A degree means less and less each year. Universities and Colleges are feeling the pinch since funding cuts. I've rejected candidates at interview, only have some knob in a suit overrule our decisions based on nothing more than academic qualifications. The same is happening in FE. Diploma students don't seem to know how to use a camera these days. I've no idea why they do it, because the students won't cope. We've lost 8 students this year because they just can't hack it. HEFCE claw that funding back if you lose a student any way, so the college has gained nothing, so the college are basically just taking a punt on these students, and when they fail they're left with a year's worth of student loan and nothing to show for it. About a third of our students don#t seem to even like photography. They just want a degree and see it has a soft option. Well.. they're wrong of course... if they're lucky they'll scrape a third, or a pass degree.
The ones that are hungry and passionate, do very, very well on degree courses. The ones that are not, don't. The ones that blag their way on thinking it's an easy way to get a degree and show now interest... we leave them bloody and dying by the roadside... metaphorically
Serves them right for blagging their way in with well rehearsed answers and fake portfolios (Yep... that happens). References from their previous college don't help either, as they're not allowed to write anything negative... so everyone's brilliant! This is what happens in this nannying, soft culture we have where everyone just wants to be told nice things these days. It doesn't work. If you're crap at something, you really, really need to know that you're crap at it. Why encourage someone who's crap at something? It's just false promises and building expectations.. setting them up to fail. Further Education seems to do this however.
Academic inflation. This is starting to encroach on Masters courses as well. In 10 years time, even a Doctorate will be easier to get.
The slow dumbing down of an entire nation. We're just thicker than we used to be.. and too scared to do anything about it... it may make some people cry... or worse still... lose some money.
Pathetic.