A very interesting article by Stefan Collin in the London Review of Books.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n21/stefan-collini/brownes-gamble
I think this is a good point:
" But this, other problems aside, comes perilously close to reducing important human experiences to a set of ‘preferences’ as reported on a tick-box questionnaire. I would hope the students I teach come away with certain kinds of dissatisfaction (including with themselves: a ‘satisfied’ student is nigh-on ineducable), and it matters more that they carry on wondering about the source of that dissatisfaction than whether they ‘liked’ the course or not."
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Thanks so much for drawing attention to this article, though I can hardlybear to read about Browne.He treats education as a commodity in a market, rather than a means of developing people's minds and imaginations and so, potentially enhancing everyone's experiences. A degree shoud not be treated as job ticket.
The future for arts subjects seems particularly bleak and yet they are central to a civilised life( by civilised I don't mean luxurious or wealthy and able to afford Covent Garden prices, but able to appreciate and value things of the mind and spirit and so to value other people)
Sheila
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Some related points in this Guardian article although this one is less interesting. Most of the comments below are fairly irrelevant to the issues raised in the article.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jan/11/higher-education-fees