We now live in the Orwellian nightmare world where, thanks in a large part to our politicians, we now see funding at school favouring the so-called 'hard' subjects at the expense of the 'soft' ('hard' subjects good, 'soft' subjects bad!).
A couple of weeks back I heard an apparently moronic moron witter on about encouraging the 'proper' subjects in our schools as this would make those leaving 'more employable'. Turns out the 'moron' was an MP (so the cap might well fit!!) and all that they left out of their highly informed and influential point of view was the voicing of a desire to return to the days when Britain was the home of technology, industry, manufacturing and the whole of the globe was red! Another contributor to this debate said that doing art was great preparation for a life of unemployment.
Now, to cap it all I understand that the Russell group of universities are about to release a new handbook and, if the Grauniad are to be believed, it will travel along these lines:
"By not studying at least two of the following subjects – maths, English, geography, history, any of the three pure sciences or a classical or modern foreign language – "many degrees at competitive universities will not be open to you,"
The world of education that I came from focussed on the sciences because I was heading into the world of science and technology and Art, Music and Religious Education were available on the non-academic 'Arts' stream whilst Technical Drawing, Woodwork and Metalwork were available to those who took the 'Technical' path.
Those who took the arts route generally appeared to end up teaching (which is ironic I guess).
Those who took the technical route generally worked in engineering, construction and related industries until they found themselves unemployed in mid-forties onwards. Many of these people now exist in 'benefit world' or in alternative careers (one I know of works at McDonald'sm which isn't a problem but perhaps makes a statement!).
Those who took the academic route seem generally to be split between those who are still employed in offices doing admin' work, those who went into higher education (and mainly now find themselves in early-retirement) and those who have managed to keep a job in their chosen occupation.
The irony is that many of us who were pushed (sorry - I mean 'guided') into the Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry (plus others) appear in later life to have wished they'd done humanities, drawn things, played instruments and took up subjects that would benefit them now. Mind you one of my former scholar colleagues says that geography probably helps him with his daily work :-)
Having had a graduate from 'Bimbo University' work in one of my previous areas of influence (first-class BA in Tourism!!) I take more offence at the soft degrees and whilst I can understand that 'A levels' in media studies, Religious Education (the queen of all sciences), art and design, photography, psychology, business studies and other 'soft' subjects might be seen as an easy option to building a portfolio, there are times when the intended career path demands, or at least is supported by, them.
Here in the Vicar's palace we have one child embarked upon English, Music, Art and Psychology 'A levels'. The next is looking to do Maths, Physics, Art and Computing, One looks towards a career in the wonderful world of performance and arts whilst the other seeks a path that takes them to the world of animation. Both report that at GCSE many of those who opted for Art soon slipped away as they found that the workload was anything but soft and this is also the experience in other 'soft' subjects.
Here's the reality:
Most of us who did degrees find that what we did has little or no connection with the career/s we ended up with.
The pushing of our children into 'hard' subjects because this will get them the places is tosh. We should be encouraging our children to study the subjects that they enjoy (which usually means that they have a passion or skill in and for).
We need to develop a love of science and maths (I remember the passion (of now Prof) George Mathon for the 'art' that is mathematics) and from there see our children study the subjects because of the emerging passion for them (but this means we need inspiration and well as perspiration from our teachers).
We need to stop seeing education as something that can be converted into drinking vouchers. Learning develops passions, skills and abilities in us and we teach to enable people to fulfil their potential as people not as earners.
Soapbox away :-)
Pax
