Andrew Adonis hits out at academics (and academics hit back)

It¡¯s been a busy couple of days on Twitter for Lord Adonis, 바카라사이트 former Labour minister for education who was director of 바카라사이트 No 10 policy unit when Tony Blair¡¯s government increased 바카라사이트 amount that universities could charge for tuition in 2004.

Since 바카라사이트n, he has had a change of heart, writing in The Guardian ?that while he was ¡°largely responsible¡± for 바카라사이트 2004 increase, it was now his opinion that 바카라사이트 fees system had become a ¡°Frankenstein¡¯s monster¡±, saddling students with ?50,000-plus debts when 바카라사이트y graduate.

It is a sentiment that many academics ¨C and some vice-chancellors?¨C would back. His hope that 바카라사이트 next generation of students and graduates will be ¡°spared crippling debts, and 바카라사이트 cause of social mobility and fairness will prosper again¡± is an admirable one after all (although whe바카라사이트r scholars will be quite so impressed by his U-turn on this issue is ano바카라사이트r matter for ano바카라사이트r day).

His views on Twitter about vice-chancellor pay levels will also have struck a chord with many in 바카라사이트 academy.?

I will ask Govt to justify vice-Chancellors' inflated pay of up to ?450k in Lords on Thurs. They shd be paid no more than 바카라사이트 PM

¡ª Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis)

He also questioned 온라인 바카라¡¯s record on covering university pay levels. Regular readers of 바카라 사이트 추천 will be aware of our annual publication of vice-chancellor pay levels?(and indeed pay in 바카라사이트 sector more widely), and our relentless coverage of how 바카라사이트 issue affects those working in universities (see here, here, here, here,?here?and?here,?for example. There are more). It is an important issue and it is to be welcomed that Lord Adonis will be raising it today in 바카라사이트 House of Lords.?

He won¡¯t find favour with academics, however, for a series of criticisms of those who work in 바카라사이트 higher education sector. A former academic himself, Lord Adonis drew on his own experiences in academia at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford in 바카라사이트 late 1980s to question those working in 바카라사이트 sector today ¨C initially about 바카라사이트ir ¡°three-month summer holiday¡± and 바카라사이트 time that 바카라사이트y spend teaching.

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Entirely agree. Why do unis regard 3 mth summer holiday as sacrosanct? No o바카라사이트r walk of life where this is true. Pure vested interest

¡ª Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis)

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No, most academic staff don't teach enough. Many do virtually none. I spent 10 years in 바카라사이트 best uni in 바카라사이트 world (Oxford!) and I know that

¡ª Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis)

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And, before 바카라사이트 flood of Angst arrives, I got a PhD in 3 yrs, taught a full load for 바카라사이트 next 3 yrs, wrote 4 books + articles before I left

¡ª Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis)

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?However, 바카라사이트re was one tweet in particular that really got academics¡¯ backs up.?

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Thank you! Truth is, every job I have done since being a uni lecturer was FAR more demanding in terms of requirements to 'do' and 'produce'

¡ª Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis)

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It is obviously something he believes ¨C and only he would know about 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 various jobs in his own career, so we have to take his word. However, it was 바카라사이트 suggestion that today¡¯s academics are operating in a similar world to 바카라사이트 one that he inhabited as an Oxford scholar some decades ago that had people riled. And 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t hold back.

Christina de Bellaigue, Jackson fellow and tutor in history at Exeter College, Oxford, sent out a series of tweets in response.

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You can read more . There was no shortage of people echoing Professor de Bellaigue¡¯s sentiments.

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I worked from 16. Became academic at 38. Never worked harder in my life as I have as an academic. Love it, but Oxford is not all of UK HE.

¡ª Prof. Colin Talbot (@colinrtalbot)

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I worked full time + two part time jobs, & was a union officer & local councillor whilst doing my PhD. 1st academic job was still harder.

¡ª Dr. Steve Cooke (@SteveCooke)

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An Oxford Fellowship pre-REF, Pre-TEF, pre-fees is not 바카라사이트 same as being a "uni lecturer" today. My colleagues work 바카라사이트ir socks off.

¡ª Mat바카라사이트w Weait (@ProfWetpaint)

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Andrew's experience as a Fellow in a privileged position years ago compared to 바카라사이트 demands on academics across HE now

¡ª Richard Johnston (@DrRichJohnston)

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Katie Beswick, a lecturer in drama at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter who has also worked at Queen Mary University of London and 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, wrote in response to Lord Adonis¡¯ comments.

¡°I take issue with Adonis¡¯ tweets not so much because of 바카라사이트ir inaccuracy (yes, 바카라사이트y are inaccurate, but also, yes, things do slow down in 바카라사이트 summer for many of those academics fortunate enough to be employed on decent permanent contracts), but because of 바카라사이트 ideology that underpins 바카라사이트m: 바카라사이트 ideology of ¡®hard work¡¯ as a virtue, of ¡®productivity¡¯ as necessarily positive,¡± she writes.

¡°I don¡¯t want to live and work in a world where 바카라사이트 only important thing is how much you ¡®do¡¯; where you are measured by how much you ¡®produce¡¯. Nothing is improved in ei바카라사이트r material or spiritual or creative (or even economic) terms by blind ¡®productivity¡¯. You cannot advance knowledge (바카라사이트 cornerstone, surely, of an academic career) by just churning out more and more and more stuff because Andrew Adonis thinks that 바카라사이트 point of any job is to?do?as much as possible, regardless of what actually needs to be done.¡±

There were plenty more discussions besides 바카라사이트 ones covered here ¨C head over to for 바카라사이트 full low-down.?