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RE: The Private Education Racket: Chapter 3
I can't find the link to it, but I do remember reading an interesting survey about the functions of universities as perceived by university workers in Japan. Funny enough, the number one function was to provide students with jobs. You see, all universities here have direct connections with companies that recruit young people when they become 3d or 4th year students (and recently due to the population drop, as early as 2nd year). Often, universities' popularity is directly proportional to the strength and breadth of their connections to big and small companies.
This is likely the future of education in the US, with colleges and universities providing more of the "soft skills" that they've all but stopped learning from their parents and in K-12. However, only those with the clout, money, and established connections will be able to provide that to prospective students. Quality institutions that aren't as well positioned will close and that's where the access issue comes in.
Philosophically, my issue with this goes back to my first post on the subject; education should be about knowledge for knowledge sake and not about getting a job in the field in which you study. Statistically speaking, I would count against my alma mater because I don't technically work in anthropology, even though I use it every day and fit many people's definitions of success.
True. Given that universities fail to eqiup students with the practical skills and sometimes even relevant theoretical skills for the workplace, it wouldn't hurt for them to orient themselves towards research. Right now, I think universities have an identity crisis (have I mentioned that before?) - they are terrible educational institutions and, at least most of them, produce sub-par research.
I believe, the citation rate for academic articles is less than 5% these days, meaning 95% of research remains unnoticed (often rightfully, considering its significance and quality).
Your post about this was good. What a waste of money, time, and resources!
Oh yeah... I am not proud of it, but I try not to think about it and just focus on doing my thing with as many people as I can get onboard. Who knows, we might make a difference in the future.
Touché, I shouldn't generalize like that. Wanting to make a difference is key. More researchers avoiding intellectual masturbation would really help things.