Students are not just consumers,and they do not want to fade down the US path. But economic rationalism leads us there, with debt and underpaid staffAustralia’s universities are vital to our nation’s future. This is not only because they are fundamental to the growth of our economy but because they are an essential public helpful. Universities are more than just degree factories; they provide pathways for citizens to realise their dreams and to reach their potential. They provide opportunities to exchange ideas, and reflect on our world and find solutions. They are vital to the civic life of our country. That’s why the economic rationalist approach of Labor and the Liberal party is so damaging. By casting students simply as consumers who pay for a product (education) in order to secure a job,Australia is diminishing the inherent value of education. Education is not merely a means to an stop, but rather an stop in itself.
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Source: theguardian.com