So maybe I’m coming at this with a biased view of the world, but I agree with this academic at the University of Canterbury who is saying today that universities have just become factories that pump out people with degrees. And he wants them to become elite institutions again.
What’s more, he’s saying that because universities are so focused on getting people in the door and giving them a qualification, it’s meant that there are people at university who shouldn’t be.
And how does he know that? Or why does he think that?
It’s because of the number of students at university that, he says, are illiterate. In fact, he reckons it’s got so bad that it’s reached “a crisis level”.
Mike Grimshaw is his name. He’s an Associate Professor of Sociology at Canterbury. And, as well as saying today that universities need to get all elite on it again, he’s also pointing the finger at the education system. Primary schools, in particular.
Which he says are failing to create what he calls a reading and writing culture because they have become more interested in technology than education.
This is how he’s describing it today. He’s saying that schools, and society in general, have “swallowed the technological Kool Aid without actually valuing education.”
So that’s where his finger is pointing.
He says many students "appear to be functionally illiterate - going on the incoherence of their written work. Compulsory writing or critical thinking courses do not seem to help as they can pass these and still regularly submit incoherent work.”
So I get what he’s saying about the school system failing kids so that, by the time they reach university, their reading and writing isn’t what it should be.
But I’m also going to point the finger at employers, because the fact that people have to have a university degree just to get a foot in the door at a lot of outfits is something I’ve been hot on for a long time. I think it’s crazy.
And it’s not just because I didn’t go to university, it’s not just because I learned how to be a journalist on the job at a local newspaper.
It’s because a university degree doesn’t make someone better suited for a job.
If someone’s a real nosey type, who won’t take “no” for an answer and who isn’t scared to knock on someone’s door to see if they want to talk, but doesn't have piece of paper from a university, they will be a way better journalist than someone who went to university, got a degree but is too scared to talk to people.
I’m sure you can think of jobs or professions where natural inclination or natural skill way outshines the benefit of a university degree. But, for some reason, a lot of employers these days don’t want to know you if you haven’t got a qualification.
When it comes to university, my view is that there should only be two reasons for someone to go. The first is if you absolutely have to because of the career you want - so that’s things like law, engineering, medicine.
The other reason is if you really want to. And that’s probably the key bit here, because, if you really want to go to university, chances are you’re not going to be illiterate.
Universities these days are full of people who don’t really want to be at university but they think they have to if they want to get a job, and they’ll be the ones who Mike Grimshaw at UC is talking about today.
And that’s why employers have to take some of the blame here. Employers who know full well that someone could do the job for them just as well —with or without a university degree— but, for some reason, they’re only interested in talking to the people with the degree and the framed photo on the wall.
John MacDonald is the Canterbury Mornings host on Newstalk ZB Christchurch. - where this article was sourced.
And how does he know that? Or why does he think that?
It’s because of the number of students at university that, he says, are illiterate. In fact, he reckons it’s got so bad that it’s reached “a crisis level”.
Mike Grimshaw is his name. He’s an Associate Professor of Sociology at Canterbury. And, as well as saying today that universities need to get all elite on it again, he’s also pointing the finger at the education system. Primary schools, in particular.
Which he says are failing to create what he calls a reading and writing culture because they have become more interested in technology than education.
This is how he’s describing it today. He’s saying that schools, and society in general, have “swallowed the technological Kool Aid without actually valuing education.”
So that’s where his finger is pointing.
He says many students "appear to be functionally illiterate - going on the incoherence of their written work. Compulsory writing or critical thinking courses do not seem to help as they can pass these and still regularly submit incoherent work.”
So I get what he’s saying about the school system failing kids so that, by the time they reach university, their reading and writing isn’t what it should be.
But I’m also going to point the finger at employers, because the fact that people have to have a university degree just to get a foot in the door at a lot of outfits is something I’ve been hot on for a long time. I think it’s crazy.
And it’s not just because I didn’t go to university, it’s not just because I learned how to be a journalist on the job at a local newspaper.
