Whenever my family search for fish and chips in an unknown seaside location, we always look for the same thing: the largest queue. Similar looking shops mean if a vast quantity of people are waiting for the food, compared to pittance at the diner over the road, it must be good. The length of time until we get our food doesn’t matter, it is the quality, taste and presentation we desire. It is perfectly natural for us to try what is popular and has proven itself to be a success. Rarely do we opt for the unknown, go out on a whim for fear of negative consequences.
No more so is this the case than with universities. Their number may be smaller than fish and chip shops, but their ability to sell themselves is a degree in itself. Some institutions have gathered a prestigious reputation, one that could never evaporate and dominates the choice we make. The monopoly of Oxbridge – not allowing you to apply to the other university, earlier applications – reveals the stark divide between different universities. That isn’t to say I am against the elitism of Oxbridge. We should be proud of the excellent universities in Britain, and while they should encourage more candidates from a variety of backgrounds to apply, this shouldn’t prevent the excellence that is installed. Much of the hysteria of Oxbridge isn’t founded anyway, the divide between different social classes and ethnicities starting in education long before 18. I believe grammar schools would help to combat some of that unfairness, but that’s for another blog post. The choice of universities is clear. You’ve got your Red brick, Russell Group, Sutton Trust (13 or 30, depending on the standards you prefer) and Oxbridge. For those that have done just the slightest research into universities by looking at some league tables, one can have a general idea of where a university ranks overall. Those that have the cultural and educational capital to understand such data can decide whether a certain university is worth investing over £9,000 a year in. Yet from all the advertising: prospectuses, brochures, open days (I have attended one, full of delightful people), the ignorant individual would never be aware that such stark and profound differences exist. ‘That can’t be right, this university is rated top for hygiene’, ‘No, no, the social life is the best here’, ‘At this university, the results increased the most’…. There is an endless rush of information thrust in our faces, desperate to tell us why we must go to this university and what this university is best in. A specialist subject? You’ll hear about it. Russell Group? Plastered everywhere. Any award from any organisation in any year? Bingo, it’s there. Universities want to impress, attract and appeal to as many students as possible, though, of course, they’ll never be against taking the cleverest. In this situation, where it feels impossible to imagine a university – shock horror – may not actually be that speculator – digging deeper, analysing language, using those GCSE English skills you thought were consigned to the inner most depths of your brain (alongside that cat meme) is a necessity. When investing so much effort – personal, financial, logistical – into the university experience, getting the right course, the best value for money at the correct institution for the individual must be the priority. While universities should promote their achievements, discovering the flagships results from trusted awarding bodies (objective organisations that look at universities in a reasoned, balanced way) is the only way to receive proper information about whether a university shines like a sunbeam or is a flop. Rating universities by the subject one wishes to do seems far more worthwhile that simply general performance. The number of candidates in graduate style jobs after a certain period would be far more relevant than the number of nightclubs within a mile of the campus. Universities are selective about the information they reveal; we too, as deciders, must also examine the important elements of different places. Spinning information in education begins long before universities. Even nurseries, where kids are simply looked after, will have their Ofsted rating, praising comments and selective photos. Primary and secondary schools are always trying to offer a welcoming first impression at open evenings, whether to refute a damning reputation or have the honour of a long waiting list come the start of the academic year. Only as universities have opened – half of students now attending – has the major advertising really taken off. Of course, tuition fees play a part. While they shouldn’t (you only pay 9% of income over £25,000 after you leave university), the focus instead being on maintenance living costs, fees from students, instead of simply income tax, has allowed universities to swell in size, accepting more people. This is in direct contrast to Scotland, the free tuition fee policy adopted by the SNP shrinking the number of available places. The increase in demand for places has spurred the demands for proof a certain university is worth someone’s time. This has inevitably been damaging for the jobs market. The onus is on successive governments, desperately promoting university for all, implicitly portraying technical education as inferior, a failure in education. While I welcome the government’s proposal of T-levels, clear qualifications that employers can trust, for recognising university isn’t and shouldn’t be for all, their roll-out must begin fast, certainly given the potential decrease in migrant labour, who add economically and culturally to the UK, after Brexit. Fundamentally, universities are vital. It is there the next doctors, nurses, teachers, surgeons, philosophers, psychologists, engineers and policy wonks will be created and harnessed. For high skill knowledge to benefit society, there must be the high-level teaching. Consumers must be selective and understanding when deciding the best university for them, cutting past the sound bite that can appear on a pamphlet. Universities must promote themselves but as institutions balance rigorous, detailed, passionate teaching with the ability to inspire and provide strong student support. These cogs churning and working well will inevitably lead to much praise in all areas of league tables and ensure – like a brilliant chippy – people are always there.
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