The Crisis of University

I have a problem with the very foundations of tertiary institutions and their ways of “teaching”. What is the problem? They do very little teaching...in every sense of the word.

My understanding is that high school exists to prepare you for the world of university, which in turn exists to further prepare you for the “real” world –the world of work. University does not meet its requirements. In fact, I am inclined to believe that high school does a better job at preparing you for life than university does.

The problem with the tertiary education system is that it does very little to mould you into a thinking being. If anything, it stifles your intellect and general sense of creative thinking.

I am a Bachelor of Arts student, so I will speak from that standpoint and nothing else. The problem I have encountered with the humanities is that original thought is stifled. It is all very well and good for us to study novels in English Literature and write essays in abundance...that I have nothing against.

My issue is with the necessity of sourcing your work and having an extensive number of references. In my opinion, the thought behind this is that your opinions are juvenile and no original perception and idea can come from your uncomprehending mind.

Many a times have I read a theory and had an objection against it, only to be asked to reference my objection. I simply do not understand this. Is the whole point of studying a theory not to understand it, apply it to life, and object to it where you can? If you ask me to reference my original objection of a theory, how am I to be encouraged to thoroughly engage with the text?

This thread of thought is especially perplexing in the Faculty of Humanities. How is a faculty that is supposed to groom the writers and philosophers of the future going to instill this form of, as I see it, censorship on original thought? I am not speaking of asking one to prove their theory from the text. That is necessary.

I cannot simply say that Olive Schreiner hated fat people without providing proof from a few of her written works. It is one thing to simply say “Olive Schreiner hated fat people” and it is another to say that “Olive Schreiner hated fat people. This can be seen in her novel Story of an African Farm where Tant Sannie and Em are described as characters that ‘waddle’ when they walk”. This sort of referencing makes perfect sense and is, in more ways than one, mandatory.

The crisis of university is that, even after proving your statement from the text, you are expected to find another text supporting your claim. Errrr? THERE IS NO OTHER EXISTING TEXT TO SUPPORT MY CLAIM BECAUSE IT IS AN ORIGINAL CLAIM. From me. My head. My own mind.

Rather than groom our minds into self-sustaining entities, universities seem to be doing nothing other than grooming us into entities with perfect spelling, grammar and syntax. This is all well and good, but of what use is perfect grammar when one has no originality?

We need language to express ourselves, but what is the point of language if there is nothing to express?

Source/Reference list:

Nodada, L. 2012. “The Crisis of University”. In My Mind. Extracted in May 2012.