Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ COVID-19 versus higher ed: the downhill slide becomes an avalanche

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Bryan Alexander outlines what is essentially a doomsday scenario for the U.S. education system as huge declines in funding and revenue combine with steep enrollment declines. He invites us to "carry some findings over to other countries' post-secondary systems, depending on local conditions," but it is important to keep in mind that government support for post-secondary education has been steadily withdrawn since the 1980s. So like their health care system, the U.S. post-secondary system is largely privatized, and similarly hindered in a crisis. To be sure, other countries will also have to adjust because of the crisis and the new reality, but they have more room to manoeuver, and a different mandate. If ever there was an argument for government support of essential services like health and education, we are seeing it play our in front of us.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 10:14 p.m.

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