Reading the Guardian isn’t always good for my blood pressure. Today there is an article under the name of Tony Blair, no less, saying how important it is that “we maintain and improve the high reputation of higher education in Britain” (note, it is the reputation that has to be improved). But not, of course, because education might be a good in itself; no, it’s because we want to sell the product and make the most money possible out of overseas students.
But I wonder who is going to staff these high reputation universities? Some of our brightest and best might enjoy a year of graduate study; but even here in Cambridge they seem increasingly reluctant then to launch into a PhD. And who can blame them? It could be six years more before they are in the running for a permanent academic job. Getting one is a very chancy business (since employment numbers are kept down by ludicrous staff-student ratios). And the pay is then dreadful, at least compared with what they might hope to get elsewhere. Oh well …