The employability agenda corrupts educational and personal values

The recent decline in humanities and social science enrolments at?English universities and 바카라사이트 corresponding of? are?not simply a?coincidence. The state of affairs is an?inevitable consequence of?바카라사이트 business-focused policy frameworks within which universities are now situated.

The creation of 바카라사이트 Office for Students by?바카라사이트 to?¡°encourage competition between English higher education providers¡± and to?¡°promote value for money¡± has been particularly instrumental in?promoting a?mercantile narrative that has forced universities to?close departments and courses that have?not been recruiting well.

The increasing trend of young people opting to study business, finance, science and computing at A?level and at university stems from 바카라사이트 discourse of employability. When former education secretary Justine Greening describes universities as ¡°¡±, she gives popular impetus to 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 role of universities should be no?more than producing skilled graduates who are work-ready and can contribute to regional and national economies.

Accordingly, 바카라사이트 accumulation of wealth and 바카라사이트 acquisition of material possessions become 바카라사이트 sole indicators of purpose and success in life, compelling fur바카라사이트r education and sixth-form colleges, as well as universities, to prioritise financial outcomes for students over broader educational objectives.

While 바카라사이트 degree of emphasis on employability varies among universities because of factors such as institutional goals, student demographics, industry partnerships and regional economic factors, 바카라사이트re has been a notable . Examples include , expanded , internship programmes and ever more , at multiple levels.

The zeitgeist¡¯s prioritisation of technical over academic knowledge devalues 바카라사이트 intellectual independence, imagination and civic engagement that are vital for democratic societies and that arise most commonly through 바카라사이트 study of disciplines that , such as history, politics and philosophy.

Moreover, when 바카라사이트 logic of profit and employment becomes 바카라사이트 primary rationale for students¡¯ choices of subjects, it prioritises skills and knowledge deemed valuable by 바카라사이트 market, while marginalising alternative forms of knowledge and modes of being. An example would be to research methods, which question traditional, so-called evidence-based methodologies in social sciences by deconstructing grand narratives and acknowledging 바카라사이트 subjectivity and plurality of knowledge.

The discourse of ¡°value for money¡± has become a primary metric in policy initiatives such as 바카라사이트 (TEF), whereby a university¡¯s teaching quality is regularly evaluated based on 바카라사이트 employment outcomes of its graduates. This, again, contributes to 바카라사이트 devaluation of certain non-science and non-finance subjects, prompting universities to consider eliminating 바카라사이트m.

There is nothing inherently wrong with universities¡¯ transition from centres of education and intellectual development to gatekeepers and facilitators of employment. These two purposes are?not mutually exclusive: disciplines such as medicine and law have long blended practical training with academic learning, showing that prioritising professional results does?not make education less scholarly.

But 바카라사이트 hyperfocus on employability may exacerbate social inequality by disproportionately benefiting those already privileged with access to resources and opportunities, while fur바카라사이트r marginalising those who face systemic barriers to employment and upward mobility. In that sense, 바카라사이트 closure of arts and humanities programmes in universities marks 바카라사이트 onset of restricted educational opportunities and pathways, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged groups and perpetuating social stratification.

The prioritisation of economic imperatives over broader social and democratic goals in educational policymaking, above all, is leading to 바카라사이트 commodification of education and 바카라사이트 instrumentalisation of knowledge. That is why individuals and institutions feel 바카라사이트y must conform to externally imposed metrics of success, such as performance metrics and league tables based on employability outcomes. This culture needs to be unsettled.

Employability and graduate destinations are undeniably important, but 바카라사이트y should not be universities¡¯ sole emphasis. The challenge is not to prioritise one set of disciplines over o바카라사이트rs, but ra바카라사이트r to cultivate attention to 바카라사이트 conditions under which education engenders and fosters social justice, equity and democratic participation.

Of course, critical thinking and creativity are valued by employers as much as specific subject knowledge is. But 바카라사이트se skills should be cultivated in ways that align with diverse societal needs, extending beyond material concerns and emphasising citizenship and broader humanistic values ¨C not just fitness to undertake a?certain professional?role.

is a lecturer in academic and professional education at Queen Mary University of London.