HIGHER EDUCATION
The incomplete business model
Throughout the world, colleges and universities are increasingly acknowledging their students are consumers of an educational product and are rapidly adopting a business model for their institutions. The student is no longer treated as a “client” but is treated as a “consumer.”[1] Curriculums are changing from a quality educational product to a product driven by the need for customer satisfaction.
Universities and Colleges
Britain plans to treat students as consumers
British Minister of Education Lord Mandelson has unveiled a major plan for universities designed to aid the country’s economic recovery and pave the way for an overhaul of student tuition fees. In the plan universities will be told they should treat students more like customers and become more responsive to the needs of businesses. It could lead to radical changes in how students take degrees, including more Open University-style, web-based degrees to allow students to work while they study, and schemes to encourage employers to pay towards the costs of degrees [2]
Lost in this rush to satisfy the customer is the recognition that the student is also the valued added product that higher education is placing into the stream of commerce. Therefore, this new business model is incomplete and a serious disservice to the students and society as a whole. Higher education takes raw talent, just matriculated from high school, adds value through further higher education, grants a degree as evidenced by a diploma, and releases them into the stream of commerce as a value added product, ie. a highly educated person, qualified in their field of study, to make their contribution to society.
The new business model of students as consumers is not without its detractors.
General Secretary of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt has warned that the plan reduces students and staff to customer and cashier and risked losing sight of what universities are actually for and how higher education works. The union further warned that a student-centric assessment system could lead to grade inflation, but no improvements in standards.
“Universities are supposed to be about challenging perceived wisdom, not just ensuring a consumer is happy. The US experience shows that a quality regime based on student evaluations does nothing to raise academic standards but produces rampant grade inflation as institutions and staff compete to secure positive feedback,” said Ms Hunt.[3]
There can be no doubt that higher education is BIG business.
As of 1999, China had more than 800,000 public schools, primary through college, (www.umich.edu) churning out over 2.5 million College graduates each year (Xinhua News Agency, 3/27/02) with the numbers still on the rise. A different report claims that China currently has 1.35 million schools and an enrollment of 320 million students. (China Daily.com, 10/30/02) In 2001 the class of entering college freshman swelled to 2.6 million, 800,000 more than in 2000, (China Daily, 11/28/01) with a total college enrollment of 11.75 million in 2002, 8.02 million more than in 1990. (China Daily, 10/30/02) As of 1999 there were more than 13 million teachers serving more than 71 million students. (www.umich.edu) Accurate, up-to-date figures do not seem to be readily available, which may be attributable to the sheer magnitude of the educational system.
In 2009 China expects 10 million[4] new college students to attend its +2,236[5] public colleges and more than 1,300 private colleges.[6]
Private EFL/ESL schools (kindergartens, primary, middle, high and college) have proliferated to such an extent that according to statistics from the Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee of the NPC, about 54,000 private schools had been set up in China by the end of 2000, with 6.93 million registered students. (People’s Daily, 5/23/01).
In its quest to make up for lost time, China is mass-producing university graduates like a modern factory assembly line produces consumer goods. Educating a Nation of 1.3 billion people is a monumental task beyond belief. As with any production process,
educating China is not without its problems and defective products do occur.(Qiang/Wolff/Teng/Gregory, “Can You Get A First Class Education At A Third Tier College in China?, Progress in Education Vol. 13 Ch 2) Without adequate quality assurance the end product may be unacceptable in the marketplace. Such is the case with so many diplomas from Chinese colleges and universities. (Chinese Universit Diploma: Can its International Image be Improved? (2007) Qiang/Wolff, Frontiers in Higher Education, Nova Science Publishers)
The teaching of English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) in China has become a nationwide endeavor pursued at all academic levels, from the kindergarten to the University. In the past ten years there has been an explosion in the development of public school English programs and private English language schools throughout China. EFL/ESL has become very big business in China (China Daily, HK Edition, October 9, 2002.) Reports show that ESL has become a 10-billion yuan business in China. Of the 37 billion yuan annual book sales, ESL takes up as much as 25% of the market share. And a few ESL teachers in Shanghai command an hourly rate of 1,000 yuan (US$120). Even on average, a student pays 10-20 yuan (US$1.2-2.4) for one hour of ESL training. (EFL/ESL Teaching in China: Questions – Questions – Questions (2007) Qiang/Wolff, Frontiers in Higher Education, Nova Science Publishers)
