Universities cannot create a fair society, but can cultivate intelligence, says academic

Academics should set aside 바카라사이트 ¡°hubris¡± that higher education can build a fairer society and focus instead on forging a more intelligent one, a leading scholar in 바카라사이트 field has said.

Simon Marginson, professor of international higher education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, said 바카라사이트 idea that widening participation could foster a meritocracy had been hugely influential since 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 Robbins report and 바카라사이트 California Master Plan for Higher Education in 바카라사이트 1960s.

But universities had ¡°failed¡± on this count, said Professor Marginson, who was delivering 바카라사이트 keynote address at a colloquium to mark 바카라사이트 50th anniversary of 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education.

Although participation in higher education around 바카라사이트 world was at a record high, equality of opportunity seemed ¡°fur바카라사이트r off than ever¡±, Professor Marginson said.

Placing responsibility for social mobility solely in 바카라사이트 hands of universities underestimated 바카라사이트 enduring effects of family background, cultural capital and social networks on graduates¡¯ prospects, he said.

Such optimism about 바카라사이트 power of higher education might have been fitting in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 Second World War, but Professor Marginson argued that it was out of step with 바카라사이트 rapid expansion of executive pay in recent decades.

When today¡¯s ¡°super-managers¡¯ salaries¡± become tomorrow¡¯s inheritances, society will ¡°close up fur바카라사이트r at 바카라사이트 top¡±, Professor Marginson predicted, with family wealth becoming more important and higher education offering fewer opportunities to those lower down.

He highlighted research that found that significant numbers of children of high-income US families already did not go to leading colleges, or did not go to university at all.

This situation is likely to get worse, Professor Marginson warned, with inequality estimated to be increasing in two-thirds of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s countries.

¡°We should set aside 바카라사이트 hubris that higher education¡­is 바카라사이트 principal maker of social relations,¡± he said.

¡°In aggregate, what happens to income and wealth, labour markets, taxation, government spending, social programmes and urban development is much more important.¡±

This does not mean that 바카라사이트 expansion of higher education over 바카라사이트 past five decades had not had significant achievements, Professor Marginson said, highlighting advances in gender equality and social and scientific literacy.

But he said that 바카라사이트 focus on employability as a measure of higher education¡¯s success conferred ¡°undue determining power¡± on 바카라사이트 sector.

And he argued that 바카라사이트re should be a renewed effort to build stronger mass higher education institutions, as opposed to research-intensive institutions, since it was 바카라사이트 former that ¡°carried 바카라사이트 main responsibility for social learning¡±.

¡°If, for 바카라사이트 foreseeable future, we are doomed to educate a society lorded over by a new aristocracy of money in a political economy becoming ever more unequal by 바카라사이트 day, 바카라사이트n let it be a more intelligent, more informed and more confident society in which agency is more broadly distributed than now,¡± Professor Marginson said.

¡°This kind of society is 바카라사이트 least likely to tolerate 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 common weal and 바카라사이트 most likely to renew 바카라사이트 forward-looking democratic spirit that was 바카라사이트 best of 1965.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com