So, a few years ago an over excited Steve Ballmer, now grand master and Ruler of Microsoft ranted “Developers, Developers, Developers” to an amused and bewildered audience of code monkeys, I want to start a new rant, “Education, Education, Education”
Education in monumentally important to the future of this country, I cannot stress it enough. Every so often we heard thinks like “the Irish are some of the best educated in world”, or “Innovation Economy” etc. But there are a few worrying trends I am noticing becoming prevalent in today’s Ireland.
1. Introduction of fees
This is downright stupid and really puts in a new light what we already know of the current administration of the country. A waste of space. Firstly, lots more people will flock back to education now that we are in the R word, and flock they should , as the minds moulded in the colleges might be the minds we need to tear us out of this shite. So the answer is that they need to pay for education now. Has it come back to this, only the rich deserve an education?
I cannot stress how completely ignorant the government are on this one. Lets rip apart the last foundation of Ireland, free education. Nice. …. Gobshites. I work with colleges, they don’t have a lot of money. Fees mean less people in education and banks getting fat on loans again. Its hard enough be a student. I know , I was there twice, and both times the “Grant” was not enough to even have me meet rent. Education is expensive, I needed books, computers, food , internet etc. If I had to also pay for my tuition I would be now in terrible debt, or worse of all, would not have bothered.
There is also the question of value, how do you know you are getting value for money? As I have been a student for a very long time I know the value of education, but I have had good and bad tuition. If I was paying for my college tuition I would probably show up more to lectures, maybe. But then I was in lectures where professors pored over wordy PowerPoint slides that were copied verbatim from textbooks , I did not show up, I got the material , read it and re-gurgitated it. Where was the value? If I was paying for that from my pocket I would work to have people like that fired. So there are people in academic institution who should fear the fees as well, as it somewhat changes the game plan.
2. Why are courses getting “coolified”?
What is wrong with a degree in computing now. Is it that boring? I have a degree in Video Games Development, which is really a 4 year degree in real time simulation, I work in an I.T Related role and so some coding on the side for small projects. Nothing wrong with that, my degree gave me the flexibility to put my hand to anything. However I now hear that there are colleges that have to Publicise modules or courses in iPhone development to attract students ? Believe me, you do not want to run the type of course that attracts iPhone users. Bloody lunacy, and worth a post in itself sometime soon.
I don’t have a degree in XBOX or PlayStation, or a diploma in Wii, or a certificate in Nokia, we should stand up right away against such complete nonsense.
So what do you think? Please leave comments below and get a conversation started on this , I would love to hear what people think about this topic.
Nail on head. Although i would like hammer that nail into several of the ministers heads. Once again that inept shower of useless bumbling goons show their complete lack of foresight. We are no longer a country where mass producing factories is viable – we are just too expensive, and no matter how much they try and recede the inflation that has happened in the past to make us competitive, it won’t happen. We cant compete with the likes of India, China, South America or Eastern Europe. We can’t dilute our currency like we could have done in the past to make us competitive. The average Joe can’t take a massive pay cut whilst still paying for that 300K house.
So, what can we do? Well we can create a country that has the most educated people in the world – make Ireland into the centre of innovation and development. We are known throughout the world for being progressive thinkers and even visionaries.
How do we achieve this? By ensuring that everyone has a fair crack at the whip – anyone, no matter where they are from should be entitled to free education. If you mess about and don’t take it seriously then by all means you should have to pay, but everyone should have the chance. Unfortunately this won’t happen because the highly educated wouldn’t go near a ministerial position and therefore we are left with the goons… and these goons have the foresight of a lemming.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:42 amQuote
Hey Rob.
>>Lets rip apart the last foundation of Ireland, free education
It is not very true to say that education is free. You pay for it with those progressive taxes (20% to 41%
that Ireland got going. People who have no education and just ordinary jobs, earn ’small’ and pay small taxes. People with good education usually get nice jobs, nice pay and have to say goodbye to 41% of their overpay. I’d say you know all that yourself anaway.
So. If the goverment was to introduce the fees, they would need to remove that progressive tax as well. Otherwise it would seemply be unfair.
April 15th, 2009 at 6:31 pmQuote
Hello,
A semi-convincing argument for introducing fees is that those who benefit from higher education have higher earning power and that they should pay some contribution towards opening up this potential.
The tax argument doesn’t hold much water as we’re now among the lowest tax regimes in Europe.
Ideally, I’d prefer a radically revised grant system paid for if necessary by tax. But that won’t happen.
If (WHEN) fees are reintroduced, I’d love to see the cash invested at primary and second level, where it might actually contribute to widening participation rates at third level. But we all know that this is not where the money will go.
On balance, I think that the immediate effect of fees will be, as Rob says, the discouragement of people from going to college.
Finally, the delay on a decision (that we all know has really already been made) until after the local and European elections is very dodgy (to put it politely). Leaving Cert students will get CAO offers in August. That leaves only a few weeks for the department of education to set up the fee mechanism (assuming that it hasn’t already been done, Wizard of OZ style, behind the scenes). What are the chances that he department get it right in the time available? Might the CAO offers be construed as an offer of contract (prior to finalisation of fees)? Does this mean that the whole thing will end up in the courts??? (As suggested here: http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/)
April 16th, 2009 at 1:15 pmJoe Bloggs accepts a place in college prior to finalisation of fees. Then fees come in. Next, Johney’s parents go to the high court…
Quote
Hello,
A semi-convincing argument for introducing fees is that those who benefit from higher education have higher earning power and that they should pay some contribution towards opening up this potential.
The tax argument doesn’t hold much water as we’re now among the lowest tax regimes in Europe.
Ideally, I’d prefer a radically revised grant system paid for if necessary by tax. But that won’t happen.
If (WHEN) fees are reintroduced, I’d love to see the cash invested at primary and second level, where it might actually contribute to widening participation rates at third level. But we all know that this is not where the money will go.
On balance, I think that the immediate effect of fees will be, as Rob says, the discouragement of people from going to college.
Finally, the delay on a decision (that we all know has really already been made) until after the local and European elections is very dodgy (to put it politely). Leaving Cert students will get CAO offers in August. That leaves only a few weeks for the department of education to set up the fee mechanism (assuming that it hasn’t already been done, Wizard of OZ style, behind the scenes). What are the chances that he department get it right in the time available? Might the CAO offers be construed as an offer of contract (prior to finalisation of fees)? Does this mean that the whole thing will end up in the courts??? (As suggested here: http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/)
April 16th, 2009 at 1:16 pmJoe Bloggs accepts a place in college prior to finalisation of fees. Then fees come in. Next, Joe’s parents go to the high court…
Quote