Today’s Guardian reports that universities in the UK are considering awarding extra marks to students who have workplace experience and skills in the job market. Although vocational courses have focused on the workplace for a long time this is the first time that students on courses which are not career-specific will be encouraged to focus on their job prospects.
Whilst economic conditions require us all to be as adept as possible at getting jobs and earning money, this proposal brings into question the core purpose of higher education. Do students go to university to enhance their career prospects, or to extend their knowledge and life skills. Or is it both?
There are strong views on both sides of the debate. The director of student support at Leicester University says "There is no difference between academic skills and employment skills. "We are looking for students who can apply things in a new context."
But the professor of philosophy at Bristol University says "Incorporating corporate skills into the curriculum is short-term thinking,. "The point about education is that it equips you for the long-term.”
It is the sort of debate which will never be resolved. At the end of the day the question is what sort of society we want to create for ourselves. One which puts economic priorities at the forefront of our aspirations. Or one which sets greater store in knowledge and ahead of cultural awareness.
What do you think?
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