Young people are deciding which universities they should choose. In 1997, Tony Blair vowed that half of young adults would go into higher education. Figures from 2017-18 showed that 50.2% of young adults go to university. But certain economists and educational specialists argue that universities have lost their pertinence, and there is a stark inefficiency if low wage retail workers have degrees. Degrees are increasingly available and thus less significant, and universities have multiplied. Social transformation has meant they've gone from a prestigious opportunity to a conventional one.
Perhaps a solution to this inequality is to integrate industry and university education, to specialise skills and boost productivity. Some argue this is poaching and prevents student's freedom of choice. The ease of obtaining a place at university has created a social inequality between graduates and those who would rather choose apprenticeships or go straight into employment. These people feel as if they are forced to fight against a system with policies that constantly channel them towards university.
Perhaps some guidance is needed to reinstate the pertinence of degrees in terms of employability. We should break down this established presumption that higher education is the sole indicator of intellectual triumph.
Written by Eve Nicholson
Artwork by Delicia
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