"Academics in their ivory towers are far removed from classroom reality" yes lets not listen to Kev.

Could someone please remind Mr Donnelly that we are now in the 21st Century? Does he seriously expect us to communicate with kids using references from the KJV?

Once again, genuine conservatives find themselves being embarrassed by pseudo-conservative rhetoric that attacks anything deemed 'politically correct' for the sake of supporting some allegedly macho 'politically erect' set of policies.

Our academics are paid off to shut their mouths and maintain a apolitical position.

The academic system and the education of it, is riddle with unknown agendas and their associated executive.

Remember money and power are in control. Australia is only a small country and it sticks out like canine testicles.

Even China have realised that the division between rich and poor since it has opened to western trade is having an effect on the peasants which is moving away from their communist belief of anti-capitolism.

At least the Chinese have the courtesy of calling their people peasants whereas our we are fooled by our label of citizen.

It has been proved that the students of today know less than what the students knew 30 years ago.

Now isn't that telling you something? Think about it?

Suebdootwo - "It has been proved that the students of today know less than what the students knew 30 years ago."
I am not convinced - please could you provide a reference.

In terms of measuring student abilities - I think that we need to look at absolute student numbers as well.

It is conceivable that AU is

a) educating a larger number of people to a higher level
(as measured by years-of-learning)
AND b) experiencing a lower level of ability in graduates overall
AND c) still increasing the number of "high ability" researchers

Without meaning to sound elitist at all - as University education becomes more mainstream, one might reasonably expect average ability of graduates to drop.

After all - if you look at some of those other countries, only a very small percentage of their population get into University. These are usually the "cream of the cream" academically speaking - plus a sprinkling of financially fortunate but less able colleagues.

Having said all that... I agree - some research topics sound pointless. At the end of it all, if I was hiring a post-grad I would look closely at their research topic and maybe even peruse the thesis.

Where can one start with another ridiculous article by Kevin Donnelly? As I rhetorically asked in my blog petaldavid.blogspot.com , does he have an "off" button?!?!?

"it should be obvious that many of the projects are more about political correctness than helping teachers."

No explanation whatsoever as to what he actually means. Doesn't Kev realise that the very term "political correctness" is actually kind of old-fashioned now?

"Ignored is the often violent and nihilistic nature of hip-hop music and the way it further segregates society."

Rather than sounding like the progressive thinker he fancies himself to be, KD just sounds like a cranky old man. I don't think this fact is "ignored", Kevin - to the contrary, the (largely conservative) media harps on about this aspect of hip hop music ALL THE TIME.

"Travelling through outback communities such as Ernabella, in South Australia, and seeing the destructive impact of imported hip-hop music on Indigenous culture should also be cause for alarm."

All of a sudden destruction of indigenous culture is "cause for alarm"? What happened to the "black armband" view of history? Weren't Kevin and his crew fond of sneering at the Black Arm Bandits? And HOW has hip hop music managed to do this?

"an added weakness in many of the ARC-funded education projects is that they are inspired and managed by academics far removed from the realities of the classroom."

I think that Dr Donnelly's words reach a wider audience than these academics - how far removed is HE from the "realities of the classroom"?

"One reason overseas students do so well is that there is a greater reliance on rote learning and memorisation."

And a lesser reliance on thinking.

"researchers and academics should understand that public funds are not inexhaustible and that such funding must be justifiable."

However, if you are running a private school you can just get the money and not have to justify anything because we "just know" you're doing it right, anyway!!