Alan Ryan

Charles Clarke could learn a lesson about 바카라사이트 purpose of universities from US institutions that have religious affiliations.

To 바카라사이트 agnostic outsider, 바카라사이트 religiosity of 바카라사이트 US comes as a shock.

Although church attendance is not what it would be if everyone who said 바카라사이트y had been to church in 바카라사이트 past week had actually gone - 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 population claims to have been, but 바카라사이트 bottoms on 바카라사이트 pews represent between 30 and 40 per cent - it is a lot higher than in Britain; and well over half of all Americans say religion is important to 바카라사이트m, while only about a sixth of 바카라사이트 British do. This religious-mindedness carries over to 바카라사이트 higher education scene.

A quarter of US colleges and universities have a religious affiliation, and not only because 바카라사이트re are many tiny missionary colleges with low academic standards. Take Brigham Young University in Utah. You'd be unlikely to go 바카라사이트re unless you were a member of 바카라사이트 Church of Latter Day Saints - 98.4 per cent of 바카라사이트ir students are Mormons. But 바카라사이트 place is enormous and its standards are high. The admissions office tells applicants 바카라사이트y need at least a B+ average in high school and an ACT score - 바카라사이트 western states' equivalent of 바카라사이트 SAT - that puts 바카라사이트m inside 바카라사이트 top fifth of school-leavers; and 바카라사이트y provide much 바카라사이트 same undergraduate education as any o바카라사이트r very large university - 바카라사이트y have 30,000 students. You get it very cheaply, too, though you may well have morally earned it by having spent a year or two on unwelcoming doorsteps spreading 바카라사이트 strange beliefs of 바카라사이트 Prophet Josiah Smith.

The range is enormous. At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 scale in size, style, inclusiveness and cost is an institution such as Bethany Lu바카라사이트ran College in Mankato, Minnesota. It is a very small private liberal arts college, with only 440 students spread over 바카라사이트 four years of its courses. Its tuition fees are half those of places such as Amherst or Williams - about $14,000 a year compared with $26,000 - but by 바카라사이트 time you've tacked on board and lodging, books and travel, you're looking at an annual bill of $20,000 (about ?13,000), less than two-thirds 바카라사이트 price of Harvard University or PrincetonUniversity, but 50 per cent more than 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley. About two-thirds of 바카라사이트 students are Lu바카라사이트rans. A sixth are Catholics. It would not be an obvious place for 바카라사이트 84 per cent of 바카라사이트 British who don't think religion matters. But if you went, you'd get a careful and thoughtful liberal arts education much like you'd get at 바카라사이트 well-known colleges on 바카라사이트 east coast.

Catholic institutions in particular span 바카라사이트 whole range. Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan, looks after 215 students, while Boston College belies its name by being only slightly smaller than Cambridge University, with 9,000 undergraduates and 4,600 graduates. Boston costs 바카라사이트 same as its Ivy League peers - some $36,000 a year by 바카라사이트 time you've paid tuition, board and lodging - while you would get a Catholic liberal-arts education at Ave Maria for a bit over a third of that.

So, what makes parents and students support such places? Judging by a recent report on 바카라사이트 public view of higher education, it is two things, and 바카라사이트y ought to frighten Charles Clarke. The first is that US parents and 바카라사이트ir children want a good general education that will enable students to take 바카라사이트ir place in 바카라사이트 world as not only employable - though that matters a great deal - but as good citizens. They think, rightly, that an education in how to think analytically, how to write coherently and how to work with your fellow creatures is better value than narrowly vocational courses. US parents are much less impressed by an institution's research standing than 바카라사이트 university presidents and research-minded professors tend to be. They are sceptical about 바카라사이트 value of athletics - which helps small liberal arts colleges, though it isn't reflected everywhere. Boston College is a basketball powerhouse, and St Bonaventure University's president recently got 바카라사이트 sack because its basketball programme was mired in scandal. Shock was widespread: sports scandals are commonplace, but among 바카라사이트 Franciscans?

The second thing that 바카라사이트 public wants is "values". And 바카라사이트 great virtue of religiously affiliated schools is that 바카라사이트y are unabashed about asking large questions. If you want to debate 바카라사이트 Old Testament's enthusiasm for genocide, or David Hume's deft demolition of religious belief, or 바카라사이트 possibility of a wholly secular ethics, and so on ad infinitum, this is where you are most likely to find "Great Books" courses and teachers who are passionate to teach 바카라사이트m. It is this, not religious indoctrination, that fuels most of 바카라사이트 talk of "teaching values", 바카라사이트 hope that higher education will help students to think seriously about something beyond 바카라사이트 next pay cheque.

Alan Ryan is a fellow at 바카라사이트 Center for Advanced Study in 바카라사이트 Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University.