What's David walliams done?
For those that like him (and/or not easily offended), you might want to catch Jim Jefferies new stand up on Netflix (Intolerant). He talks all about this stuff
I don't disagree with a lot of that, but I would be very wary of equating *what* is taught with the quality. There can be excellent quality social science degrees and yes, they do serve a purpose in society. There can also be poor quality IT degrees. The distilling across many institutions is the issue, rather than the subject matter.
I've always been for valuing manual trades more highly - where would we be without plumbers?!? But there is a space for seeming learning for learning's sake as well.
And a lot of it has been taught for the past 40 years, anyway!
I agree with most of this but 'plumbers' are a bad example. They earn shedloads: our plumber's invoices show that he earns much more per hour than I do teaching A level Maths privately.
Having said that, there are thousands of graduates now working in low-paid jobs because the world only needs so many Event Planners or Tourism Managers. And how can it possibly take longer than a couple of weeks to learn everything there is to know that can be learned from a classroom? If the people taking these courses were more intelligent they wouldn't take them unless they were doing so for the pleasure of it. I'd say it's wrong to encourage them to load up with debt for these noncommercial degrees when they could be learning a trade that will feed them for life - but actually they'll never pay back a penny of that debt and they've enjoyed three years of University which for me at least were the best years of my life. They still then have the option to learn a trade from 21...
But should taxpayers be funding these degrees?
Academically difficult and financially easy I think is the saying, as a criterion for the worthy funding of a degree. So scientific/mathematical and medical degrees and, if an arts degree, then at a highly selective university. No need for subjects that do not exist as traditional academic subjects at school e.g. Business Management. It's a waste of time when management is something that is 'done' rather than taught.I agree with most of this but 'plumbers' are a bad example. They earn shedloads: our plumber's invoices show that he earns much more per hour than I do teaching A level Maths privately.
Having said that, there are thousands of graduates now working in low-paid jobs because the world only needs so many Event Planners or Tourism Managers. And how can it possibly take longer than a couple of weeks to learn everything there is to know that can be learned from a classroom? If the people taking these courses were more intelligent they wouldn't take them unless they were doing so for the pleasure of it. I'd say it's wrong to encourage them to load up with debt for these noncommercial degrees when they could be learning a trade that will feed them for life - but actually they'll never pay back a penny of that debt and they've enjoyed three years of University which for me at least were the best years of my life. They still then have the option to learn a trade from 21...
But should taxpayers be funding these degrees?
I do wonder how many people who run down arts degrees would actually get a half decent mark in them...
There will be a huge skill shortage in this country soon, I did my apprenticeship straight from school, 12 started the course, 9 made it into year 2, 6 of us made it into year 3. of those 6, only 2 now work within that industry in this country. A city the size of Coventry is turning out 12 plumbers at best per year, it's completely unsustainable. The people imported from the continent are poor and some are just downright dangerous.
You also have to factor in the unseen costs of tradesmen, petrol, advertisement, insurance, tax, NI, etc. The firm I worked for had 3 vans & 6 employees, I'm sure he needed something like 5k a week just too cover costs. That's why you get charged so much for work.
I do think certain courses should be free, medical, engineering, science, on the basis that you work within that industry in this country for at least 10 years after finishing uni, If you don't want to stay within that field, then you pay the costs.
I would always encourage kids to go for an apprenticeship over uni, hands on experience is always better then sitting in a classroom imo, you do miss out on the uni experience but you gain in other ways, for example I'm way ahead financially of my school friends who decided to go to uni and they didn't have the sky high tuition fees to cope with.
I do wonder how many people who run down arts degrees would actually get a half decent mark in them...
Out of interest, how much do you make with the maths tuition? Feel free to reserve comment. I've started doing it and it can be very good. You'd probably expect a plumber to make a lot more than the average A Level tutor. What I've found is that the real money from private tuition comes from teaching university students or adult learners. Some branches of Mathematics pay really well for you to teach - like Statistics.
I would say that's a very good rate!Maybe I'm not charging enough but it's more about engaging and helping than money for me. £35 per hour.
I've not done degree level maths for over 35 years - it's beyond me. At a push I might be able to prove the equivalence of convergence versus Cauchy convergence or Heine-Borel. The only stats I ever did was to fill in courses where there weren't enough pure ones.
I would say that's a very good rate!
One of my jobs I got via an agency. I am being charged out at over £40 an hour but I'm only getting £15. The agency is pretty greedy, but I'm happy to do it, as I'm building up my experience.
Ah I don't mean BA/BSC Mathematics. I'm more on about degrees which incorporate Mathematics. A lot of students on more applied degrees like Psychology are in need of Statistics tuition, and Statistics is really popular for Sports Science nowadays. I've seen a lot of talk about p-values and hwat not - things that are quite challenging theoretically but are very intuitive.
Sounds alright?I just enrolled here: First Tutors - Home tutors for private tuition throughout the world
They take a fee from the client for introduction and then the client pays me directly.
I just enrolled here: First Tutors - Home tutors for private tuition throughout the world
They take a fee from the client for introduction and then the client pays me directly.
Academically difficult and financially easy I think is the saying, as a criterion for the worthy funding of a degree. So scientific/mathematical and medical degrees and, if an arts degree, then at a highly selective university. No need for subjects that do not exist as traditional academic subjects at school e.g. Business Management. It's a waste of time when management is something that is 'done' rather than taught.
Out of interest, how much do you make with the maths tuition? Feel free to reserve comment. I've started doing it and it can be very good. You'd probably expect a plumber to make a lot more than the average A Level tutor. What I've found is that the real money from private tuition comes from teaching university students or adult learners. Some branches of Mathematics pay really well for you to teach - like Statistics.
£35/hr is an excellent rate for online tutoring. Around £20/hr for qualified teachers is what I saw a couple of years ago.
Degree level apprenticeships exist, have done for a few years and increasing in number across occupations. I think it'll take time for employers to be weaned off the idea that a degree is necessary.I hope you don't think I'm running down Arts degrees? Absolutely not: English; Modern Languages; Classics; History... all academically challenging and worthwhile pursuits which are more important for meta-skills such as logic; reason and effective communication than the actual subjects being learned. These degrees prepare young people excellently for life and contributing fully to society.
I'm questioning the vocational degrees which would be better learned doing as part of an apprenticeship
Careful Tony may enrol
Try TutorHunt too. Seems to get more hits.I just enrolled here: First Tutors - Home tutors for private tuition throughout the world
They take a fee from the client for introduction and then the client pays me directly.
Not only that, a venue and promoter that's booked him multiple times in the pastI can understand some audience complaints about it as a lot of people go in to some of the fringe stuff blind, but a venue at the Edinburgh Fringe surely knows exactly what they're getting when they book someone who's been doing the same thing since the 80s.
Not relevant to thread but Edinburgh was mentioned and it amused me…
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