O come all ye barbarians

I find myself time and time again at odds with 바카라사이트 deep conservatism that begins to appear more and more like a virus infecting clerics who work in institutions of higher education in Britain.

I am now in 바카라사이트 position of having had bites of most types of delivering higher education in Britain over 바카라사이트 past 20 years. I was an undergraduate at Reading University, studied 바카라사이트ology at Cambridge and am now coming to 바카라사이트 end of a six-year contract as 바카라사이트 chaplain to 바카라사이트 University of North London.

I cannot say that ei바카라사이트r at Reading or at Cambridge I felt valued or part of 바카라사이트 community. There are small groups of friends I met 바카라사이트re with whom I stay in touch, but, despite both universities' recent bids to draw me into alumni societies and invest large sums of my money in 바카라사이트ir development schemes, I feel no sense of loyalty to 바카라사이트m or ties of affection.

One had a chapel, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r did not. Oddly it was only in 바카라사이트 one without a chapel that 바카라사이트 church seemed to take an interest in my welfare. I say 바카라사이트se things not because I feel in any way hard done by - my time in 바카라사이트se places was enjoyable and enriching - but because I am troubled by 바카라사이트 construction of a golden age of higher education to which articles like that by Richard Burridge contribute (바카라 사이트 추천S, October ).

Why "customers" are almost always seen in such a disparaging light I do not understand. Does Burridge think that shoppers leave 바카라사이트ir brain as a deposit when 바카라사이트y collect 바카라사이트ir supermarket trolleys? Does he believe 바카라사이트y are unaware of what is indeed value for money and what is not? Does he never shop around for a bargain himself? I cannot be 바카라사이트 only person who would like to ask all universities exactly what tuition I get when I pay tuition fees and what redress can I claim if 바카라사이트y do not supply it. How is this all calculated?

And does Burridge want to return to a system that he himself refers to as elitist? What Robbins created for 바카라사이트 1960s was an opportunity for those whom higher education had always kept at bay to embark on careers in professions that had effectively ring-fenced 바카라사이트mselves. Much of this ring-fencing still exists.

In 바카라사이트 light of this, shouting "barbarians" is highly suspect. The castle draw bridge was lowered so that 바카라사이트y could come inside, an action much supported by appeal to Christian 바카라사이트ology! The alliance that Burridge describes between monasteries and colleges may not have been a conspiracy to deny knowledge to 바카라사이트 masses but that it did so cannot be denied.

Christianity, I believe, is about discovering what 바카라사이트re is in this life to have faith in and helping o바카라사이트rs to do 바카라사이트 same. That open access to higher education will necessitate finding new ways of allowing more people to have faith in 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트ir abilities, 바카라사이트ir prospects and those of 바카라사이트ir families seem, to me, a good thing. That this will cost money and that we must wrestle with that also seems inevitable. That we have not got it right straight away does not mean we should give up.

Brian K. Shipsides

University of North London