27th February. A group reading activity.
We participate in a group reading activity, after a discussion, we summarise it and present our feedback to the other half of our group. I read ‘Race and the Neoliberal University’ from last week’s suggestions. ‘Students should regard their education as an investment in human capital with an eye to its returns in the labour market.’ Marketisation of full student fees since 2008 financial crash. There was a shift from higher education as a social right to personal responsibility – privatisation. Looking back after the war, public higher education was developed as part of a process to democratise, offering full participation for all. Neoliberal privatisation is ‘structurally racist’ while projecting ‘neutrality’ the idea that higher education as a personal responsibility would seem to reinforce existing socioeconomic inequalities, that would appear to be based on merit but are actually ‘status’ Universities claim to be race blind dissolving characteristics involving differential treatment but the neutrality of universities is a mirage. It is necessary to decolognise universities, democracy and membership in the political community that HE is located. Historically, universities began as private/religious foundations in the USA many ‘Ivy League’ colleges were formed from endorsements of wealth, sometimes from plantation slavery. Many state universities denied entry to African American students, ‘Jim Crow’ subverted equality after the Civil War. Segregated public education in the US did not end until 1954. (Brown & Bond of Education.) In the UK, Research Universities interconnecting with the wider economy & society. Expansion and the numbers of students increased the importance of higher education to provide credentials for the job market – this gave universities an important role, in securing ‘equal opportunities’ elite universities sought to transfer status to research activities and present themselves as providing access to superior employment opportunities. HE provided a skilled, trained workforce. ‘The system must be judged as deficient unless it provides adequately for all.’ Robbins report in the UK inaugurated abolishing fees and introducing means tested grants. The expansion of a free, public higher education believed to mitigate the effects of mixed system of public and private secondary education however the reforms didn’t discuss access for women or disadvantaged minorities. The US equivalent was elite universities with high fees alongside a robust public higher education offering. We discuss this piece and what we agreed/disagreed with.
We talk about the division of our overseas students through economics, a point of interest 50% of overseas students use Business class flights to come to the UK. The Chinese students in GB&I are very wealthy. Our British students are becoming the minority, sometimes working 2 jobs to pay for accommodation. Is one group getting more from the course than another as they are financially protected? The enormous cost of fees, housing, education, visa. Are international students buying a degree? Why? Privilege. Our students are now customers, it’s not their fault. What is the purpose of HE? Who are the stake holders? What is the long-term vision? Universities were about the empire, colonial influence in the 60s moving to the UK, it was felt education was a right. We are a framework, public university education UK/US contradictory, meritocracy, social rights to individual responsibility, decolonisation and public education, privatised and privileged. ‘diversity’ consists of overseas students from elite privileged background giving them economic freedom. We have students coming from all over the world. division. The article explains how this happened, racism, colonisation, slavery and the Ivy League. We can ask – what is the purpose of education? To make the world a better place. Governance, stake holders originally publicly funded after 60s and 2000s changed. Subjected to neo liberalisation, market forces but is the market correct? It is highly skewed towards the wealthy. The inequality is a new liberal model for education. It has become capitalistic fueling only 1% who will be able to afford a university education. Making them richer, getting the top jobs in powerful positions, causing more inequality. International students can ‘buy’ a degree to get them a better job at home. Policy makers – do they really know the purpose of HE? Networking, to build relationships, how you get a job later on, the ‘who you know’ public school education could network. There was a time in the UK when you didn’t pay fees, statistically students didn’t come from wealthy backgrounds, how many amazing students might we miss as this becomes reality? Free market model. Ual values social justice yet are attracting the top 1% earning families. We talk about sustainability, but our students are flying back to Tokyo for the Easter break. The whole model could collapse at any moment. Capitalist model is inherently selfish, its about imbalance. in the context of education, we should say no.
Holmwood, J. (2018) ‘Race and the Neoliberal University.’ In Bhambra, G. K., Gebrial, D. and Nisancıoglu, K. (eds.) Decolonising the University. London: Pluto Press, pp.37-52.