Danny Alexander on QT

leveller2911

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

Which subjects are "hard"? How do you decide?

What you do not realise is that doing a degree is not vocational training; it is about educating people so they can think for themselves. This is certainly a skill that University taught me.

School taught me to think and to question........ and that was free, Good parenting is the answer, teach kids to think,question and take an interest in what goes on around them, you don't need University and debt to do that.

So to sum up your saying/implying that to not subsidise students University funding is denying them the ability to think? Jeez I did miss out big time ......

ILW

I truly believe that a majority of the population believe that if someone chooses to go into higher education, that they should be contributing to the cost of it. The current system seems not too bad but I lifetime graduate tax would be the fairest option.

StevieJ

ILW wrote: »

I cannot see why the 60 or 70% of the population who seem to be making a living without the benefit of a university education should be paying for a load of students to study for worthless "mickey mouse" degrees, which will show no benefit to this country. I of course exclude the "harder" subjects such as medicine, engineering etc.

I assume you are of an age that could have attended university, or indeed Polytechnic with not only a free degree but the bonus of a grant to pay the beer bills

ILW

I did not go into any further education, not many did when I left school. Think you had to be a lot brighter then than now.

StevieJ

Sapphire wrote: »

Held to account for what?

For their actions, what else?

1984ReturnsForReal_2

StevieJ wrote: »

For their actions, what else?

Accountabiliticious

Sir_Humphrey

ILW wrote: »

Are you saying that anyone without a degree is incabable of thinking for themselves?

No, I am not.

But a University education improves these critical faculties.

Perhaps this is a rather non-PC attitude, but there you go.

ILW

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

No, I am not.

But a University education improves these critical faculties.

Perhaps this is a rather non-PC attitude, but there you go.

I would agree with you to some extent, but would suggest only the more vigorous courses which would only tend to attract the brightest individuals in the first place.
It does appear that many degree courses have been set up to match the level of the applicants rather than the other way round.

Really2

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

No, I am not.

But a University education improves these critical faculties.

Perhaps this is a rather non-PC attitude, but there you go.

Interesting idea but some of the cleverest people I know (on paper) are some of the least organised and lacking in common sense.

Judging by the recent protests free thinking does not seem to be a strong point, any free thinker should know why the cuts are happening. Education does not improve free thinking why? because someone is dictating to you every day.

Sir_Humphrey

Really2 wrote: »

Interesting idea but some of the cleverest people I know (on paper) are some of the least organised and lacking in common sense.

Being organised has nothing to do with intelligence.

People at the top of organisations often hire secretaries to manage their diaries. Adam Smith called it the division of labour.

Really2 wrote: »

Judging by the recent protests free thinking does not seem to be a strong point, any free thinker should know why the cuts are happening. Education does not improve free thinking why? because someone is dictating to you every day.

Polling (I forget which pollster - sorry) indicates that the tuition fees policy is deeply unpopular across all groups.

Since the current national groupthink has moved on from mindless property ramping to mindless austerity, I would in fact argue that students are the free-thinkers.