Historically university was an extension of academic learning for a small amount of pupils that allowed for better job opportunities.Skip to now and nearly 70% of sixth form pupils attend uni and as a result a degree seems to offer little advantage over the average person in getting a job.
In the 1800s there were few universities and a very small percentage of the population attended them.Attendees were mainly sons of aristocratic families, this meant it was prestigious and few people attended.The industrial middle class later gained access too.So for a long time few people attended.
In 1990 student loans were implemented, these mortgage style loans allowed more people to attend university and therefore a larger population attended university.We can view a higher amount of people getting degrees as devaluing degrees for jobs.
So this all begs the question, is university worth attending and are degrees redundant?
Well this is far more complicated than a yes or no question.It’s safe to conclude that university has benefits and you can say it’s not the fact that having a degree gives you an advantage it’s the fact that without it you’re at a disadvantage and it has many social benefits.On the other hand there are other options, apprenticeships or other academic options can provide you with work experience and you can still maintain a impressive cv.
In conclusion, it’s not redundant as it has benefits however it has lost importance and other options can be equally or more beneficial
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