. When I went there it was about 6%, probably a bit on the low side, but I cannot imagine that more than 15-20% of school leavers would benefit from the academic discipline of a proper university course.
The problem is, of course, that so many of the courses offered are a complete waste of time and money, while not enough students take the difficult subjects that the country actually needs graduates in.
We’re in the same situation here. Everyone expects to go to University and come out with a qualification…
I doubt whether the ‘student fees’ reflect the true cost of the education being provided. It amazes me that here students waft in for a few courses, drift off out, return a few terms later to take some other subject and so many never quite seem to ‘finish’ anything. There was a lot to be said for the idea that one had three years, one stuck to it, finished it – or failed…
I do not have an objection to funding tertiary education for those who can benefit by it, and thereby benefit the rest of us. But, I really have a problem with funding places for people to use ‘going to Uni’ as an excuse for not doing anything very much.
The news last night was saying that many overseas students are going to the US and the UK in preference to coming here – partly due to the the strong Ozzie dollar, but mainly because the government has stopped giving permanent residency to any overseas student who comes here to study pastry making.
I’m supposed to feel exceedingly sorry that some ‘colleges’ have had to close, and some lecturers have been made unemployed – I watched a whole mob of overseas students causing mayhem in some big city – and my immediate reaction was to put them on the next flight out with a stamp marked ‘undesirable’ on their passports…
I agree with you both, Christopher and FEEG. The tragedy is that Blair & co conned some less able pupils into thinking that a degree in some wishy-washy subject like Media Studies from some very third-rate university would be of use to them. These poor kids got themselves into debt for nothing.
It will be interesting to see what happens to these “universities”, most of whom have announced they will be charging the maximum £9,000 fees. I hope the customers will not apply there and they will be forced to go back to being polytechnics or colleges of further education.
Yup Christopher I could not agree wiff you more. Here is a comment I posted last night on Zens Tax blog.
“April 13, 2011 at 6:50 pm | #80
CO is bang on the money again. Going to university is not a birthright. You get a bunch of ne’er do wells who don’t like the idea of working for a living bunging up the academic system for those who can actually spell, or comprehend basic language. Funding half the school-leaving workforce into further edukashun was simply a means of massaging the jobless figures.
An ‘ology in socio economic meeja whatsisnuts can be obtained via junk mail FFS leave academia to those who can actually contribute through real and valid research. Not a bunch of beach bums who feel they can justify years of tax funding to come up with shite like “Where can you buy the best bacon”.”
Sheona,
While the social studies, klingon, world pie in the sky reading delinquents are drawing down their EMA they are not bolstering the unemployed figures. The entire social mobility smoke screen was one enourmous and incredibly expensive con.
The last time the UK government raised the school leaving age (1970s?) most educators thought that the additional year of learning should go at the beginning of compulsory education. But, that wouldn’t have helped the ‘unemployment’ figures one bit… so we all got stuck with a pile of kids who had long since decided that they didn’t want any more education instead of a bunch of bright-eyed four year olds eager and curious to learn – well most of them!
And Governments have been using the education system to hide their inability to deal with youth employment ever since. Even worse, as Sheona rightly points out, it’s the young who have been lumbered with the cost of those false promises.
You’re absolutely right, Ferret. But while this con benefitted the government’s statistics, it’s ruined the careers of many school leavers.
Many of those going to university would prefer to get a job if only they could. They see that getting an education is better than being unemployed, or taking some miserable, dead-end, low-paid work. And who can blame them for not wanting such jobs? Yet street-sweepers and dustbins-emptiers are valuable to society. We should give them the pay and dignity they deserve. Instead, those jobs are being slashed.
Many going to university would be better suited to taking apprenticeships in skilled manual work such as plumbing but these apprenticeships are also hard to get.
If they are going to turn tertiary education over to the whims of the market the universities will have to churn out whatever junk teeneagers fancy, like media studies.
That said, education is about more than equipping people for jobs. It is about enabling people in the widest sense, to become good members of society. I do think everyone should be allowed the best education they can cope with.
Julie,
Explain to me why I should fund my neighbours zit faced, couldn’t hold down a job at Mcdonalds, idle, workshy, scrote of an excuse for a human being through a 3 year degree in playstation management?
Go on I defy you, I am all pink furry ears.
JT – I agree re appreticeships – but allowing the best education they can cope with? Why? I could have coped with a masters in politics but I didn’t because I wanted to start earning and living a life.
I hope my two daughters are happy in their soon to be adulthoods. If they need to go to Uni I hope they study something useful that will train them for a job, however, I suspect they will be tempted by something easy. They have the ability, but what good will it do them? Everyone has a poxy degree these days, therefore everyone is equal, thus not elevating you as a better employment prospect.
I also have to disagree with you regarding your first point. I have seen many lazy oiks go to Uni because they don’t know what to do with their life and Uni is an easy option. Jobs are the last thing they want. That’s why we have an immigration problem – the sofa cultured lazy indigenous welfare dependant social underclass simply aren’t willing to get a job for less than a small fortune, so employers look elswhere.
