Job Discussion Forums

[lpm782]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124087181303261033.html

I can gather several things from this article:

1. Make any university classes AS EASY AS POSSIBLE, because there ar no jobs for the students afterward anyway. (A sevenfold increase of worthless degrees will do that to a person.)

2. Save yourself work by making the classes AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.

3. Quality was not an initial consideration of the increase in universities. So why bother? What difference will anyone's little effort make? (I have heard of one girl teaching 200 students and giving 197 A's. And this was at a university where the students were children of wealthy people, but were too stupid to get into another university.)

4. We can expect to see the salaries in EFL not budge at all-- given that universities are under budget constraints, it would not surprise me if private schools followed suit-- if the salaries fall in once place, it is not hard to imagine their falling in another place.

[Moon Over Parma]

There are a good number of public universities that fit the bill the article describes. I have a friend who teaches graduate students and he's amused by how many of his students don't even understand their particular majors, and marveled that a good number of them are there simply because they think having the piece of paper will guarantee them jobs. Not their experience. Not their skills. Simply having a piece of paper from his third rate, provincial university somehow magically guarantees them work. A lot of the 30% extra students are simply going through the motions for a piece of paper that means nothing. It means nothing because the education has been watered down just to fit in their previously inadmissible bodies, and easily transferable financial assets.

Degrees mean nothing because they've been watered down.

I agreed with a point my friend made: there's an awfully unrealistic sense of entitlement by many of China's university students these days. Somehow simply having a piece of paper puts them above many a job. Suggest that a student accept a mediocre job so they have money coming in while they look for a better job: watch the reaction on many university students faces. It's as if you suggested they turn to pimping out their own sisters for money. Such hubris over an education privilege that no longer carries any weight because the public schools have gotten as greedy as the private schools will no doubt come back to bite an entire generation on their collective asses. Sort of like the one child policy.

If anything, the increase in admitting students who normally wouldn't make the cut most likely created more jobs for foreign teachers, and in some circles, guarantees fat overtime money. That is the case for my friend. He pulls in a lot of money for overtime since the school was too cheap to hire another foreign teacher to handle the glut of students they are cramming into their school.

[brsmith15]

My wife had to fire one of these grads for falling asleep during his first meeting.

A friend of mine was interviewing recent grads in Hangzhou and a young lady spit on the floor.

Some need moe than "education."

[kev7161]

Are there trade schools (sometimes called Technical Colleges back home) in China? Are there actually schools out there where young high school graduates can go to learn how to be an auto mechanic or carpenter or whatever? Until China realizes the importance of skilled laborers and pays them accordingly, this education problem is going to remain just that. Sure most people may desire a cushy, air-conditioned office job but there are probably many young men and women out there who actually enjoy working with their hands and getting a little dirt under their fingernails. I'm sure, however, that many of these kids are not encouraged to pursue that path.

[bradley]

There are many technical/vocational colleges in China

[suanlatudousi]

Huge numbers of them indeed - advertising on most of the 100 channels of my digital cable.

[vikuk]

A glut of unemployed dissatisfied youth has been, at least in some parts of the world, the catalyst for exciting anti-establishment movements, with their own unique art-scenes, that have been the precursors for important social evolution - but in China - well we have the internet cafe, endless soaps on TV, food at demand from mummy and that dream that carries you to sleep at night - you're going to make it big through as little effort as possible

[Jati]

[roadwalker]

The ones that get jobs won't necessarily equal the ones that are the best students. The sons (and the cute daughters) of the powerful won't sweat it. But this is already a big shock and it will only get worse this summer, and probably the next and next. On the other hand, the shock will wear off and many of the students will take jobs that are currently beneath them. And they will either show their talents and move up, quietly smolder until something lights the powder keg, or accept their fates.

I don't think China is at the end of its rope by any means. Labor reforms (higher pay, especially) can be used to boost their domestic market providing more jobs for graduates and non-grads. Technical jobs will probably start equaling the prestige of management and other white collar positions. Boring iron rice bowl jobs such as teacher are already attracting more students. Maybe that's good news for the Western provinces and their development.

Those reforms (higher wages for labor) would undoubtedly lead to inflation and the problems related to consumer prices, especially for pensioners. So of course it wouldn't be a painless period. And of course they have to reign in the massive corruption that puts too much pressure on the whole system.

[vikuk]

[suanlatudousi]

Well, the current Chinese five year plan will decrease the number of university/college level institutions and so decrease the number of graduates. That of course won't alter the job market in my opinion.

[eddy-cool]

[Silent Shadow]

[quote="lpm782"]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124087181303261033.html



1. Make any university classes AS EASY AS POSSIBLE, because there ar no jobs for the students afterward anyway. (A sevenfold increase of worthless degrees will do that to a person.)

2. Save yourself work by making the classes AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
were too stupid to get into another university.)[quote


The degrees are worthless because so many graduates own them. True!
Surely, that means that the lessons should be more difficult not "As easy as possible".

What do employers want? They want students who have acquired the ability to think. Young people who can analyse problems intelligently, and work out practical solutions. Young people with imagination who can come up with creative ideas that can help their company make more money. They want young people who can organize those ideas and express them in a clear, detailed, and concise way. They want young people who can put into practice what they have studied. Young people who have been trained to be responsible, patient, independent and confident. Graduates, who can use their initiative and think on their feet. If you were a manager or owner of a company would you not want employees with the above qualities and skills?

So how would "Making the classes as easy as possible" help students to acquire those attributes mentioned above? Those attributes needed to give them a chance of future employment. On the contrary, isn't there a need for us to make the classes more difficult and challenging in order for students to gain the skills and character needed to give them an edge in the job market?

Then at least those who apply themselves the best will have a chance! At least it will help those who acquire jobs to be prepared to use their brains and knuckle down and do some serious work, because they�ve acquired the habit of doing such.

[Shan-Shan]

Quite enjoyed this snippet:

[Yes Sir I Can Bogey]