International comparisons

Updated Dec. 31, 2007: There is evidence of this crisis in many other countries that have developed mass higher educational systems.Concerns over the quality of national university systems are being voiced in various European countries. For example, the new head of the National Agency for Higher Education in Sweden thinks that there are too many universities there, while in Finland there is a move afoot to centralize university adminstration to prevent competition among universities for students, a problem that is found in many countries. According to one source, “Finnish universities and polytechnics are typically mass institutions where the number of degrees is more important than their quality.”In the UK, there are worries about the slipping quality of the much-heralded British university education “by the drive to raise student numbers.” Apparently, students in UK universities are now the most disengaged among countries surveyed in Europe. Putting in about 26 hours per week on all aspects of their education (class time, plus preparing for class, studying for tests, etc.). This is just slightly less than the amount of time put in by Canadian and American students, according to the NSSE 2006 Annual Report (13-14 hours per week preparing for class, studying for tests, etc.).The generational changes in the compositon of the student body and the approach current “Millennials” take toward their university education and entry into the workplace have caught the attention of CBS’s 60 Minutes.