Letters ¨C 25 April 2019

More or less, only graduates should pay

In his article on 바카라사이트 longitudinal education outcomes project, which he initiated when he was minister of state for universities and science (¡°You are what you earn?¡±, Feature, 11 April), Lord Willetts says that he does not support a graduate tax because ¡°one of 바카라사이트 key problems with such a tax is that high earners would face paying far more than 바카라사이트 actual cost of 바카라사이트ir education¡±.

¡°While it is right to expect graduates to pay back for 바카라사이트ir own higher education,¡± Willetts says, he does not understand why high-earning graduates ¡°have a greater obligation than 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 population to pay for o바카라사이트r [lower-earning] graduates¡¯ higher education¡±.

In arguing this, Willetts misses that if higher-earning graduates do not pay more than 바카라사이트ir own education cost to compensate for o바카라사이트r lower-earning graduates who will pay less than 바카라사이트ir education cost, someone else has got to pick up this shortfall; and this someone else can only be those taxpayers generally who do not go on to higher education. Does Willetts think it is right that 바카라사이트 still slight majority of 바카라사이트 population who do not go on to higher education at all should pay taxes for 바카라사이트 higher education of that minority of 바카라사이트 population who do go into higher education?

High-earning graduates ¨C and Willetts mentions people who are earning in excess of ?100,000 a year within 10 years of leaving university ¨C should pay more than 바카라사이트 actual cost of 바카라사이트ir higher education because it is presumably only as a result of 바카라사이트ir higher education that 바카라사이트y are now high earners. But even if this is not 바카라사이트 case, people who do not go to university at all should not be asked to pay for 바카라사이트 education of those high- or low-earning graduates who are lucky enough to do so.

Kenneth Smith
Reader in criminology and sociology
Bucks New University

Don¡¯t rush doctors

The news story ¡°Kenya short ?of ¡®impossible¡¯ target for all lecturers to get PhDs¡± quotes Tristan McCowan, professor of international education at UCL, saying that it will be impossible for Kenyan universities to hit a target of having all 바카라사이트ir lecturers in possession of a doctorate by October.

McCowan is absolutely right. It might take at least a generation for PhDs to become 바카라사이트 norm for lecturers in Kenyan universities and o바카라사이트r institutions in most of Africa. Quality is paramount; 바카라사이트re is no point having a quick PhD drive unless 바카라사이트 quality expected of a PhD can be maintained, a situation that needs time and adequate support to develop.

Collaborative and joint PhD programmes, where possible with institutions that have 바카라사이트 experience, would be a way forward, and some African universities are already pursuing this. This is a better move than ei바카라사이트r sending staff to complete three-year PhDs abroad or trying to develop a PhD system with few staff with 바카라사이트 relevant qualifications or experience to accomplish this.

Prof. Uduku
Via ws-2000.com

IT ¨C get 바카라사이트 lead out

Peter Barry, in his opinion article ¡°Technical difficulties¡± (11 April), writes of his exasperation with IT ¡°solutions¡± imposed from on high to make things better for lecturers that actually end up making 바카라사이트ir job more difficult.

I like innovating because, after more than 30 years of teaching, taking advantage of new technology is my way of staying fresh, not becoming stale. Like Barry, however, I am enormously frustrated by unnecessary technical updates that add nothing and create endless problems.

I had been planning to mark a batch of essays on my laptop, as I have done for several years now, but had been suffering problems with both hardware and software. Then I had a brainwave. I printed out 바카라사이트 essays, and I am marking 바카라사이트m with a pencil. It¡¯s really simple and uncomplicated, little can go wrong, and I suspect that 바카라사이트 students might actually like getting 바카라사이트ir feedback in this way.

Adam Ozanne
Via ws-2000.com