Ed Miliband Has Wrecked The Labour Party.

[Happ Hazzard]

Depends. If they're getting into serious debt doing a "humanities" degree at a third rate former Poly, then it probably isn't worth it. They should be doing a vocational course instead, one that likely doesn't last 3 years. We need trained craftsmen and tradesmen, not people who know all about the media but have no chance of getting a job in the media.

[Hillpig]

This from the man who doesn't know how to spell Miliband.

 

It was Cameron who styled himself as the heir to Blair and it's Cameron who is just as educated as Miliband. And how can someone be overeducated? I bet no one's ever accused you of that.

 

Overeducated in the sense that they spend too much time in educational establishments, too much time spent as political bag carriers, they learn their trade (education) from older politicians and therefore magnify and carry forward the preconceptions, snobbery and mistakes of the political elite.

 

Cameron is the heir to Blair, Blair was as much a Conservative as say, Macmillan, he was right of Heath and relatively right of Churchill, (on social policy). Just because he wore a red rose and spouted what the proles wanted to hear does not make him a socialist.

 

Thank you for correcting my spelling, I am not too concerned as its a word we will not be using much in future.

 

---------- Post added 24-09-2013 at 16:27 ----------

 

What do you call value for money, won’t peoples’ opinions be different? The thing is universities largely train people in specific skills rather than teaching people how to think for themselves and remember they stuff they learn. For most people university just seems to be an extension of school where the aim is to pass the course rather than improving the overall ability of the student who can then go on to benefit others. Some people go on to achieve greatness but most don’t

 

You are absolutely correct in all regards. I have had the experience of employing people with and without "degrees". Although it is dangerous to generalize, I am of the opinion that most degrees are a waste of time. How many Sports Studies/Social Scientists graduates do we need?

 

Obtaining a degree can be a retrograde step, once you enter the world of work you step out of the rarified, egotistic, unrealistic atmosphere of education and have to get down and dirty with the kids who have worked straight from school, and it can be tough.

 

I am all for higher education if the education is relevant to the world of work, if going to university is merely for the experience I feel it is a waste of time.

 

That's the second time I have agreed with you Mecky, I am going for a sit down now.

[biotechpete]

Maybe we should look at where the money goes within Universities? Are students getting value for money in terms of contact hours? Are lecturers overpaid? University executives certainly are. Too many people look at "uni" as an expensive 3 year ****-up instead of really thinking about whether they are getting value for money.

 

I don't think you'll find many university lecturers who think that the job is well paid. Those of them that can even get a foot on the ladder that is. Some universities are the size of small muiltinational companies with thousands of employees, billion pound budgets, land and estates to manage and they are also highly competitive.

 

Whether degrees are worth the money for most people, that's another issue, but comparing between univesrity and private sector, private sector wins hands down in most cases for lecturer level and above.

[Hillpig]

Although I have reservations about degrees and Universities, we should be careful what we wish for.

 

British education has a good reputation world wide. We are attracting thousands of Chinese, Indian and others to our unis and they are paying for the privilege.

 

As the old third world countries develop and their populations grow it is very much in this countries interests to be perceived as an educational center of excellence.

 

We have lost our manufacturing base, our financial base is under threat from Labour politicians and their mates the bankers as well as the EU.

 

Education may be the last service we can sell before we revert to a subsistence economy.

[avidcameron]

This from the man who thinks Bernard Matthews was Thatchers press secretary.

 

---------- Post added 23-09-2013 at 22:47 ----------

 

Milliband is as dead as a Norwegian blue parrot, He is deceased, a singer in the choir eternal.

 

Irrelevant, overeducated, brother betraying back stabbing slimeball. A true heir to Blair.

 

The British public will never vote him in in a million years.

 

You know it, I know it.

 

Daves the boy,, Vote Tory.

 

I do not think you have a career in comedy,especially satire.Your reference to Bernard Manning is excellent-he did much to make paltry an affordable luxury.

[Mecky]

Genuine question Mecky...what's your personal experience of universities?

 

I can't speak for them all but I studied at University of Sheffield, Imperial College London and Oriel College Oxford, the latter being the best IMO. A lot of the focus these days are seemingly on specific skill sets, which is fine for the present but can become obsolete over time and forgotten if not used regularly.

 

I frequently talk to employers and whilst skills set can be advantageous they are often inflexible unless the graduates take it onto themselves to improve their knowledge and skills, which rarely happens. The last thing employers want are graduates who think they know it all and try to change their work practices, even if it makes money for the business. What employers want are people who are malleable and can be shaped into employer’s method of working. That’s why I believe universities should promote learning methods as well as skills and stop all that spoon-feeding rubbish which goes off.

[avidcameron]

Depends. If they're getting into serious debt doing a "humanities" degree at a third rate former Poly, then it probably isn't worth it. They should be doing a vocational course instead, one that likely doesn't last 3 years. We need trained craftsmen and tradesmen, not people who know all about the media but have no chance of getting a job in the media.

 

Having problems finding a plumber?You seem to believe the study of the media is a humanities course.I should double-check with mum before resitting your A-levels.

[tinfoilhat]

I hate to deviate from the university part of the thread (which is interesting) but little ed has promised fixed energy prices for 5 years. Looks like those magic beans did work!!!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24213366

[LeMaquis]

Overeducated in the sense that they spend too much time in educational establishments, too much time spent as political bag carriers, they learn their trade (education) from older politicians and therefore magnify and carry forward the preconceptions, snobbery and mistakes of the political elite.

 

That applies to Cameron as much as it does to anyone. Eton and Oxford, Bullingdon Club and bag-carrier to Norman Lamont whose mistakes Cameron saw at first hand in 1992.

[Happ Hazzard]

Having problems finding a plumber?You seem to believe the study of the media is a humanities course.I should double-check with mum before resitting your A-levels.

I have A levels and a degree, thank you. I didn't say media studies was a humanities course. My point was that "soft" degrees such as media or humanities are too common when people should be doing science subjects, engineering and other solid subjects.