Screenshot of my Windows 7 machine with the time and date of the 12:34:56 on the 07/08/2009

Close up here

I changed the windows regional setting’s to better show this.

Thanks to @komplett.ie for pointing this out.

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.