Going back to my old student days, one of the problems I remember is the lack of support students get from the teaching staff (particularly in Engineering).
I remember lecturers who would walk in, copy the notes word to word on the board as quickly as possible giving as little verbal explanation as possible and then leave the room at the end of the lecture as quickly as possible. If you didn't understand the content (which was often in most people's cases), it was damm nigh impossible to track down the lecturer away from the class and if you did, all what he/she would do is give you a chapter/page number from a textbook and tell you to bugger off! Needless to say it was unsuprising alot of perople dropped out. And this was in the days before Mr Blair and tuition fees.
I've been told by some current engineering students that the situation is not alot better (only difference now it appears is that they tell you the book title via e-mail instead). Now students are expected to pay alot of money either through loans or self-funding for what is, from certain individuals, a very poor service. Unfortunatly, the Engineering industry in the UK seems to be full of people like the above which is probably one of many reasons why the trade is now on life support.
Alot of these students (usually 60-70% from the orginal enrolment on a "proper subject") then switch onto other courses like media or film studies just so they can get a easy degree. OK some of them just weren't academic enough for a full subject but there are also alot of people who drop out of a Engineering, Law, Science etc course who did put in alot of time and effort but got egg in their face who don't deserve to get tarnished with the "can't wipe their own butt" brush when it's the university staff themselves who cause the problems alot of the time by being useless.
Now as far as the protests go, I don't necessarly agree with how they are going about it but I understand why they're doing it but unfortunatly; some of them are still to young to have experience of how politicians spin their words only to then turn round and change thier opinion as soon as they get their place on the government side of the house of commons
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