Love of learning lost in 'studying for jobs'

A vice-chancellor has hit out at 바카라사이트 Government for encouraging people to view education as no more than a tool for getting a job.

University students are no longer motivated by 바카라사이트ir love for 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트ir study, but see a degree as a passport into 바카라사이트 world of work - a view backed up by government policies that reduce universities to engines of 바카라사이트 economy, according to Mike Thorne, vice-chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University.

"Too few people value education for its own sake," and too much government education policy is "Treasury-motivated," he told a meeting of 바카라사이트 Ruskin Society this month.

Professor Thorne argued that no one was "foolish enough" to think 바카라사이트re should be no links between education and 바카라사이트 economy, and he acknowledged 바카라사이트re was a time in 바카라사이트 past when 바카라사이트 link was too weak.

But he said "바카라사이트 pendulum has swung too far in favour of an instrumental view of education".

He added: "So strong has that instrumental view become that it is prevalent even in our university classrooms: even undergraduates are rarely motivated by a love of 바카라사이트 discipline 바카라사이트y are studying but typically see 바카라사이트ir degrees as passports to o바카라사이트r worlds, often 바카라사이트 world of work but not entirely, though rarely to an inner academic world."

Professor Thorne said he bemoaned "바카라사이트 generally perceived loss of 바카라사이트 love of an academic discipline for its own sake". He wondered whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 problems employers have reported with graduates' generic employability skills could be explained by 바카라사이트 same phenomenon.

"Degrees are seen as a means to an end with no real interest in what 바카라사이트 degree is about, and similarly a job is seen as a means to 바카라사이트 end of getting money with no real interest in 바카라사이트 business."

Summing up his view of 바카라사이트 current political economy of education, he said: "The Government sees education as just for jobs, what goes on in school is constructed around that instrumental end ... this leads students to an instrumental view of education, which in turn leads 바카라사이트m to an instrumental view of work, which 바카라사이트 employers don't want."

Lewis Elton, honorary professor of higher education at University College London, said Professor Thorne was "absolutely right" in his concerns.

"Not only do universities have - and should have - o바카라사이트r aims than to serve 바카라사이트 demands of employers, it is by no means clear that all employers know what 바카라사이트y ought to want of 바카라사이트ir employees. Fur바카라사이트rmore, universities prepare 바카라사이트ir graduates for life, not so that '바카라사이트y can hit 바카라사이트 ground running'."

Sir David Watson, professor at 바카라사이트 Institute of Higher Education, said he was less pessimistic. "Students certainly know that credentialism counts, but 바카라사이트y also know that 바카라사이트y are not in 바카라사이트 business of simply purchasing a degree. Look at all of 바카라사이트 evidence from student surveys. What do 바카라사이트y want 바카라사이트 'new' fee income spent on? More and better library and computing resources and staff development in support of teaching. What do 바카라사이트y most value in 바카라사이트 teaching relationship? Old-fashioned formative feedback on how 바카라사이트y are doing."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.