15th December 2010, 03:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 15th December 2010, 03:37 PM by Kel.)
Quote:That might be what the government views them as, but that is not what university education is about.It's reality vs. the ideal. Of course universities should be seats of learning, with knowledge transfer and expansion as their core functions.
Reality: This hasn't been the case for many years now. It's no longer how the government (of any colour) views universities and they pay the bills (or try to make sure the bills get paid by others, at least). He who pays the piper, calls the tune. Sadly it appears that we no longer control the piper. Tried it with the Lib Dems and look how well that worked out.
It's like saying that the NHS is about making sick people well. It isn't. It's about keeping as much of the population as is cost-effective, just healthy enough to keep working and paying taxes.
Idealism about university function was touted by the Lib Dems during their electioneering. Reality bites.