//The first are those who make useful & valuable contributions to society & get paid for their meaningful work.//

OK, but that is a purely subjective definition. I think philosophers make useful & valuable contributions to society & get paid for their meaningful work. I'm guessing you don't, because.... actually, I don't know why. But I'm hazarding a guess that you just don't.

//The second are those whose only expertise is self-preservation by riding on the back of education wasted on them.//

Oh, right, we're on a firmer footing here. Business graduates. And PE teaching graduates. Because it actually does take three years for some people to figure out the difference 'twixt positive and negative integers (even decimal fractions of an integer... scary stuff, for some) and their relation to profitability. I mean, of all the Mickey-Mouse degrees out there.... Fine Arts students come up looking rosy compared to those time-wasting bludgers. And to paraphrase 'The Simpsons', a shaved ape could definitely teach PE.

Oh, and native English speakers who study English.... crikey, people, if you hav'nae figured it out how to speak your own language by the time you get to Uni, it's probably to late for you. A pox upon all English teachers and their time-wasting bollocks.

CM //Some academics I have talked with are mortified at the contemporary "dogma" of University Faculties preventing "real inquiry"//. How many, and in what context did the discussions take place? How did you determine they were mortified, and not just mildly upset. What was the opinion of those not part of the "some" you refer to. Do you do this often, soliciting the inner thoughts of academics?

Science! Jesus, isn't that reason enough alone?
Toni Lavis,
that's interesting ! So, you're a scientist ? What science-based useful contributions are down to you & who paid you ?
Please don't view that as sarcasm, I'm just wondering if you're in the private sector or Govt.

Is Education way overrated in today's society?

It's half-arsed.

The parts where they learn things that help them through life and become open minded is good.
The parts where they learn things that make them permanently retarded and close minded is bad.

To put a figure on the uselessness of some universities, a friend of ours has been running remedial math coursers for TAFE students in a number of subjects, particularly electrical & building trades.

Many of the kids have "very high achiever" in math A & B on their year 12 graduation certificates, but could not handle simple electrical equations.

He recently opened up a whole new line of business, running the same sort of courses for university students. Many science & engineering students actually need a reasonable level of math, & need a lot of help, however it was the environmental science students that amazed. Many of them would fail a serious year ten junior high school arithmetic test, & would not know where to start with a year 10 math B exam.

It is taking a year of 4 hours a week for some of them get to year 10 standard & to understand how to convert metres/second through a flow gauge to megalitre/hour. These people come out of uni with a BSc for gods sake.

Still he says he has never enjoyed teaching so much. Having kids who really want to learn is a new & great experience for him.