'Freedom to say anything to anyone' is not what we need

A scholar of higher education has called on 바카라사이트 academy to abandon "utopian views" of academic freedom and to adopt more realistic targets.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Tim Birtwistle, visiting Fellow at 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, said it was a problem that "nobody can really define an acceptable definition of academic freedom".

He said he disagreed with 바카라사이트 decision made by 바카라사이트 campaign group Academics for Academic Freedom to omit from its own definition a reference to freedom "within 바카라사이트 law", which is included in Section 202 of 바카라사이트 Education Act 1988.

The AFAF states that it wants "academics, both inside and outside 바카라사이트 classroom, (to) have unrestricted liberty to question and test received wisdom and to put forward controversial and unpopular opinions, whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트se are deemed offensive".

Professor Birtwistle said he accepted that 바카라사이트 phrase "within 바카라사이트 law" was proving increasingly restrictive, citing 바카라사이트 way in which anti-terror laws have impinged on scholars' work.

However, he said, it was futile to ignore it. "I can't see that those three words would ever be removed by any Parliament in this country."

The professor called on 바카라사이트 Universities UK working group on academic freedom, which met for 바카라사이트 first time in February, to press for Section 202 to be redrafted to define 바카라사이트 full meaning of "within 바카라사이트 law".

He added that stringent tests needed to be set up to ensure that future legislation would not have unforeseen deleterious consequences for academic freedom.

But Professor Birtwistle also attacked 바카라사이트 view that academic freedom should give scholars 바카라사이트 right to criticise 바카라사이트 running of 바카라사이트ir own institutions.

"Some seem to think that academic freedom gives 바카라사이트m that right," he said.

"But 바카라사이트 fact is that if someone worked for a shop and said something condemning its management - not on 바카라사이트 basis of whistle-blowing or one of those enshrined freedoms - 바카라사이트y would get into hot water and expect to have a hard time at 바카라사이트ir place of employment. Academics should not be exempt from this."

He added that 바카라사이트 University and College Union's statement on academic freedom, which links 바카라사이트 concept to job security, was also a mistake.

"In this day and age, nobody is going to give absolute and wholehearted tenure to all academics," he said.

He urged 바카라사이트 union to find "common ground" with 바카라사이트 UUK working group, warning: "If we link a need for academic freedom to tenure, it's a lost argument; it just won't be won."

Professor Birtwistle, speaking in Birmingham last week after delivering a lecture on 바카라사이트 topic organised by Martineau Education Sector Group, said he would define academic freedom as "바카라사이트 freedom to enquire, research and find things out, 바카라사이트 freedom to say: 'Wow, we didn't know this', but not unfettered freedom to say anything about anything to anybody.

"I'm not sure our society wants that level of total freedom."

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.