Respecting Arts and Humanities in universities

Yes, I agree. The government seems to be displaying a profoundly naive understanding of Arts courses, and, if they continue with this agenda, may end up 'shooting themselves in the foot'! Their ignoramce of their own role in setting up this situation is also profound, and it is quite mind-boggling to witness as they display their narrow worldview for all to see.

Thank you Professor Warhurst for your commentary on, defence of Humanities. Mr Tehan's attempt to influence the nature of university education by belittling the value of courses in Humanities should come as no surprise to those familiar with the record of Conservative governments. When Margaret Thatcher blundered into the funding of universities Oxford philosopher Simon Blackburn wrote in the Times Literary: 'The self-declared pragmatist or realist, the expert on management and efficiency, who flatters himself on being immune to anything airy or artsy - he is not free of the sway of ideas. He is merely in the grip of a particularly coarse and unexamined set of them.' No wonder Oxford, her alma mater, snubbed the Prime Minister by refusing her an honorary degree. It is to be regretted that many of our politicians have relegated Newman's Idea of a University to the pyre of economic irrelevancies. The skills inculcated by the broad study of Humanities are the fundamental skills demanded for efficient management of a complex, ever-evolving society.

Does not the widespread, rank-closing resistance to the Ramsay-sponsored course on Western Civilisation count as evidence of Gramscian hegemony in many Australian universities' Arts courses, as well as grounds for government concern of their value as promoters of "open-mindedness and critical thinking"? Happily, the ACU and several others, in adopting the course, have defied leftist determination to reduce the liberal arts into mere vehicles of neo-Marxist ideology.

Without vibrant and open minded faculties embracing Humanities /Arts there is no university. The closed minds on both sides of politics in this country which have morphed universities into job training businesses and vice versa in pursuit of budget bottom lines have contributed to what is becoming the stupid country rather than the clever country they proclaim. Some of the courses offered these days are so poor that any average student could complete the undergrad course before morning tea and a post graduate doctorate during the lead up to the lunch break. By afternoon tea a professorship might be successfully accomplished. In pursuit of budgetary imperatives, proficiency in English in our English speaking institutions is no impediment provided the student keeps paying the fees. Noxious weeds, like Business and Marketing are choking once high quality, productive crops.

With student debt over $62 billion by 2018, it’s reasonable to ask if students are getting value for money. With a few exceptions—Campion College comes to mind—the Arts and Humanities have fallen under the spell of grievance warriors who have injected race, gender and sexual politics into every course. Tolerance and free speech have been replaced by conformity and censorship. An appeal to merit can be construed as a “white supremist dog-whistle.” (Donna Zuckerberg, PHD in Classics, Princeton University); “academic rigour” only enforces “white male heterosexual privilege” (Head of Engineering Education, Purdue University, Professor Donna Riley}; buildings can be racist (Unmaking Architecture: An anti-racist architecture manifesto); and “It’s time to let classical music die” because it is “inherently racist” and about “white supremacy” (Nebal Maysaud) China has 50 million classical piano students. One classical music critic applauded Chinese pianist Yuia Wang for playing “Beethoven’s most difficult piano work better than any Westerner has played it.” She has “penetrated to the inner sanctum of the Western soul, including its nasty side, and understood us better than we understand ourselves.” If China is securing the great accomplishments of the West, do we need as many Western Professors?

How quickly nature falls into revolt When gold becomes her object! For this the foolish over-careful fathers Have broke their sleep with thoughts, their brains with care, Their bones with industry. Shakespeare

I meant to say "lack of proficiency in English" in the comment above. Apologies!

I want to support the whole idea of the humanities and teaching the humanities as being something that even if it can't be quantitatively measured as other subjects - it's as fundamental to all education.

Sarah Henderson, Liberal Senator for Victoria said yesterday on Q@A,"We done it before". And how about Tedros Adhanom's English proficiency? John Frawley, do not be deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance and a lack of substance has nothing to do with ones proficiency of a language.

Companies such as ABC fail to hire young journalists. Surely the hosting of the new program on the ABC for children, with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, could have been given to a young person who recently graduated from the faculty of science. Four words come to mind. Insular, kith and kin. It's not just about what is taught at uni. It's landing a job thereafter!

And yet, John RD, it has to be said that USYD and the ANU, neither of which betray any sign of the neo-Marxist bias that you implicitly accuse them of in rejecting the Ramsay bribe, are far higher regarded universities than Wollongong, which accepted it and the ACU, which wasn't even considered for it.