It’s because a university degree doesn’t make someone better suited for a job.
If someone’s a real nosey type, who won’t take “no” for an answer and who isn’t scared to knock on someone’s door to see if they want to talk, but doesn't have piece of paper from a university, they will be a way better journalist than someone who went to university, got a degree but is too scared to talk to people.
I’m sure you can think of jobs or professions where natural inclination or natural skill way outshines the benefit of a university degree. But, for some reason, a lot of employers these days don’t want to know you if you haven’t got a qualification.
When it comes to university, my view is that there should only be two reasons for someone to go. The first is if you absolutely have to because of the career you want - so that’s things like law, engineering, medicine.
The other reason is if you really want to. And that’s probably the key bit here, because, if you really want to go to university, chances are you’re not going to be illiterate.
Universities these days are full of people who don’t really want to be at university but they think they have to if they want to get a job, and they’ll be the ones who Mike Grimshaw at UC is talking about today.
And that’s why employers have to take some of the blame here. Employers who know full well that someone could do the job for them just as well —with or without a university degree— but, for some reason, they’re only interested in talking to the people with the degree and the framed photo on the wall.
John MacDonald is the Canterbury Mornings host on Newstalk ZB Christchurch. - where this article was sourced.
8 comments:
If John has ever attended a modern graduation ceremony he will be even more convinced. it is hard to believe that the graduating hordes are all of notaby above avergae ability and learning. Of course there must not be any hint of discrinination or race base bias so limited English, cultural indispostion etc are discounted.
Totally agree. Not only have they become highly political sinecures for activism, they've abandoned their dedication to academic excellence.
Under the employers banner you will find HR, a group that has been promoted far beyond their capability. They have no idea what any particular job entails, so the make up requirements to allow them to pretend they are doing a good job. The first one is a degree. Who would get fired for employing someone with a degree goes their thinking.
So the pushy, potentially perfect journalist will never get past the HR gate keepers. A group more concerned with their power than anything else.
This is all by design. The dumbing down of society suits the lefties as then people can be easily manipulated.
Credential inflation is when higher and higher paper quals are needed that may or may not relate to the position the employee holds.
I remember listening to a debate at my school in 1966 when the topic was whether School Cert really matters or not. We broke out in laughter when one speaker sarcastically mimicked an employer conducting an interview with an applicant and asking whether s/he had School Cert or not.
Same job 10 years later would require UE. Another 10 years and preference will be shown for those who completed Form 7 (remember in those days UE was in Form 6). Another 10 years and it's a uni qualification.
India presents one of the most extreme instances of grossly overqualified workers displacing lesser qualified ones who would be able to do the job just as well. The clerk at the zero-star dosshouse we stayed in while in Calcutta had an MA in English Literature and I gather that kind of farce isn't unusual.
Looks like we may be headed the same way except that the graduates may have difficulty reading and writing and have now been filled with woke bullshit. Progress, huh.......
I have been involved in fighting for improving literacy and numeracy most of my life so , of course, I was delighted Prof. Grimshaw has highlighted the frightful literacy standards at universities. About time.
I agree that technology at primary schools is a big factor. A family member pioneered computer education in secondary schools but is very unhappy about how our Ministry of Ed. has shoved it into primary schools despite no research to show advantages. This is yet more progressivism which just loves novel gimmicks; open classrooms is another of the Ministry's disasters.
However the greatest educational fiasco of all is forcing the worst possible reading method , Whole Language (WL), on our precious children for over 40years.This now proven flawed method is actually the method employed by struggling poor readers: guessing words from a picture
or context because they lack sounding out skills.
Sadly I am not at all surprised that students are poor readers with low comprehension skills for that is what the WL method inevitably producers. Then there are the appalling writing and maths skills......
Meanwhile from the teachers Union newsletters, clearly they are still obsessed with maorification and gender issues.
If Universities are self funding profit oriented enterprises competing for students and grants, what do you expect? They then back sell to the educationally grasping and/or ignorant that degrees are essential and voilà ( that's French in case you don't know).
Post a Comment