Much of it is financially motivated OGF , when I taught in secondary school some pupils were encouraged to study for A levels even if they weren’t suited to academic study because the school received finance for each A level pupil, even if that pupil dropped out after a short time. I suspect it’s a similar situation for Higher Education along with the growth of easier subjects such as Media Studies etal being on offer.
1 Like
I did and a good many others. Perhaps that was a reflection of that I did - power electronics.
As it happens, I did a business drgree later.
It’s always hard not to be churlish when you don’t like a celeb, and truth to tell she gets right on my …….
But to be fair, there are far worse examples she could be setting than a respect for education and a love of books, aren’t there?
1 Like
Yep, had that experience too.
Adele talked the talk six years ago and she’s doing it again. In the meantime, she could have acquired some qualifications to gain confidence and expertise in academic study - AFAIK, she hasn’t. Whether, therefore, she has the ability or commitment to spend hours, weeks and years in pursuit of a credible degree is open to question.
As I pointed out earlier, even a straight A’s student, much younger than Adele, took 5 years, much of the time on campus, to obtain her very credible BA in Eng. Lit.
Open University - BA (Honours) English Literature
How long does it take?
Part time – 6 years
Full time – 3 yearsHow much time do I need?
Most of our students study part time, completing 60 credits a year.
This will usually mean studying for 16–18 hours a week.Key features of the course
- Learn how to analyse a wide range of texts including novels, drama and poetry
- Discover the historical and cultural contexts that have shaped English literature
- Explore the work of famous authors alongside lesser known but equally fascinating writers
- Have the option of studying creative writing or English language alongside English literature
- Develop advanced skills in analysis, evaluation, communication and critical thinking that are highly valued in the workplace
1 Like
. Attach cheques and/or large sums of money to assignments to aid tutors come to correct conclusions 
1 Like
Obviously you were sufficiently capable to benefit from going to university Besoeker.
However, I discussed this with my daughter today who left school in 1990. She had not known anyone either who had gone on to university. A few people like myself had gone to college (day release from apprenticeship) to further their education in their chosen profession. It did not become a right of passage until the late nineties when Blair encouraged all school leavers to continue their education at university. Possibly to massage the unemployment figures with so many signing on after leaving school.
Its one thing to educate our young people, but in most cases its the wrong kind of education which doesn’t very often lead to better future employment prospects. Because there are so many people leaving university with a degree, it has devalued that qualification.
A lot of my friends I went to school with went to Uni but none of the others.
1 Like
I quite agree. You need to have a specific aim for required the specific degree but it seems that some students are a bit vague about what they want to with their degree.
1 Like
I went to a Grammar School I left at the end of the 5th Form"O" level exams and was one of only three or four to do so, all the rest, and it was a big year, the “bulge” remember, went on to the 6th form, “A” levels and, presumably, a large number to university.
Uni was free then too I don’t think it was just for the privileged BUT certainly the students had to work to support themselves if they did go to Uni
The days of not paying university fees and significant student grants was the time of greatest social mobility in the UK. People from any background, any region, any school could work to get the right A-level / Higher results and get into good universities. This led to degree educated people coming from all walks to gain good jobs and good careers. That has been largely lost. Social mobility is greatly reduced from 40-50 years ago.
Has it though? My children lived in Watford. Her degree was in Edinburgh, the next was Nottingham, and my son in London.
What I mean is the ability of people from poorer backgrounds to gain access to higher paid jobs, move to wealthier areas and make careers in what traditionally had been only for the professional classes (doctors, lawyers, etc.). Not geography.
Then we can disagree amicably. My parents were from poor backgrounds. That didn’t stop me from education and it allowed me to be a world traveler. My children have done similar.
Then Adele will be able to speak/write proper English like wot I does and have a degree in it as well
Ah, you are a towering intellect !
I am more inclined to think that we are actually agreeing. Isn’t that nice?
1 Like
Well, I think I am a reasonable person. When I was a kid my sister and cousin tease me unreasonably because of my red hair and fiery temper. Now I am a wee bit older with silver locks.
As an aside, something in today’s news caught my eye. Australia has a fairly unique system for entry to Uni called the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) which is not a mark but a ranking against all other students in that age group (16 to 20 year olds). The scaling is done no matter what subjects studied for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) though some subjects result in a higher ranking on a scale between 0.00 and 99.95
If you want to study medicine for example you need and ATAR of something like 99 whereas to study for a Bachelor of Teaching you only need a minimum ATAR of 46.20.
The pandemic has thrown all that into question with many unis offering places before students have even taken their first HSC exam.
For example one student from a public school in Sydney’s inner west received three early offers — at Macquarie University, the Australian National University and the University of Technology Sydney — before ever setting foot in an exam room.
Two of the offers are unconditional, meaning she’s in regardless of how she performs.
The Pandemic has changed so much
Conditions this, Conditions that.
