Anarchy in the UK – likely to achieve anything?

So the day after a spot of Anarchy in the UK and the storming of 30 Millbank in London, do the government suddenly need to change tack on education fees?

Will all the wanton and irresponsible damage or the inflicted injury actually achieve anything? I suspect the simple answer is a big fat NO. And, I have to say, rightly so! University education has actually become something of a joke in this country, we have undergraduates who can hardly string a sentence together, we have degree certificates that are, realistically a waste of the ink and velum used to produce them and, we have employers who constantly cry out for want of useful graduates who aren’t actually feckless and dim.

For far too long education to degree level (along with gap year toss it off travel), has been seen by many simply as a ‘right of passage’. Individuals who have floated around on their undergraduate status, irrespective of academic ability or any realistic vision of what their education (often at public expense) will ultimately used for. Far too many of today’s students look at university as extended party time and simply a means to delay enforced gainful employment. Is it any wonder that today’s prevalent (and totally understandable) devaluation of the resulting degree qualifications has come about?

Don’t take my word for it, why not examine some of the musings and observations about lack of real academia our over at the Allcoppedout Blog. Contrary to popular belief there are actually alternatives to university.

Student fees protest turns violent: Students these days are so lame it surprises me they can get any urges up, and they have the dispute nearly all wrong, but this is about right as they are as thick as mud, leaving school with worthless qualifications and as sheep with very little brain. (Read more)

The post event comments and observations have begun… David Cameron said the level of violent protest was  “unacceptable”, the Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson admitted the police had been caught out and thought the events of the day had been “an embarrassment” for the police. Meanwhile the president of the National Union of Students (NUS) Aaron Porter told BBC Breakfast his members had “lost a lot of public sympathy”.

“I think we’ve also got to ask ourselves some questions. This level of violence was largely unexpected and what lessons can we learn for the future.” (Sir Paul Stephenson)

Interesting to see how the police commissioner  has resorted to that standard public sector post-event old chestnut comment. If I had a fiver for every time I’ve heard “unexpected” and “learn lessons” over the last 30+ years, I’d be writing this blog on my own tropical beach! If only the “learn for the future” would become reality from time to time, perhaps our public services might not be in the crap state they are today. 

It would seem that yesterday’s brief forray into anarchy might not be an isolated event. If allcoppedout’s prediction is correct, the police rainy day fund may have been well invested?

Anarchy in the UK is likely to achieve absolutely nothing, apart from Sex Pistols royalty payments each time the media use the tune as a background theme!

Related Articles

• Met admits policing of student protest was ‘an embarrassment’ (guardian.co.uk)
• Probe Launched Into Student Protest Violence (news.sky.com)
• PM condemns fees protest violence (bbc.co.uk)
• Fees protest thugs must be punished, says Cameron (independent.co.uk)
• Met Probe Into Fees Demo Attack On Tory HQ (news.sky.com)
• PM: Fees Protest Thugs Must Be Punished (news.sky.com)
• David Cameron calls for ‘full force of law’ against student rioters (telegraph.co.uk)
• ‘Hardcore group behind protests’ (bbc.co.uk)