The text for the sermon today comes from The Australian.
“We are not meeting Julia’s education targets, or words to that effect. We have a heap of young people who are not earning or learning”. Etc.
The number of young people aged 18 to 24 working, studying or training fell 3.8 per cent to 72.5 per cent, the report showed.
Lets not sweat on decimal places. A quarter of the 18-24 cohort is not working, learning or training, assuming that there are not a lot of youthful independent scholars and autodidacts like the young Karl Popper out there. Lets paint some more of the picture and consider the 30+ percent who are in universities.
At this point I will split the meditation in two, first to consider the way the 25% have been dudded (and another 10% of the cohort who are at uni but wondering wtf they are there). Second to consider how many of the other 20% at uni are getting a liberal education, meaning an education that prepares you to have a critical but civil exchange with people who have different views, to cast a meaningful vote and to keep on learning for the rest of your life.
1. The problems of the 25 to 35% who are in limbo re work and learning.
In a nutshell they have been dudded by their parents, teachers and the education czars. The parents and teachers did not collaborate to ensure they they paid attention in class, did their homework and the other things that parents, teachers and kids have to do to get literate, numerate and ready for work and further education.
The education czars screwed up on the curriculums and the teaching methods. And they gutted the technical and trade streams of education in favour of the universities.
And then the kids walked out into the highly regulated labour market, complete with unfair dismissal laws, so employers can’t afford to punt on kids who lack education, training, motivation and application (thanks to parents and teachers again) and experience.
In this situation the people who do worst are those who were disadvantaged to start with, and just resorting to affirmative action and increased funding does not start to address the basic problems. Nor does saying “Sorry”. Sorry about that.
2. The advance, retreat or going nowhere of liberal education at the universities.
Two to three per cent of school leavers went to uni in the sixties when some of us started. Now there are over 30% but the question is how many are engaged in the kind of education that some of us expected to find amidst the sandstone, the gleaming spires and the ivory towers of academe, even if we were preparing for professional life in law, medicine, engineering or soil science? I am prepared to bet a dollar that the number does not exceed 3%.
Leaving out the professional training courses, which could be provided in places where liberal education is not essential to the agenda, the following numbers come from the humanities and social sciences where liberal education is supposed to be the rationale for their existence. The numbers come from impressions (not mine, someone in the system) rather than hard “scientific” research, so feel free to be sceptical.
Take the 30% and eliminate approximately a third who are completely lost on campus, so the best thing they can do is drop out and find something at TAFE that prepares them for a job. In the residual 20% (of the population at large) about half are hanging on by the skin of their teeth, survivors of the system at best. In the residual 10% most are competent and capable of completing assignments and getting “good” results but they are not really engaged in the process, they do not read beyond the absolute minimum, they demand photocopies of lectures rather than listening and making their own record. Etc. Further, they do not usually have the time or inclination to participate in any of the traditional campus life of clubs and societies.
Some residue, perhaps 2 or 3% (total population base) are switched on and serious about scholarship and the life of the mind. But of course given the course content, both these and the others are most likely to come out of many courses more stupid than they went in. (Thinking of journalism for example, not to mention sociology and media studies). As George Orwell wrote “You have to be an intellectual to believe such nonsense”.
So much for the expansion of the universities. And some people want to get 60% into the systemi!
My youngest son recently dropped out from UWA, at my suggestion/insistence. After four years of attendance all he was able to obtain was an opinion that the earth is dying because of capitalist greed and white people should not have children. Oh and a HECS bill. The universities self loathing of the West is in fact directed at the white males.
Having studied at UWA myself (and 3 other Oz Unis), last degree in 2005, I can affirm that ‘liberal’ is only permitted in attitudes hostile to straight white males. Aka Zombies.
Universities are not liberal. They are hostile to most thought outside of a narrow range of politically acceptable contradictions. No dedication to excellence (too competetive), nor pursuit of truth, (too relative). Many of them believe the role of science is to support the overarching cause of the environment. Like the ABC they believe themselves to be the centre of universal thought, they are genuinely puzzled if you suggest they are biased.
