Saturday letter3
The new year brings many people to tertiary education ranging from certificates to doctorates but there is an even greater range of institutions. In Australia there has been a drop in traditional university enrolment as a result of the free TAFE (Technical and Further Education) courses. The free courses are less difficult.
The traditional universities are welcoming their students although so are a few more unusual ones. This is not a matter of Theology degrees from small Pacific Islands although there is of course the McDonald’s Hamburger University that has been around since 1961.
The latest that has appeared in Australia is the ‘University Campus of Football Business’ which is in itself an odd title. Special interest studies like sport do attract many students but this one is very confusing.
It is time to reorganise and rationalise the number of tertiary institutions and go back to basics. Universities should be devoted to two major areas, serious research that will benefit everyone and teaching students material that will lead to useful employment opportunities.
Of course, I could be tempted by Harvard University’s course, ‘The Real Game of Thrones: From Modern Myths to Medieval Models’ or ‘Philosophy and Star Trek’ at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
Beam me to my lecture Scotty!
Dennis Fitzgerald,
Melbourne, Australia
