The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Our universities - something wicked their way comes > Comments

Our universities - something wicked their way comes : Comments

By Malcolm King, published 26/11/2010

An ebb in foreign student numbers may mean that Australian students have to pay-up to study.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. All
I completely agree with Vanna on this issue and would add the brain drain to the USA of our science and maths graduates, the poor standard of teacher and nurse that is coming out of universities, the drive to profit which should not be the motive of higher education, the excessive influence of the business sector both within and outside universities, the lack of influence from important subjects which promote hindsight to serve foresight in matters of history, philosophy and politics, the lack of communication and sharing of ideas between faculties... and so it goes.

Universities need to rethink their place in society: Do they impart knowledge and encourage creative thinking for the benefit of that society, or are they yet another profit machine churning out workers who can parrot the text books.
Posted by George Jetson, Sunday, 28 November 2010 3:39:08 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Agree with George here. We also have 38 public funded unis pretty much teaching the same stuff. Time to get real.
Posted by Cheryl, Monday, 29 November 2010 8:12:30 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Cheryl (or Malcom King),

So what are you getting at, or trying to say?

Should we have less universities or less campuses?

In some universities, a considerable number of students only spend a few hours a week on the campus, and rarely contact their lecturers.

Correspondance students need not set foot on a campus at all, and rarely contact their lecturer. Added to that is the fact that most textbooks are imported and paid for by the student.

So what value is the student actually getting by attending an Australian university?
Posted by vanna, Monday, 29 November 2010 1:27:22 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I hope it is very bad, when it comes, it's the least they deserve.

One of my daughters course mates was having a little trouble with some maths in her B Sc, B Ed course.

After failing for 5 weeks, to be able to contact, or be contacted by a math tutor after many messages she gave up.

She quit the course just a day before she would have been liable for another 6 months hex fees.

As she said, why pay for something the university could not be bothered to supply. She is now earning more in marketing, than she could have as a maths/physics teacher. She reckons sales people are much better at fulfilling their commitments than the 2 universities she has had dealings with.
Posted by Hasbeen, Monday, 29 November 2010 2:53:28 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Well Vanna I suppose what I'm saying is that if the international student numbers fall as we're beginning to see, then the unis will turn to the Fed Government for more money.

We actually have a small population to run 38 unis so some economy of scale could be the answer. There was an amalgamation of many Tafes and unis in the 80s. I suggest we do it again but this time let the unis play to their strengths by creating nation research centres. It no use having every uni teach business and IT. The G8's are doing this already - they can afford to.

The article doesn't take in to account that while international student numbers are in decline, they will probably pick up again dpwn the track, but not to the heady days of the 90s and 2000s.
Posted by Cheryl, Monday, 29 November 2010 3:17:44 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Cheryl,
I would be very doubtfull that Australian universities will "pick up". Countries such as China and India are churning huge amounts into education, and they will be educating more of their own students.

There is nothing exceptional about Australian universities. They import nearly everything due mainly to the laziness of the staff in producing something unique, and someone could think of Australian universities as being the McDonalds of universities.

As far as reseach goes, a university cannot hire feminists and then expect the public to believe that the university abides by the scientific method, and I think a lot of Indian students have now realised that much more quality research is carried out back in India than in Australian universities.

I would agree with Hasbeen. The quality of education from Australia universities is probably the worst education someone can receive in Australia, but the most expensive.
Posted by vanna, Monday, 29 November 2010 4:32:40 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy