Prior to our first session, we were asked to read two texts of varied length and complexity. I will try to summarise them as I understand them and then reflect on them one by one. Finally, I hope to conclude with comments on the in-session team activity.
First Text – Holmwood
In his chapter on “Race and Neoliberal University: Lessons from the Public University” Holmwood started from discussing changes to Higher Education funding in England. More specifically its marketisation and removal of public funding for arts, humanities and social sciences while STEM studies would upkeep their funding due to their significance to the economy (Holmwood, 2018; p.37). The main argument behind it is for the student to recognise studying as an investment in the future, a shift from “a social right to it being a personal responsibility of individuals and their families” (Holmwood, 2018; p.38).
This shift according to him, instead of resolving socioeconomic inequalities will only reinforce them under the impersonal face of the market, rather than ‘status’ which varied forms – class, race, gender prevailed as factors of institutionalised differential treatment in public Universities. (Holmwood, 2018; p.38-39)
The changes to the funding systems are some of the latest changes to the everchanging climate of HE started in the 60s (Robbins Report, 1963). HE meant to be a foundation for the continuous growth of the economy and society as a whole by providing a public benefit (Holmwood, 2018; p 42-43) of:
- a skilled and educated workforce (para. 25)
- HE producing cultivated men and women (para. 26)
- securing the advancement of learning through the combination of teaching and research within institutions (para. 27)
- providing a common culture and standards of citizenship (para. 28)
Holmwood argues that HE should remain public to serve its purpose, but even to do it it has to be decolonised. Only by doing so, it would be able to extend and enact social justice on foundations of social structures that are the cause of disadvantage of many due to racialised difference and inequality (Holmwood, 2018; p 50). While personal responsibility does not provide means to challenge it, but rather keeps it untouched.
I have found this text to be easy to follow and understand. I do believe that going to University and being educated to a higher level is a privilege and not a right. Yet being able to choose to study at HE level is a fundamental right, that should be available to all purely based on their capacity of understanding and benefiting from it, their merit as per article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1998). And it should be a personal choice to or not to study, and if one chooses to study, it should be their responsibility to tackle the cost of it and get the value for the money. And I do hold this belief due to my experience of radically different systems:
In Poland, the education is “free” as meaning it is paid by taxes with no real understanding of its costs and value. This causes a variety of issues which I saw and witnessed in my youth within the country and society as a whole:
- There is a syndrome of “Eternal student” somebody who constantly changes courses without graduating from any of it as they do not find it worthwhile after year-two of studying it
- All school teachers have at least masters qualifications – primary, secondary, high school, you name it, few of them have PhDs.
- Variety of lower-paid jobs (cleaners, checkout clerks etc.) also have MA degrees from overfilled courses that do not have many jobs/real-life applications like Political/European studies.
- It is often treated as a car park for unemployed (as I have referred to this stance by prof Wolniewicz in my previous post) and even specialised degrees like Game Development do not hold any value in respective industries, they are perceived very often as worthless and people studying them as someone who cannot/does not want to study, to be self-taught and needs to be babysitting all the time.
- Students can pursue their careers and gain more education and after receiving final papers move cities and countries with total disregard and lack of gratitude to the investment university and staff have done to help them to get to that point.
On the other hand, we do have an American system where all HE is fully commercialised and paid by individuals:
- Parents not only have to tackle mortgages but also set up a “college” funds to enable their children to have a chance at tackling university costs.
- As all student loans (even the ones offered by Federal Government) are fully commercial loans they do impact your credit rating, mortgage applications, they can force you into being bankrupt
- The cost of education is counted in dozens and hundreds of thousands of US Dollars and with high-interest rates (6-20% a year), it makes them rather impossible to be paid off as proved by many (Baliūnaitė, 2019)
And there we have an education in the United Kingdom. The one very often misunderstood and criticised due to a variety of changes in the last decade and overall political turmoil:
- All pre 98 loans have been sold to private companies and missing repayments counts against your credit score as with commercial loans (Lewis, Roberts, 2020)
- Loans between 1998 and 2012 are using Plan 1 (and many of them doubled the cost of tuition from £1500 to over £3000) that counts interest based on lower of the two Bank of England rate + 1% or RPI (Lewis and Roberts, 2020)
- While 2012 onwards loans on top of tripled (to over £9000) currently charge their students RPI (3.3%) + up to 3% depending on their income now on average of 5.4% (Lewis, 2020a)
- This differentiation between years and increase of tuition fee, maintenance loan and interest rate made current students very unease about the total cost of education. Consequentially interest going into thousands have put many off the university and those who decided to pursue it are “forced into colossal debt” (Sultana, 2020)
- Due to way Student Loan Company is structured this is a common misconception and is not only limited to naming but also several of its calculations and working outs as presented by Lewis in his “The five changes needed to improve the current student finance system” (Lewis, 2018) a part of a larger process of education and myth-busting undertaken by this well renowned financial advisor (Lewis, 2020b)
I do believe that the British System is the best, as it makes people aware of the costs of Education and allows them to make informed decisions over their future, in stark contrast of commercially predatory system placed in the US (despite tax backing) and hidden costs of education through complex tax spendings in the majority of continental Europe. However, I do find current Interest increase to above inflation levels to be an ill-willed act, that is on edge of being criminal. As with the increase in the fees, it makes just interest rates unmanagable and perceived as a loan (rather than the personal tax that you might contribute to if you earn enough) adds a lot of tension and anxiety. And as a person who has done all of his studies here within the UK, I am speaking from personal experience with the system.
September Update:
I was able to find following video by Evan Edinger that compares USA and UK Student Loans systems:
The terms I had to check for this material were:
- Neoliberalism – refers to market-oriented reform policies and reducing state influence in the economy most often via privatization and austerity.
- Meritocracy (my new favourite before Technocracy) – a political system investing in people on the basis of talent, effort, and achievement, rather than wealth or social class. With progression ensured by a system of examinations and successes.
Questions:
Q: To what extent are individuals personally responsible for their success?
A: I do believe that society, ought to fairly provide equality of opportunity, but how that opportunity will develop into the outcome is the sole responsibility of the individual.
Q: What is the justification for some people earning less than others?
A: Education, experience, skills, job responsibilities and requirements, surely not gender, orientation, religion or ethnic background.
Q: What does social solidarity mean to you?
A: To act as one in time of need, to pay for commonly shared services: Police, Medical, Bin collectors, Sewage and Water systems.
Second text – Dall’Alba
Dall’Alba chapter discusses how we can enhance ways of being university teachers while the academic practice has shifted towards efficiently measurable outcomes due to increase in bureaucratisation, instrumentalisation, professionalisation, vocationalisation, corporatisation and technologisation of the education process (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 362). Further, the argument focuses that epistemology in terms of pursuing measurable knowledge and skill acquisition is insufficient to help people to in ontological term, become a skilful practitioner of their respective field and guide students through this transformative process (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 362-363).
This process can be achieved by creating a relationship between the learner(s), teacher(s) and matter at hand as a shared responsibility of all involved parties. By having this common understanding, a desire to learn can be revealed through any formats (be face to face, or technologically embraced) and be a foundation for improved educational practice (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 363).
As our knowledge and understanding expand we came to the realisation that there is no one and absolute truth, that there are various contexts for various knowledge sources and that the ways we learn are also varied. This process democratises the knowledge and stripes it of its privileged status, which allows us to engage in discussions and critical reflection on our own educational practice, which can only result in better understanding of it and its enhancement (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 363).
However, as a consequence, this new understanding challenges conventional notions of educating how we teach and how learners acquire knowledge. This allows us to contextualise, create, enact and embody the knowledge as not just possession within our minds but an experience that shapes who we are. (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 363)
Considering ontological qualities informs us as teachers, that we no longer transfer knowledge to others. We interact with the vast body of not one but many sources of knowledge and experiences from all participants. Creating together something new, embodying the new perspectives as individuals and as a shared community, which transforms us and our perception. (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 363)
As all participants share what they know, their minds open and learning becomes a group rather than individualised process. However, it should not be perceived as the acquisition of information or just learning by doing but rather transforming one, within the practice by embracing its social aspects as one’s way of living. (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 364)
Dall’Alba in their practice creates an environment in which students can see their own strengths and weaknesses, but also be able to challenge others including the tutor. This closes the gap between their roles as students and teachers, despite being time-consuming. (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 366)
By examining our own practice, taking a step back, looking from a different, bigger perspective we may turn the familiar in unfamiliar. Variety of available literature not only within our practice but also research alongside the experience of our colleagues from varied fields can fuel our critical reflection of our own practice and best practices. And this internal, yet external perspective will support participants in their inner transformation. (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 366-367) It is all achieved by participation in a community that is committed to student learning by establishing a dialogue about participants educational practice and changes to it based on owns practice interrogation and in reference to educational literature & teaching models. Dall’Alba,2005,p. 367)
However, as old habits die hard, it is hard not to resist and become defensive towards one’s olds ways (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 370) As in true teaching, the teacher has as much to learn from their students, as students from their teachers (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 370) rather than assuming its superiority of knowledge possession and students lack thereof (Dall’Alba,2005,p. 364-365)
Teaching is challenging as teachers we have to allow students to journey, to learn in their own way. To let them wander and get lost, so they can find themselves and what they seek (which usually carried with themselves along the way). It is a process of exploration and experimentation, of discovery and becoming of allowing all participants to learn. (Heidegger, 1968, p. 15).
What I had to check to understand this text
Epistemology (theory of knowing) – regards its methods, validity, and scope of obtaining and upkeeping knowledge. Distinctions between justified belief and opinion.
Ontology (theory of being) – Studying philosophical concepts of being, becoming, existing and their relations with reality.
Transmission model – Describes communication as a one-way, linear process (like a radio station and receiver) the transmitted message can be disrupted by a variety of factors like semantics.
Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people might acquire knowledge and learn by constructing new understandings through the process of the first-hand experience.
Dall’Alba chapter started with a very thought-provoking quote by “Teaching is more difficult than learning because what teaching calls for is this: to let learn.” (Heidegger, 1968, p. 15). It strongly echoes with my personal belief that teaching should not be focused around just theory or just practice but as well as the skilful application of both to one’s personal life. For their studies to become their hobby, for their workshop to become their love, for them to become curious explorers, not only asking “what if” but implementing it and keep moving forward.
For those reasons, I am attempting to have my students engaged not only in the dialogue on the course but also in its structure and materials that are being delivered. They propose ideas or discuss certain mechanics or solutions, which I then turn into in-class activities, workshops or even games. If time allows we are even analysing them in more detail, but this is a very time-consuming activity.
References:
Baliūnaitė, I., 2019. 30 Alarming Posts About How The Student Debt System Affects People’S Lives And It’S Terrible. [online] Bored Panda. Available at: <https://www.boredpanda.com/student-debt-crisis-posts> [Accessed 5 April 2020].
Dall’Alba, G., 2005. Improving teaching: Enhancing ways of being university teachers. Higher Education Research & Development, [online] 24(4), pp.361-372. Available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360500284771> [Accessed 5 April 2020].
Edinger, E., 2020. Student Loans! British VS American. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRC-0U-k6CI> [Accessed 10 September 2020].
Heidegger, M. (1968). What is called thinking? (F. D. Wieck & J. G. Gray, Trans.). New York: Harper & Row.
Holmwood, J. (2018) ‘Race and the Neoliberal University: Lessons from the Public University’ in Bhambra, G., Gebrial, D., Nişancıoğlu K. (ed.) Decolonising the University. London: Pluto Press, pp 37-52.
Lewis, M., 2018. The five changes needed to improve the current student finance system [online] MoneySavingExpert.com. Available at: <
https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2018/05/martin-lewis–the-5-changes-needed-to-improve-the-current-studen/ > [Accessed 5 April 2020].
Lewis, M., 2020a. Student loan interest is now 5.4% – should I panic or pay it off?. [online] MoneySavingExpert.com. Available at:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/repay-post-2012-student-loan/ [Accessed 5 April 2020].
Lewis, M., 2020b. Student Loans Mythbusting. [online] MoneySavingExpert.com. Available at:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loans-tuition-fees-changes/ [Accessed 5 April 2020].
Lewis, M. and Roberts, A., 2020. Student Loan Repayment. [online] MoneySavingExpert.com. Available at: <https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loans-repay/> [Accessed 5 April 2020].
Robbins Report (1963) Higher Education: Report of the Committee appointed by the Prime Minister under the Chairmanship of Lord Robbins 1961 – 63. Cmnd 2154, October, available at http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/robbins/robbins1963.html
Sultana, Z., 2020. MP Speech [Online]. 21st January, House of Commons, London. RT UK News. Available at:
https://www.facebook.com/RTUKnews/videos/219889805696829/ [Accessed 5 April 2020].
UNITED NATIONS. (1998). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948-1998. [New York], [United Nations Dept. of Public Information].