Yeah, which is pretty backwards considering the fruits of such research is the engine of future economic growth. Meanwhile, useless money bureaucrats get mega pay, and mega bonuses, in exchange for doing nothing of any practical worth for society. Any old crook can magic money out of thin air and lend it out, all it requires is some bookmaking and thugs to enforce it.
I agree with completely, there's massive room for improvement in the education system in general, and the higher education system specifically.
Absolutely, and I agree with that, but I think it's worth making the counterpoint that a lot of contributions to UK culture have grown from skills learned and associations made whilst at university. So you can't say that contribution to culture is entirely independent of going to university either.
Absolutely. When I left uni, I got an admin job for a couple of years to put some money away. I not only found it easier to get a job than my scientist friends who wanted to go into research, but I also earned very nearly as much as they were hoping to, for a job that required 5 GCSEs as minimum entrance requirements. Backwards doesn't cover it - I think it's fallen through a hole into another dimension (which is ironic really, because we dont' spend enough on research to determine why or how ).
EDIT:
I think the answer to that, as with so many things, is "a bit of both". Personally I'd like to see less students, course fees properly funded by the government, but students supporting themselves through with a mixture of loans and part-time work (which may require a rethink to the traditional university terms/holidays). That way money comes in from both sides.
Thing is, if there were fewer students, there would already be ample part-time work available for them without even needing to muck around with holidays and so on. There's already a lot available in a decent-sized town, but there are just way too many students for it to be sufficient.
It's perfectly possible to hold down a 1 day a week part-time job during term-time and work in the holidays as well. Even if you can't get work in the holidays, at about £50 per day, that's around £1500 per year... added to a sensible student loan (the current ones are not sensible), it'd be fine.
And if you're going to struggle that much, take a gap year. By gap year of course, I mean getting a job, not throwing away all your money on a round-trip of the world.
The only logical answer is to cut the number of students.
Bunjiweb (10-03-2012)
Mandatory unpaid military service.
I'm sure theres plenty of spare military personnel that could be employed to wake them up at 7am and shout at them for 8 hours.
By the time they were done, youd have a wonderfully prepared and efficient work force.
But probably still no jobs for them.
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Mandatory paid military service isnt such a bad idea IMO, there are a few chavs with a lot negative energy around here and if somehow that negative energy could be channelled into something positive it would be a win win for everyone.
Bunjiweb (10-03-2012)
it'd be a start. The Tories announced ~ 10,000 apprenticeships at the October conference last year (I was actually at the speech where John Hayes announced it). It's a vague step in the right direction, but nowhere near enough, IMNSHO. Having a practical version of HE would make a lot more sense.
Yes, let's put a load of high grade military equipment in the hands of enthusiastic youngsters than tell them they're going to get a bunk bed, 3 meals and sod all else. That can only end well
Military service simply doesn't suit a lot of people, particularly the ones who like asking questions - which is the type who'd probably be thinking of going to uni anyway. Some form of paid (as in accommodation, meals and a small stipend) national service would be a good option, but I'd like to see a civilian option in there as well.
In fact, realistically you need a combination of options for young adults: give them a choice of practical experience (civilian or military), vocationally focussed learning (apprenticeships/polytechnic) or academically rigourous education (university). It's not rocket science (except for few of them, I guess ) - provide options that will benefit the most young people possible *and* persuade them to become a benefit to society in general. But alas, common sense really isn't, any more.
Why ever would you give them access to the good stuff?
You just do all the marching and drilling stuff, no tanks, no guns, no deployment.
And I wasnt thinking of it as a slave army, more like boarding school, you dont get paid to go to school after all. Pay a small amount of spending money per week (paid from future earnings, so an advance, so still unpaid), and provide everything else.
Oh wait, they used to do this and called it "National Service".
So, paid then?
Ah, so unpaid in an overly complicated way! And exactly how much is that going to cost to adminster? In a country that can't even efficiently adminster a loans system for students! I hate to think...
So how's that meant to help, exactly? What's the benefit to society? May as well just send them all to prison, afaict ... you're not actually suggesting they do anything productive, or in any way better themselves or society. I do believe that when we had National Service they actually taught people to fight, so they could be of use if they were needed...
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