by aj_nikhil on 2/26/21, 10:45 AM with 3 comments
by blackbear_ on 2/26/21, 11:50 AM
1. "Employers need skills, not just knowledge or titles" - then why does every job ad require a degree?
2. "Students want jobs, not knowledge or titles" - see above
3. "Students are paying more and more to get less and less" - US-specific (and I am appalled that every discussion on higher education in the US never bothers to see what others are doing)
4. "Students have unrealistic expectations (understandably) about college [...] Not everyone can be a leader, a CEO, a manager, or a highly sought-after knowledge worker" - the pressure to be rich and successful seems to be embedded in our society, universities have a small part in perpetrating this
5. "Many elite universities prioritize research, often at the expense of teaching" - that was the original goal of universities
6. "Instead of boosting meritocracy, universities reinforce inequality" - money gets you ahead anywhere, nothing specific to universities here.
I agree that there is a wide gap between what is taught at universities and what is required in the industry. But the purpose of universities should not be to prepare students for a job in a company. There are plenty of alternatives for that, from coding bootcamps to vocational schools.