The universities are Occupied.
Universities have always taught much irrelevance, that did not matter if the process taught the student how to read, and absorb dialogue, grammar and logic. They now it seems they leave University without meaningful skills, but they are handicapped with self defeating opinions and unsustainable expectations.
I am sometimes dismissed as a ranting old grumpy male. Its true. But I will not have to repay the debts that Gillard and Swan are racking up. My sons and grandsons will be paying this debt long after I am pushing up daisies.
Jannie
14 Nov 12 at 12:26 pm
Excellent line that rings very true to me.
Gab
14 Nov 12 at 12:30 pm
I have a small quibble with your theory, which is the rise of “credentialism” for jobs which traditionally dint need them.
The creep of “uni recognised” blocks of training into other areas is a massive make work programme for uni graduates.
thefrollickingmole
14 Nov 12 at 12:46 pm
Universities have become covens for ardour challenged time-servers and clock-watchers, pervasive through both the teaching and student bodies.
These are the statistical ‘unemployables’.
Inept and unable to cope or process life outside the comfort of the classroom, they remain perpetual academics thus bolstering the government largesse sought by intransigent vice-chancellors, whilst simultaneously ensuring the Centre-Link statistics are kept in acceptable single digits.
Emboldened by much rentseeking opportunism, they have learnt to play an already broken system. A glance at the number of ‘mature-age’ students on any campus lays bare this paradigm shift toward malignant entitlement and mediocrity.
Major Elvis Newton
14 Nov 12 at 1:29 pm
I would rather Hire someone (I hire Business Analysts) who was self educated in the following way
Economics = Mises.org
Business = McDonalds
Programming = http://railscasts.com
Analysis = Mr Excel – http://www.youtube.com/user/bjele123?feature=results_main
Max
14 Nov 12 at 1:38 pm
to add to that list
throw in an SAB or BAB for Law while working part-time as a para-legal and you have the perfect business person.
http://www.lpab.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lpab/legalprofession_index.html
Max
14 Nov 12 at 1:44 pm
Credentialism is a part of the crazy pavement, I think Barzun picked up on that in the US decades ago, they led the way in anti-educational trends and it is a shame that nobody here bothered to learn from the US experience as Barzun described it. And others as well.
Poor Old Rafe
14 Nov 12 at 1:48 pm
Jannie (and others), you might enjoy the new blog by the founder of Legal Insurrection, College Insurrection. Also, Minding the Campus (from the Manhattan Institute) is very good.
The top story at Minding the Campus just now is on “Sending the Wrong Students to College”. Rafe, you might enjoy that one.
sdog
14 Nov 12 at 1:53 pm
As long as universities behave like TAFEs, and TAFEs pretend to be universities, education in Australia will converge on mediocre.
GP
14 Nov 12 at 2:11 pm
Bloody hell max. You read my mind.
If you want to see hell, look at how the AQF and AQTF work.
Sweet exploding Jesus it is bad.
.
14 Nov 12 at 2:18 pm
I sent this earlier to a friend who was talking on the same subject:
“I’m actually now embarrassed to admit I work in a University. Last week I had a friendly chat with a guy who is doing a PHD in Computer Sciences. He asked me to explain a programming concept any beginner should understand. I went to year 10 and I understand it. He is a PHD Candidate and had never had it explained to him. The sad part is that if he’d ever actually been asked to WRITE a piece of software he would have had to have known it. How can you get to the PHD stage of a degree in programming without actually writing a program?
Universities have become day care centres for teenagers too comfortable/stupid/lazy to actually WORK for a living. We need desperately to go back to the Apprenticeship model where:
(A) you did a job four days a week and studied for one and:
(B) you actually needed to have a job in that industry before you could enrol in your study.