Although “English Fever” is running rampant throughout China and is claimed to be “market driven”; the rush to institute English learning nationwide, with more than 1,000,000 Chinese teachers of English who are themselves, for the most part, unable to produce comprehensible oral or written English or teach in the target language, has miserably failed to meet market needs. The goal of universities and colleges throughout China is to have students pass national English competency examinations such as TEM 4, CET 4 and CET 6. Setting aside, for the moment, the fact that these national English competency examinations bear little or no relationship to comprehensible output, the pass rates have become the exclusive focus of administrative attention and false pride. This is in part due to demands of Chinese employers who are misinformed that passing CET 6 is the evidence of an accomplished English speaker[7]. Wang Shugua, President of Harbin Institute of Technology is quoted as saying “I recognize CET as a good tool to promote English studies but I am against the practice of regarding a CET certificate as the prerequisite for graduation, which is totally misleading.” He tried to eliminate the requirement for a CET certificate in order to graduate from HIT, but gave up without success. “I had to reconsider the usefulness of CET certificates in job hunting for our graduates. Almost all employers want their recruits to have a CET certificate, so I had to push my students to pass the CET for their good, although it is against my will,”[8]
The market need to have graduates who can produce comprehensible English output has been completely ignored. Consequently, foreign employers, Joint Venture employers and Chinese companies doing business abroad are hiring university graduates from India because they are better able to produce comprehensible oral and written English, than their Chinese counterparts. Imagine more than 5 million Chinese university graduates, who have learned English for 16 years, many of whom are being passed over for Chinese jobs in China. This is simply unacceptable! English is one of “the 10 most popular disciplines that saw low rates of employment last year.”[9] Chinese universities are under tremendous pressure to change curriculums to meet the needs of the job market. But instead, they are simply reducing enrollments in certain majors.[10] “One of the reasons for the difficulty in university graduates finding employment is that they are unable to satisfy the needs of employers,” he said. (Yang Weiguo, associate professor of Beijing-based Renmin University) He said the universities needed to adjust their teaching methods and content quickly to conform to social development and demand.[11] (INCOMPATIBILITY OF CORPORATE TRAINING AND HOLISTIC ENGLISH (2009) China EFL Curriculum Reform, Nova Science Publications)
Higher education is BIG Business. “There is an estimated 5.59 million students this year (2008) in China, compared to 3.38 million in 2005, 4.13 million in 2006 and 4.91 million last year.”[12] Chinese universities are producing an assembly line product, i.e. graduates properly equipped to make their maximum contribution to creating a better off harmonious society, with Chinese characteristics. When we produce English major graduates who cannot produce comprehensible oral or written English, we are creating defective products. Imagine an automobile factory that produced cars that, when they come off the assembly line, cannot run. The automobile company would need to analyze the problem and institute proper corrections to produce a marketable automobile. (China EFL: The revolution has begun but the long march lies ahead (2009) China Curriculum Reform, Nova Science Publications)
This results in English majors graduating without the knowledge and skills represented by the diploma. This is a fraud upon the students whose diploma is a representation to them that they have acquired the knowledge and skills represented by the diploma. It is also a fraud upon the parents who financed the student’s college education and are led to believe that their child has made a major accomplishment other than just sitting through a university education. It is also a fraud upon the student’s future employer who will rely upon the college diploma when making the initial employment decision, only to subsequently realize that the student is totally unqualified for the job.
But worst of all, it is a fraud perpetrated upon a society that believes that a highly educated workforce will lead to a better-off society and therefore expends huge amounts of resources on higher education. The college graduate with the unearned diploma is qualified to do little more than be a “highly educated” laborer with a college diploma. Society will only be advanced on paper and in the minds of its members, while the goal of a better-off society will have been lost to the disillusionment of reality as these “educated” college graduates fail to make meaningful contributions to society. (EFL/ESL Teaching in China: Questions – Questions – Questions (2007) Qiang/Wolff, Frontiers in Higher Education, Nova Science Publishers)
The concept of the teacher as the quality control officer is eroding and the student is becoming the arbiter of their own quality.[13] This is accomplished through the use of consumer surveys.[14] Grades have traditionally been the vehicle for the teacher, as quality assurance officer, to evaluate the student’s transformation to a value added product. Increasingly, the student’s perception of benefits received is replacing the teachers’ evaluation.
