This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Are there too many students?

It's obvious that education is wasted on some.

Should we reduce the number of pointless courses or make it harder to sign up?

What percentage of the population should receive higher education?

Reply 1

A is for Awesome

2

Anyone who wants it. There's no such thing as a 'pointless course'. Unless you only see education as a gateway into a career.

Reply 2

TheVoiceOfReason

OP

So we should just let our younger generation piss away three years for fun and be no better for it?

Reply 3

Joseph90

14

'Pointless' and 'mickey mouse' courses are elitist terms for courses that don't offer the tradition of degrees like English and History. People want to be at Uni, enjoy the courses and want their degree to help them find a career. Why should that be taken away from people because there are too many students? Universities have changed. They are for everyone now and not just a small number of people.

Reply 4

TheVoiceOfReason

OP

Joseph90

'Pointless' and 'mickey mouse' courses are elitist terms for courses that don't offer the tradition of degrees like English and History. People want to be at Uni, enjoy the courses and want their degree to help them find a career. Why should that be taken away from people because there are too many students? Universities have changed. They are for everyone now and not just a small number of people.

The problem is we're pumping out so many graduates who have pitiful critical thinking skills, contribute nothing to society and are qualified for nothing.

A complete waste of time.

Reply 5

A is for Awesome

2

TheVoiceOfReason

The problem is we're pumping out so many graduates who have pitiful critical thinking skills, contribute nothing to society and are qualified for nothing.

A complete waste of time.

So what? At least they had fun.

Reply 6

Lil Piranha

12

A is for Awesome

Anyone who wants it.

See there I disagree with you. A place at university is a privilege to be earned, not a right to be had.

And I think there are some "pointless" degrees, though I think pointless is the wrong word - misplaced might be better. For example, dance and drama would better suit a student in a proper dance/drama school environment, rather than at a general univeristy. Things like fashion and photography would be better taught as apprenticeships. Media Studies and Journalism should (in my opinion) be taught under English Language or Literature, then people can specialise in their particular areas in 3rd years or Masters. I don't think any subject matter is pointless - but I don't think all of them are academic and degree subjects.

Reply 7

AP.

Maybe some sort of Final Solution?

Reply 8

Nambi

11

If a kid wants to dish out thousands for 3 years of Media Studies at South Bank, then why not? It's their life. I doubt they are doing it for the career or they would have chosen something else. University is also an experience, it opens you up to meeting more people, is educational in a social and not just academic way, and helps you to explore what you want from life.

Reply 9

Jimlon0

1

I have to agree with the OP. University isn't like school. It is a place for advanced thinking and development, something that not everyone can do. Graduates have always been well skilled and trained, yet nowadays there people graduating who are no better than they would have been had they stopped after college.

You can argue that the social and maturing aspect is important, but these an be accomplished in other ways. University has been and always will be a place for academia.

Reply 10

Ribbits

15

You can't selectively deny people education anymore than you can choose who should live and die. Your criteria will be different from mine and neither of us would necessarily be right (not that I would want to deny anyone an education, but if I was forced to make up some kind of ridiculous system for shutting people out).

Edit: Anyone who wants it that is. If people get GCSEs, A levels, go through UCAS and student finance - then let them make their own informed choices.

Reply 11

TheVoiceOfReason

OP

Nambi

University is also an experience, it opens you up to meeting more people, is educational in a social and not just academic way, and helps you to explore what you want from life.

I'd contend that you should know something about what you want from life before you decide to spend three years studying.

The people they meet will be just like them. Middle class and directionless. I'm not sure how this helps their development.

Reply 12

cpj1987

15

I don't think that there can be too many students. University should be an opportunity for all - everyone should be able to get a higher education in a subject of their choice.

Reply 13

Ludwig Wittgenstein

17

Everyone should have the oppurtunity to study at higher education. People go on about how there are so many wasters and how this country is going down the pan... but at the other end of the spectrum there are more and more people getting awesome A level grades and earning themselves a huge amount of socioeconomic mobility.

The wonders of a liberal democracy :woo:

Reply 14

ByronicHero

20

Personally I would cap the places on more vocational courses in line with the amount of vacancies in those proffessions. Film studies etc etc.

I dont think you can restrict people from going to university, but I think it would be fine to dilute some courses and have more palces on others along the principle I state above.

Im far too tired to have this debate though (It has been had on here many times)

Reply 15

TheVoiceOfReason

OP

alexterry

Everyone should have the oppurtunity to study at higher education. People go on about how there are so many wasters and how this country is going down the pan... but at the other end of the spectrum there are more and more people getting awesome A level grades and earning themselves a huge amount of socioeconomic mobility.

The wonders of a liberal democracy :woo:

If you think getting A level grades affords you "socioeconomic mobility", you're wrong.

Reply 16

Jimlon0

1

Nambi

If a kid wants to dish out thousands for 3 years of Media Studies at South Bank, then why not? It's their life. I doubt they are doing it for the career or they would have chosen something else. University is also an experience, it opens you up to meeting more people, is educational in a social and not just academic way, and helps you to explore what you want from life.

That would be fine if it were that simple. But it also requires tax payer funding to put that kid through the course.
Years ago every university student had free education, because there weren't loads of them and they could be supported entirely by the government . However now students have to pay because the government cant support the massive number of students going to uni.

Reply 17

Ludwig Wittgenstein

17

TheVoiceOfReason

I'd contend that you should know something about what you want from life before you decide to spend three years studying.

The people they meet will be just like them. Middle class and directionless. I'm not sure how this helps their development.

& sorry but that is the most bigoted thing I've heard in a long time.
Why are people expected to KNOW exactly want they are mean to be working towards? People go to uni to study what they passionate about and that should hopefully lead them a job they want to do.

Also what is wrong with being middle class and aspiring to a university education ? I hate the nasty elitist attitude some people have on this site.

Reply 18

Ludwig Wittgenstein

17

TheVoiceOfReason

If you think getting A level grades affords you "socioeconomic mobility", you're wrong.

Yes they do, they steer you in the direction that you want to take your life into. They affect what your academic interests, what you want to study at uni and probably the quality of the uni you study at.

The better your degree the better your job prospects.
So gtfo with your sh***y conservative elitist mindset.

Reply 19

nolongerhearthemusic

13

Ribbits

You can't selectively deny people education anymore than you can choose who should live and die. Your criteria will be different from mine and neither of us would necessarily be right (not that I would want to deny anyone an education, but if I was forced to make up some kind of ridiculous system for shutting people out).

Edit: Anyone who wants it that is. If people get GCSEs, A levels, go through UCAS and student finance - then let them make their own informed choices.

The current system denies people education all the time by arbitrary criteria.

Are there too many students?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you