Don’t get me started on the absolute stupidity of studying anything music related in a University… Completely pointless!”
Gibbo
14 Nov 12 at 2:22 pm
Good links sdog. The Minding the Campus link on the new illiteracy of students strikes a chord.
Computer keyboards seem to have robbed them of the ability to write. Most matriculants of 2012 write like primary schoolers 50 years ago. Thats not so bad I guess.
But computers have also robbed them of the ability to spell and discriminate about the meaning of words.
If they cant write and spell, how good is their thinking going to be?
(Cant in the lazy unpunctuated sense of ‘not able’, but perhaps also in the sense of a mantra).
Jannie
14 Nov 12 at 2:23 pm
I believe the Rate My Professor idea from the US which JC referred to in the past is the best way of getting around the walls to transparency by the university sector.
I see someone started an Australian version, but unfortunately it looks like the person is an insider.
Token
14 Nov 12 at 2:33 pm
The cohort identified is interesting since it parallels the way you work out the size of the black economy – ie start from the GDP and subtract everything visible.
That brings to mind a number of subjects in which some of these young people may well be unexpectedly well schooled, such as
Chemistry (especially crystallisation)
Agriculture (hydroponics)
Commerce (high value low weight)
Economics (M0 money)
The black economy may be 15% of the economy. If so that alone could explain half or so of the kids doing nuffink. Given how many flaming hoops you have to jump through to actually run a legitimate business I can see some incentive for the black economy to have increased in the last decade. Our fine Federal and State ALP after all provides such a wonderful example to inspire the young.
Bruce
14 Nov 12 at 3:18 pm
Yawn… “More maths, science grads needed”
It’s just same old same old: always need more maths graduates; maths graduates choose between teacher or government.
Harold
14 Nov 12 at 3:41 pm
thanks DOT – the internet can kill lazy academics and a blog/github hybrid could kill the need for exams also
Max
14 Nov 12 at 3:50 pm
Bruce, that market niche is a bit hairy for your average middle or working class kid, these days. From my limited experience, its older blokes with beards and huge bellies that provide the market, and aggressively intimidate potential competition. Kids might get to retail a few overpriced bags or foils, but right down the bottom of the food chain.
Jannie
14 Nov 12 at 4:01 pm
Yes, apprenticeships and family small businesses bringing the kids right along. Same thing as McDonalds burger flipping, TAFE et al, just without so much red tape and with fewer occupational health and safety regs. After all it did take some time for our Heath to work up from Two Hands to The Dark Knight.
Bruce
14 Nov 12 at 4:40 pm
I wonder about the apparent contradiction that a liberal education must be both elitist and democratic.
wmmbb
14 Nov 12 at 5:08 pm
I have young relatives in Switzerland – they seem sensible and articulate and all but 3/30 odd have chosen the trade/business stream of highschool at years 9/10 and then got an apprenticeship and qualified as a tradeperson ( including the women).
About half , mostly the men but not all have set up in their own businesses and are making wages enough to support a family. Outside the major cities , there is no push to go to university- in fact if you can’t do practical work you are seen as a little bit of a fool – bear in mind that I am speaking of towns outside major hubs.
In the major cities a degree is seen an essential for the jobs with the big corporations or as a government red tape creator.
Mind you, Switzerland like Germany, has protected industries and restrictive wage practices and when unemployment gets beyond 5%- out go the guest workers back to Turkey.
MT Isa Miner
14 Nov 12 at 5:12 pm
I believe it is the case that the socialist left in Australia regards the (more or less) complete take over of the Australian public educations system as one of its finest achievements.
It is this, more than incompetence or complacency which has delivered us the education system we are now saddled with for the foreseeable future.
Tapdog
14 Nov 12 at 6:09 pm
Not all the youth are lost. My 17 yo niece just sent me this clip.
Powerful rap style alienated youth. The free stuff system.