[1] Blaum (June 2005)College Students Have Evolved from Clients to Consumers, http://www.ed.psu.edu/news/studentconsumers.asp accessed December 20, 2009
[7] Yuankai, Tang, 9/6/07 Beijing Review, Education Feared to Raise Robots http://www.bjreview.com.cn/special/txt/2007-08/31/content_74644.htm (accessed July 10, 2008)
[8] Beijing Review., Education Feared to Raise Robots http://www.bjreview.com.cn/special/txt/2007-08/31/content_74644.htm (accessed July 10, 2008)
[9] http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-06/27/content_6799171.htm
Beijing-based survey company Mycos HR (accessed June 2008)
[10] Hot courses’ won’t secure good jobs(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2008) http://www.china.org.cn/china/national/2008-01/12/content_1239129.htm (accessed October 10, 2008)
[11] 20% university graduates fail to find jobs in 2007 (Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2008) http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/239233.htm (Accessed October 1, 2008)
[12] State-owned groups top students’ wish list, Liu Jie (China Daily), 2008-06-27
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-06/27/content_6800492.htm
Poor universities may shut down in 10 years
By Jia Xu (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-03-24 16:00
“With the decline of China’s population base and the descendant tendency of suitable higher education-age population, some private-run universities will face fierce competition on recruitment and are likely to shut down in the next 10 years,” said Gu Hailiang, president of Wuhan University and NPC deputy, according to sina.com.
He quotes statistics from the education bureau showing the number of students taking the 2010 national higher-education entrance exam dropping by 20% from the previous year in Beijing. In Shanghai, the number of people taking the college entrance examination has fallen for three consecutive years.
In addition, China’s aging population will grow tremendously along with the continued implementation of family planning, which will worsen the situation.
“The reduced number of people going to college will add competition among universities including private ones, and this may result in closure for some private universities.”
This requires Chinese education departments to be aware of the further development of the national higher-education system, including the total number of universities and university specialization.
Gu said that more and more parents are aware of the value of special skills for youths, and are cooling toward traditional university education. Vocational universities will grow in popularity and traditional ones may face a threat.
Because of the lack of operation experience by Chinese private universities, such as in the fields of college financing and incentive funding measures, compared with Western countries, the best way for some private universities would be to figure out a special course with distinct features in the educational market, and if not, as Gu said, “what is left for them is nothing but to close down.”
To be straightforward, it is still a stupid doing that the higher education system takes students’ satisfaction into no consideration. It is the students that who are studying in universities and colleges. If they feel unhappy, can anyone make sure the education quality is high? Thus, to some extent, I agree with the idea that students are regarded as the consumers of educational products. We pay for our studies in the universities and colleges and we have the right to be happy during the learning period. Of course, I do not mean the education system must be and only be commerce-oriented. That is a bad as well. All the administrator of education system should do is to balance between being academic and being student-oriented.
In China,English exists everywhere,and does relate to our daily life tightly.When you go to a job interview,usually the first question is that:Do you have a English certificate,and how many scores did you get?Every company seems that care so much about the indicates English level,even if their job has no connection with English.Sometimes,it seems that your employee’s English level is much important than your employee’s professional skills.This sounds a littl crazy,because your employee’s professional skills make your company profit rather than your employee’s English level,in a similar way,personal inner quality make social harmonious rather than Englis level.Of course,English is also very important,it can help you communicate with the world.However,is it enough important that we let Enlish level decides our life?We should think about it.
To some extent, something can be learnt from business model by the university education. But educators have to realize the difference between university education and business. To be treated as “consumers”, students may request only what they want or what they like, rather than what they need, and be satisfied well, and then feel happy. But does this mean that the students can master what they need? This is what I doubt! In fact, some students’ mind is not mature yet. They have not known what they really need to learn during university or college. They need guide and suggestion from the elders or teachers or educational authorities. If they choose what they like to learn, it is possible that they will lose the direction and miss what the labor market really need. On the one hand, if they are required to learn what the really need (whether they like or dislike), it will be useful to connect the students with their future job. On the other hand, if they are able to learn other things that they are interested in, they will be also happy. In a word, I think it is reasonable for university education to borrow some strategies from business, but never totally.
By the way, the number of students in China is considerably lager, which may raise some problems, such as stress to the labor market. This tells us to adjust ourselves to the market need.
Students are consumers? Of course, students have to hand in their tuition fee to school for their education and they have to spend money in buying consumption goods. However, students receive education aim to send information to employing units, they want to different from others. If employing units think students who received education would be capability, the cost of higher education would be worth.
