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Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Paul Wiltshire, we are told, "argues that we need a proper debate about student numbers." By this he means 'fewer'. His main argument is this: "it is obvious that the majority of the jobs that society needs performing (a high proportion of which are manual or administration based, low to medium skilled, or managerial – but not actually academic) don't actually need the incumbent to have spent their first three or four years of their adult life studying an academic course." He also argues against the idea that it is the academic education that explains graduates' higher pay: "the university cohort will be those who are not only on average more academic, but also more hard working and more conformist – so it is little wonder there is a career pay premium for this cohort." These are both stunningly bad arguments but not at all surprising in a post that argues against access to education.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Jun 18, 2024 07:47 a.m.

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