Jannie
14 Nov 12 at 6:17 pm
If you thought that Australia’s education plan was to dumb down the population, via an education process that focusses on “social” justice, and in the process create people who need a special government (????) to “take full care of them”, please note that Australia is well down the path of achieving that Marxist plan.
Julia Gillard is not stupid; she knows exactly what she’s doing and as an avowed Marxist and femminist she is just following the Marxist plan, to the letter.
Note how she cringes before the world’s most powerful Marxist – Bambi, and how she hands out our money to the corrupt, Marxist controlled UN, where she probably sees her future ($4 million/year) if she gets the boot from Oz.
World government, the Marxist variety, is being imported especially for you, and the useful idiots who support it will be the first to regret their misplaced confidence, as they will be first into the gulags of tommorow, if they are lucky.
terrarious
14 Nov 12 at 6:41 pm
Not stupid if you have a talent and passion for music and aren’t stupid enough to think it’s a meal ticket.
I think there should be more study of the classics, english literature, philosophy, Latin and music at university. Studying those disciplines improves the mind, makes you a better dinner party conversationalist and, via their insouciant disregard for the vulgarity of pursuing a practical discipline, prove your inherent superiority and natural right to rule. It’s what made the British empire great.
Abu Chowdah
14 Nov 12 at 8:04 pm
What about the playing fields of Eton?
Poor Old Rafe
14 Nov 12 at 8:31 pm
Sure, but the British penchant for high erudition that ran in the face of their ability for espionage, ruthlessness and military excellence predates that old adage.
For me, it’s encapsulated by the diary entry of the wife of the poet and brilliant soldier, John Wilmot, 3rd Earl of Rochester:
“Today my Lord came home and fucked me in his riding boots.”
Abu Chowdah
14 Nov 12 at 8:51 pm
I dream of a comely country girl writing the same about me.
You’ve won me over. I support a classical education now.
.
14 Nov 12 at 10:14 pm
Dear Reverend Rafe,
This is one of the most saddest commentaries on the state of youth employment and training.
I actually believe that we should stop funding all schools.
Every Single One Of Them.
Here is an idea.
Lets have an examination and scholarship system.
Let us eliminate the public school system.
NoFixedAddress
15 Nov 12 at 1:28 am
The primary driver of the Dumbing Down is UNESCO, not Gillard. It is global. And they have the accreditors pushing the Quality Assurance to ensure compliance with UNESCO’s Education for All. Basic Literacy, desired attitudes and values, and generic skills.
Plus don’t forget the worldwide 21st century generic skills movement, ATC21S, is at Melbourne.
The credentialism is also driven by Australia’s adoption of Qualifications Frameworks.
http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/if-education-transforms-values-and-feelings-and-beliefs-to-control-behaviors-are-we-free/ is a post where I laid out just how nonacademic and affective the K-12 vision is now in Australia. I used and quoted what are called the Wellbeing Pathways. Also UNESCO driven and global.
Robin
15 Nov 12 at 5:44 am
Terrarious-there actually is something called the Marxist Theory of the Mind. Once you understand it and how it fosters dependency and negates the abstract mind’s ability to evaluate different mental scenarios education globally makes much more sense.
http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/political-primer-101-what-is-the-marxist-theory-of-the-mind-and-why-does-it-matter-in-2012/. Would you believe I actually had people translating this to other languages? Not surprisingly, they were Eastern European.
Or a really pithy shorthand beyond all the group work is the one the Chinese use for Dialectical Materialism–must be “concrete problems in a concrete situation.” Nothing out of context.
Plus the polytechism from the old USSR with ICT being the tool of choice is also coming out of UNESCO.
1989-in fact. Gee, what else of import happened that year that might have created a desire to influence values, attitudes, beliefs, and capabilities in the West?
Robin
15 Nov 12 at 5:56 am
Very little “sandstone and gleaming towers” at Oz universities. More like “breeze block and pebble dash towers of academe”.
Bill
15 Nov 12 at 11:37 am