I can’t agree with the author’s opinion at all. Market economy is not everything and of course, it can’t envelop all the things around us especially the education. The reason is quite simple. Man is a consumer when they go shopping or do something else at the market. But education must be an exception. Education is the symbol of Chinese civilization, and is essential for our country’s development in the long run. So whatever students like or dislike, education absolutely should be bound up with what our homeland need and inherit the soul of our civilization. That’s our unavoidable responsibility. Accordingly, the courses at school should be painstakingly designed and then, we students should work hard according to the plan. Students as consumers, should be out of the question.
I don’t oppose the fact that students are somehow consumers to the education market since we have to pay more tuitions for our higher education. But absolutely it’s not naked economic transaction. We are taught from kindergarten that education is the most sublime undertaking of the mankind and teacher is the most glory vocation under the sun. Schools should be places to impart book knowledge as well as educate the person. They need funds to keep the organization running, but tuitions should not be the main origin.
In other words, if students are considered consumers, should they be treated as God since the saying goes in service industry “Consumer is God”? It can be preposterous!
So many years ago, people could go to university for free if they passed the entrance exam. Because there were not so many universities, only a few students could go to university. Then the government decided to make education an industry, which meant you could pay for a better education. Schools were not for free any more.
So schools, especially those famous schools, both universities and high schools, became lager and lager. To some families, it was really a piece of good news, because their children were not good enough for those schools. Everyone can go to university if you have money.
This might be good at the beginning. But after several years, problems appeared. Some schools only focused on how to make money. They accepted students as many as possible. There were two kinds of students who were most welcome to those schools, especially high schools, excellent students and rich students. The former could bring fame to the schools, so more students would come. And the latter sent money to them.
So it doesn’t matter that whether the quantity of the schools is good enough or not. They just need some excellent students.
This is what education industry bring. It makes education a business. We believe education can make youths talented and useful to the society; but through business people only make money.
In my opinion, the idea to treat the students as the consumers is a quite mordern way. As a college student, we are old enough to be responsible to our own acts. So, let the students know that we pay for the class, some students may think we should cherish the opportunity to learn, because we really spend the mony on it. At the same time, it may can let the students choose their favorite class.
“When we produce English major graduates who cannot produce comprehensible oral or written English, we are creating defective products. Imagine an automobile factory that produced cars that, when they come off the assembly line, cannot run. The automobile company would need to analyze the problem and institute proper corrections to produce a marketable automobile.” Do you really agree that students are automobiles? If a product line is defective, the products it makes will be with something wrong and can’t work effectively. But students are not machines; they can think for themselves and make changes. We are graduates in universities; we know there are problems with our education system, so we pay attention to the desire of the society and prepare for it. There are so many youths in china who are at the age of educated, can you ask him to stay at home because there are already so many students and teachers have also ran out of their efforts? Or can you ask the students to go home to wait for their teachers become competent? What we should do is what we can do, then with the development of the whole society we can do much more than before.
STUDENT/CONSUMER:
Education as a product seems much fair for students and educators. Nowadays, officers in China wanna make a definition for education, but reforms turned out to be nothing at all. Students have rights to judge the quality of a university, and can give their comments on the development of school construction. Meanwhile, students also have their obligations to win a good fame for the school by their great achievements.
I think there really is the phenomena as professor said now. I attended a philosophy lecture by professor Liu Xiaofeng before in Sun Yat-sen University, who is worried about the business model in universities all the time. He said colleges and universities are attacked by the modern market all the time. And nowadays universities are inclined to become technic college, many of the students have a will to learn something good for looking for jobs and ignore knowledge of humanities. What’s more, the colleges and universities will adapt such a requirement of students and market. Finally, students in colleges and universities may become a machine without sincere soul and just demand to gain benefit for themselves.That will be a tragedy of education in colleges and universities.
Frankly speaking, some of our parents just want to send their children to the college to get a diploma. And some of the students who are sent to here consider that the university is the place for them to consume the educational product. In their mind, diploma is something that can be bought by their parents. This may lead to the defective products to the market. But should we stop them to enter the university? If we do, then where should they go? As China’s large population, it’s really hard for China to solve the education problem. If the students are the consumers, then how many educational products should the producers produce?
This article makes me remind the news about the different ways of university in Korean and China to treat the athletes who have won gold prize recently. The two athletes were both fail to take the course since they were preparing the games. In Korea, the athlete was dismissed from her school. By contrast, the athlete was seen as a hero since she had won great honor for her university. So her university had promised that she could take these courses as long as she had time.
