Two decades back I wrote “Degrees For Everyone”, a comic novel on the collapse of universities as centres of academia. Instead, I claimed, they were now commercial ventures, dishing out nonsense degrees in non-academic topics. Since then university degrees (excluding the sciences, philosophy et al) have become an even bigger joke.
I advise my children to have a year at university as an experience, but otherwise to be curious and read. As they’ve grown up awash in books the adult ones all have large libraries of several thousand books and any discussions frequently include comment about a book they’ve just read, particularly any fiction, which has excited them.
But here’s how bad the situation has become.
London’s University of Buckingham, currently rated 123rd out of Britain’s 130 universities, is… Read no further until you’ve poured yourself a drink…
I’ll now carry on assuming you’ve taken that precaution… is offering a degree in 20th century British history. Now down your drink and pour another before reading further.
First; this ratbag so-called university doesn’t even know what the 20th century is as it transpires this degree is to cover Britain’s 20th century history up until 1980.
“Lectures” consist solely of a weekly quality restaurant dinner, with an after-dinner speaker. The rest is writing essays on any subject the student chooses re that period.
Now comes the real need to finish off the bottle and open another.
For this outfit will give you a B.A. after one year, an M.A. at the end of the second year and a bloody doctorate at the end of the third year.
So if I lived in London I could attend the weekly dinner which from the details, sounds a fun occasion, and being a writer, could easily knock out the required weekly essay in half an hour, the subject being of my choice, then three years later, it’s Bob Jones PhD.
The commercial opportunity this situation offers in providing for every typist, retardee, road worker or whoever, to acquire a PhD, immediately leaps to mind. They could enrol, attend the weekly dinner then for a fee, one could knock out essays for them effortlessly, to present in their own hand-writing.
Even in our degraded universities, never more epitomised than by the disgraceful episode by Auckland university, when incited by their mad Vice-Chancellor, over 600 of them cowardly signed a petition calling for the sacking of some of their professorial science colleagues. Their sin it will be recalled, was in writing a letter to the Listener in which they protested at having to present their scientific research in the context of maori mythology. Mythology is a legitimate field of study as an aspect of human behaviour but it most certainly has nothing to do with science.
It’s long overdue for a government enquiry into our universities and what constitutes academic study, justifiable given they’re substantially funded by the tax-payer.
Sir Bob Jones is a renowned author, columnist , property investor, and former politician, who blogs at No Punches Pulled HERE. - Where this article was sourced.
But here’s how bad the situation has become.
London’s University of Buckingham, currently rated 123rd out of Britain’s 130 universities, is… Read no further until you’ve poured yourself a drink…
I’ll now carry on assuming you’ve taken that precaution… is offering a degree in 20th century British history. Now down your drink and pour another before reading further.
First; this ratbag so-called university doesn’t even know what the 20th century is as it transpires this degree is to cover Britain’s 20th century history up until 1980.
“Lectures” consist solely of a weekly quality restaurant dinner, with an after-dinner speaker. The rest is writing essays on any subject the student chooses re that period.
Now comes the real need to finish off the bottle and open another.
For this outfit will give you a B.A. after one year, an M.A. at the end of the second year and a bloody doctorate at the end of the third year.
So if I lived in London I could attend the weekly dinner which from the details, sounds a fun occasion, and being a writer, could easily knock out the required weekly essay in half an hour, the subject being of my choice, then three years later, it’s Bob Jones PhD.
The commercial opportunity this situation offers in providing for every typist, retardee, road worker or whoever, to acquire a PhD, immediately leaps to mind. They could enrol, attend the weekly dinner then for a fee, one could knock out essays for them effortlessly, to present in their own hand-writing.
Even in our degraded universities, never more epitomised than by the disgraceful episode by Auckland university, when incited by their mad Vice-Chancellor, over 600 of them cowardly signed a petition calling for the sacking of some of their professorial science colleagues. Their sin it will be recalled, was in writing a letter to the Listener in which they protested at having to present their scientific research in the context of maori mythology. Mythology is a legitimate field of study as an aspect of human behaviour but it most certainly has nothing to do with science.
It’s long overdue for a government enquiry into our universities and what constitutes academic study, justifiable given they’re substantially funded by the tax-payer.
Sir Bob Jones is a renowned author, columnist , property investor, and former politician, who blogs at No Punches Pulled HERE. - Where this article was sourced.
7 comments:
I do not know if the public can drop in but if Bob wangled a seat at a graduation for some non tech degree he would be staggered at the colossal number who somehow qualify. Degrees do seem to have been cheapened in recent times.
It is interesting that Bob has succeeded in passing on his interest in books. If they have also inherited other traits our culturally traditional wry humour may have a future after all.
Sadly nowadays serious non ficton books have largely vanished in favour of the Internet. Apart from taking soem paid course it is now difficult to mug up on any topics.
Agree 100%
But your suggestion in your last para will never fly.
Not in my lifetime anyway.
The philosophy behind this nonsense is called constructivism. It is what has destroyed our literacy and numeracy ratings international level at the pre -tertiary level, down there with Sierra Leone which is having a civil war.
Constructivism is a direct product of progressive education. The alternative is traditional liberal education.which the baby -boomers experienced. The theory behind constructivism is choice and autonomy for the student since this child /student-centered education believes the child/student knows best what they do in all areas of life. It has revealed itself to be sentimental claptrap and explains fully the rational behind the Buckingham playschool curriculum.
To Ray S.
Yes - and this list is now very long.
But - if there is not a first step ( and clash) to reset the agenda, the woke version will roll on and every system and its institutions will be irreparably changed and broken.
The NZ Law Society is the last case in point.
Many people think it is already too late. NZers will finally acquiesce.
Lol when the Royal Society acknowledges taniwha, what do you expect?
Next you will be able to get an English degree when you can sing the first verse of Pokarekareana in Maori.
Dear Sir Robert Jones.
Can I suggest, that you have the time, is to conduct a "survey" of all NZ Civil service Staff and find out -
[1] - how many have a University Degrees
[2] - what was the Subject matter "studied" and what was the title of the Degree
[3] - of those "surveyed" ask - 'Why did you join the Civil Service'?
[4] - the Degree you gained, to what purpose would it help your employment application - particularly within the NZ Civil Service?
[5] - did you consider employment in the "real world" of business & commerce
[6] - how many Govt Depts. have you moved between, since joining the Civil Service?
My questionnaire, for these people, could be quite lengthy, and I am not sure that many "would have time to answer such a survey"!
ANON, of New Zealand
Hang on a minute Bob, before you read any further, go and pour another drink. OK, I think sir Bob Jones PhD has a bit of a ring to it. Keep fighting the good fight bob, i love reading your posts. Where and when did it all go sooooo wrong for us Bob?
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