Sixth Article, not to be Confused with the Fifth

Well, I have another article. The relevant web pages to refer to are given below.

Main article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6955701.stm

Taxpayers' Alliance: http://tpa.typepad.com/waste/ (scroll down a bit)
(note: if this is viewed too late, the post might get replaced. In that case, tell me and I'll send the pdf research file to you)

Universities UK: http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/mediareleases/show.asp?MR=502

A Certain Degree for the Degree
An interesting social issue in the papers recently was regarding a report by the Taxpayers’ Alliance, regarding the wastage of tax money in paying for university non-courses. When its report regarding the issue was published, Universities UK came up with a counter statement on its website.

First, a word on the credibility of these two organizations. Taxpayers’ Alliance is part of a “coalition”, with other websites, which frequently posts articles, often government bashing, about how tax money is being wasted. There is no word of its credibility. It is probably an advocacy group.

Universities UK is a top education group based in the UK which is the “essential voice” for universities in the UK. In short, they support and defend all universities in their various endeavours. Which also means they are equally biased when it comes to this matter.

The main criticism the Taxpayers’ Alliance (abbreviated as TPA) issues is that money is wasted on universities courses which have no academic merit and no application to real life. Its cites 5 examples of these courses, which it terms as non-courses:

• Outdoor adventure with philosophy
• Science: fiction and culture
• Equestrian psychology
• Fashion buying
• Golf management

When you first examine this list, you have to admit the TPA is making sense. Equestrian psychology, which is horse psychology, is simply a ‘mickey mouse’ degree. There is no recognizable value in learning about horse psychology. And as the TPA points out, such things could be learnt on the job.

But the Universities UK bites back with accusations that the report is prejudiced and that showcases academic snobbery. It also argues that courses which the TPA had pointed out were actually quite popular among graduates and have high employability rates.

Having no experience in the procedures which universities use to verify course quality, I cannot say anything authoritatively, but I do realize that even when trying not to be academically snobbish, I still find outdoor adventure with philosophy a rather humorous concept. Or fashion buying. Oh the skill you need to do that!

Of course, I should be considered rather snooty to not consider the fore mentioned two proper courses. I do apologize beforehand.

While I do not advocate academic snobbery, I find that labeling any form of criticism against university courses “academic snobbery” an appalling prospect. There should be some line drawn to differentiate the allowance for one to be snobbish. I am unashamed to be snobbish when the course in question is clearly unacademic, like fashion buying.

Of course, we should note as well that some of the courses highlighted by the TPA seem fine, like beauty therapy. There should be some skill to it, shouldn’t it?

Well, at least we should establish some sort of academic respectability without lapsing into academic arrogance. I do find the TPA’s argument with some merit.

And we could save money for that extra pint of beer in the process too.

Fifth Article

Yes!

I finally finished the fifth article, not to be confused with the fourth. Today, I write about Tony Blair. Honestly, I just dug this up from a reflection which I wrote after the news was announced to the world.

It may sound sarcastic at parts, but I am a writer of moods. I follow the writing and often, I have to comment on the issues most relevant to the part of the essay.

Honestly, I find Tony Blair a great man.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1976763.ece

With research from other pages as well.

Mr. Blair has left office just one month and nineteen days earlier. It was reported in the papers widely of course. It has been ten years since Mr. Blair had first stepped into the doorway of 10 Downing Street.
As a result of his removal from office, Mr. Blair has been quite busy these few days. Between sending more soldiers to Iraq, doing farewell tours and being interviewed by pretty much every news station in the market, you would hardly expect him to find much free time.
In my opinion, Blair has had a great time as prime minister. Between garbled and contradictory reports from different news stations and comments from happy and unhappy people around the world, I can still roughly make out a general and somewhat grudging support for Mr. Blair and his policies.
I do not live in the United Kingdom, and thus I have not really been influenced my Mr. Blair’s policies. However, from news reports, comments from around the world , reports and audits, the signs generally point to a better Britain. Better education (somewhat), better health (controversial as NHS is heavily in debt) and brand new foreign policy which combines the idealistic with the gullible to boot!
Mr. Blair is the ideal politician, optimistic and able to stand up for his own views. He is a charismatic orator as well, persuasive and relevant. I would like to applaud him.
On another note, I would like to mourn the official 168 military soldiers from the United Kingdom who died on duty in Iraq. They died defending the idealistic and naïve programme which Mr. Blair insists on.
Sending people to their deaths is not funny.
Blair’s dilemma is a dilemma which is perplexing, as Mr. George Yeo said during the 4th RI lecture, and not easy to make. Theoretically and in the long run, it is better to stamp out dangerous insurgents who would threaten the lives of anyone who isn’t Islamic. These insurgents would not stop until their demands are met, that is (as I quote from an article I have read somewhere), when George Bush turns to Islam and Israel is sank under the sea.
Honestly, these insurgents do have to be stamped out, but probably not in such an ill-conceived and pathetic manner.
It is a pity that Mr. Blair’s career would be summarized as the Iraq war, which is most probable. He did improve Britain. In spite of all his hiccups, he is a really fine man, and an adept politician, the brightest the country has seen in a while. And he did what he thought was right.
Ouch! Your best and they still say not good enough.
Mr. Blair has stepped down one month and nineteen days earlier. It may be too late to toast him now, but I hope his legacy would exceed that of the Iraq War, and the world might recognize him as one of the most remarkable Labour politicians Britain has ever seen. I toast you Tony.