Higher Education in the UK

The recent results in England and Wales of  A level 'examinations' and in Scotland of the Leavers' certificates resulted in a huge number of complaints as to how governmental and examiners' authorities had handled the analysis of what actually students did or may have done in non Covid-19 affected times.

One has to have enormous sympathy for affected students although Covid-19 is hardly any government's  fault. There are  arguments about whether the UK government could and should have done more earlier to safeguard, for example the elderly at care homes or whether the UK should have followed the Swedes in keeping places of education open throughout the pandemic. However such arguments would probably be premature at the present time unless one is as a newspaper proprietor endeavouring to sell more copies. Such are not in any event the main topic of this  blog post.

The main concern I have about education at present is not about secondary schools but about higher education in the UK. In my view far too many financial resources are applied to university education, there are far too many universities offering students courses in subjects which are unlikely to be worth the university fees being charged to students for receiving the same and the system as a whole urgently needs reform. One of the advantages of reform of Higher Education is that nursery and primary education for young children could be better financed for the future.

Possibly the huge expansion of higher education during the past forty or fifty years coupled with the almost equally huge measure of grade inflation for those passing their degrees during that time, were caused not by educational need but by other reasons such as reducing unemployment figures and/or  political party  policy though perhaps  grade inflation, hinges more on competition between  some universities for securing students.

The increase in the number of universities is illustrated by the fact that over 50 years ago,  there was a College of Law Languages and Commerce in  Holborn London. Then that college became part of Regent Street Polytecnic and later, became the University of Westminster. The London University external degree examinations which had to be taken by Holborn students were marked externally to the College and were hugely difficult to pass for many. On the other hand the comparatively few UK students at such universities or colleges paid no fees for their privilege  of higher education.

Today, far more students secure far more  and higher honours  degrees from universities than ever before. However the cost paid  for such degrees not only in having to fund fees but also in so many courses being at best unhelpful, with media studies being but one example, raises the  question of the purpose of it all. Prospective employers do tend to give credit to graduates and many professions including nursing now require degrees for initial entry. However the financial benefits in the workplace are apparently diminishing and I am not sure that undertaking five years of articles for a solicitor necessarily results in a worse lawyer than a degree plus two years trainee ship  years does and similarly for nursing and so on.. 

On the more positive side is the time spent at university, new friendships formed and   the possibility of some educational advantage. University does to some extent also keep people off the streets and off the unemployment statistics.

The latter two 'advantages' are far better harnessed in Germany through apprenticeships but in my view, in the UK, some form of compulsory military service for  some 18 year olds should  at least be considered. 

Interestingly during lock down, there are numerous complaints reported of young people being involved in having drinking sessions in the open  which of themselves are understandable but then throwing their empty bottles and other litter on the ground for others to clear up. 

A year of military service if properly organised or some other service such as visiting the elderly or tidying public gardens or unpaid trainee ships, might be apt instead of countless expensive but useless degree courses. Those who are more suited to university could then be better and less expensively educated and as indicated above the money saved spent on nursery/primary education.