Christpher sums it up perfectly – University is a privilege, not a right. A degree should be earned and mean something, not be available to all.
To borrow from a previous blog – Government and business need to get together to restart an apprenticeship scheme – more private money than public I would suggest
Next time round I’m going for Bessarabian clogdancing and Portuguese!
Enough Amens to satisfy the Hallelujah chorus!!!
Ferret, you shouldn’t. I don’t think you can have read my comment properly.
if they are going to turn tertiary education over to the whims of the market you will find that Universities will atart offering degree courses that are valued by employers
Cuprum, in your second paragraph, you do agree with me.
Why education? Because it makes for better people and better people make for a better society. By education, I am not talking about any obscure training course. I am talking about strengthening the powers of the mind and developing the ability and inclination to think things through. We all benefit from that, collectively and individually.
Christina, Portugese will serve you well. And do enjoy the clogdancing, won’t you.
FEEG, Boadicea, and Juliet: in California it is not too difficult to get into a training programme. Colleges tend to be open for all students who wish to improve themselves and exist as community services. A number of pensioners take courses there in order to keep their minds sharp and learn new things. There are also a number of programmes such as cooking, law enforcement, welding, mechanics, nursing, usw. If people want a job, they can go there for it. There are far more colleges and spaces for students there.
Juliet: “deserve”? “Deserve”?!?! To “deserve” indicates that one is entitled to something. Heaven forbid that society things itself more “entitled” and “deserving” than it already does. If people have no marketable skills and they do not wish to acquire them, they should not be surprised if the best job they can find involves working as a janitor or gardener.
As for me… If I was at the beginning, I would study agriculture. There are a lot of jobs in that part of the economy and it is growing for obvious reasons.
CO: Portuguese is actually an interesting language and Brazil is doing quite well, it might be helpful, actually.
Christopher, by ‘deserve’ I mean reward to the extent we value that work. We value that work highly, don’t we? Heaven forbid if it were not done.
jt, how many school leavers do you actually know? The ones looking for jobs?
Do you actually realise how unemployable they really are?
Innumerate, illiterate, sullen. They can hardly mumble their own name and expect serious money for no skills whatsoever! Most couldn’t think their way out of a paper bag and a wet one at that.
I have had dozens through my office when I had the restaurants and shops, virtually all unemployable. They seriously didn’t want the jobs when I made it clear that I would insist that they went on day release to the local tec college to get some trade qualifications. Five days working, one day college leaves only one day for quaffing white lightening and bunging up the local ‘margerine legs’.
Every now and again one would find a shining exception, but they were very rare indeed and were grabbed with open arms, believe you me!
I don’t think you have had too much experience of such underfoot.
What do you actually do for a living that you seem so unaware of the realities around you?
Chris, dammit! Of use? That’s no good then!
Patagonian Welsh then?
CO: in the field of linguistics there is a shortage of people with knowledge of minor languages such as Patagonian Welsh, you could actually find a job with it — if you could suffer the self-righteous lefties long enough. Nah, I think the perfect degree would be liberal studies! You would not have to commit to any particular discipline or learn anything of any particular use. Just think! You could take a course in beginning Hindi, Greek, and LGBT studies and expect to find a job!
Juliet: respect and satisfaction in career must come from personal effort. It is something which just comes, worthwhile people tend to respect those who work hard and do well for themselves. It must be approached without a sense of entitlement.
Chris, no wonder the world is going to hell in a handcart!
‘Juliet: respect and satisfaction in career must come from personal effort. It is something which just comes, worthwhile people tend to respect those who work hard and do well for themselves. It must be approached without a sense of entitlement.’
Very true and quite rightly so. It also has very little to do with education. Many have the respect from their communities for any job well done and above and beyond the basics. I know of a well respected member of Henley Town Council in the past who was most welcomed into even the most snobby households. He was an excellent councilman, bridge player and a dustman!
Dustman= garbage man.
Christopher, I have to disagree with you that. Look at the people who get all the admiration and wealth: rock stars, filmstars, fashion models, footballers’ wives. Which do you value more? Them or the army of workers behind the scenes providing life’s basics?
Juliet: I do not dwell on those things that make no difference in the world, whether it is a footballer’s wife or any of the other members of the “entertainment world” which I generally disdain. Nor do I pose long, arduous questions to myself regarding their “success”. The world has gone to the dog’s, and that is an understatement.
CO: well said and a wonderful story. No need to translate, I am fluent in British English.
Good grief, Christopher, you’re a young fogie. 🙂
Bravo: yes, I am a young fogie. Some of my older friends (70s and 80s) have said that they are glad that they will not be around for that much longer as I am already as ornery, if not more so, as they, and they have no desire to see me at their age.
“Mamma says aligators is so ornery ‘coz they got all them teeth and no toothbrush!”
The Waterboy circa 1998.
Re 23.
No civilised person admires such chavs and peasants, they are mostly despicable, moronic and frequently end in the bankruptcy courts.
My old Ma would have sent them to the back door and counted the spoons after they left!
Cuprum
I am delighted to see that you have inherited the ability to construct verbose and prolix adjectival sequences in the best traditions of your male lineage. 😆
😀