Nowadays, there are more and more students graduate from university. However, there are not enough professors in the university. Therefore, the quality of education is decreasing. It is not right that teaching students is just like producing commodities in factory. Obviously, now more and more students could not find a job after graduation. It’s time to rethink about our college education.
Now the students have become a complete consumer. Rich children did not take exams to enter famous university, only to spend money. Poor children pass exam but they can not enter university, because they have no money to pay fee so that they become farmer and worker. I hate university which likes market ,students go to university to do shopping .Education is right of everybody, but many schools focused on how to make money . Schools don’t care about student’s study.
Maybe I am one of the beneficiaries of the business model of education in china, without which, I may be in some factory or some college, but will not in SYSU . However, I do not agree with this type education, due to the commercial atmosphere in the campus or classroom, professors are not proud of their academic level but economic profit. In that case, we do not learn much, and many students form a bad attitude towards studying, in their view, the most important thing for university education is not acquiring knowledge, but how to get a good job, and earn more money. All the time ,since I go to school , the meaning of education in my mind is to cultivate students the wisdom ,ability of living ,how to live and what live for; teach them how to become a good man , how to learn ,spread and create the culture of humanity .In my opinion , every area has its special law ,which can not be applied to the other rashly ,otherwise , it will cause unjust and serious consequents . Though we are in the economic crisis now, the recovery of economy is of great significance, we can not scarify education for a short term economic benefits.
EDITOR’S NOTE: COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN CHINA HAVE VERY HEAVY EXPANSION DEBT LOADS AN
D NEED MONEU TO REPAY THE BANKS. THEY MUST OPERATE ON A NEW FOR PROFIT BASIS JUST LIKE THE PRIVATE AND JOINT VENTURE COLLEGES. THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT DAYS IN EDUCATION ARE LONG BEHIND US, JUST LIKE IN THE WEST.
Although I can expect to get better service if the colleges or universities change their views to take students as consumers, I am worried about this suggestion, because colleges or universities, as a special non-profit organization, has its social and civic function and obligation, which in nature determined that they cann’t view students as their consumers completely. As we know, education is not just for personal development, more importantly it is also for nation’ s development, which may not be expressed or agreed by most people but in fact exists. Therefore, “the quality of the undergraduate experience is to be measured by the willingness of graduates to be socially and civically engaged”, which in turn calls for the responsibility of the university for no other social institution can single-handedly provides what we requires here. And thus university should just view students as their consumers, providing better and effective service, rather than regard them as a consumer in market, exchanging something with each other. Our society should keep some place to foster the citizens and develop the social conscience.
Frankly speaking, we have to admit that our graduates do not quite meet the qualifications of the market, and the high unemployment rate of college graduates is just the result. The aid of many students going to college is to get the diploma, which is the ‘brick’ of knocking at the door of the future potential employers. Besides, most of the curriculums in universities are out of date, which can not follow up with the need of economic development. This is a vital problem which calls for the reform of China’s higher educational system. However, I don’t quite agree with the practice of treating students as consumers. Yes, higher education is big business, but what about the poor families? If their children can not afford to receive high education, how can they have the ability to improve their living standard? And education differs from business; we can not just follow the practice of doing business, for we still have to consider other social issues.
I just think if collage is been makerted, how does we doctrine to curb the prevalence of money?
Indeed, students are a consumer. However, it deserves our serious consideration to develop education as a consumer industry. I think education as an educational institution is used to teach with the people. But now there is a phenomenon. Inputs and outputs of education are not extremely proportional. So a number of students feel sad, which even led to some problems. For example, it is difficult for poor students to go to school. Therefore, should we re-examine the development of education industry issues?
Nowadays students are complete consumers. There are some phenomenons around our lives. Firstly, some students who are in the elite schools spend a lot of money. Secondly, some students who want to enter the experimental school or key school also have to spend much money. Thirdly, many primary students take mobile phones to school. In short, it is a trend that students are consumers. But is it good or bad for the development of students? In my opinion, the school should culture the students’ correct spending outlook.
There are really some common among education and business. In the commodity market, “supremacy of customers” is always advocated, while the concept of “to take people as the foremost” is promoted in college. And yet the reality is we can ask for some requirements to improve our service as a consumer, while we are likely not allow to request our school manager too much.
EDITOR’S NOTE: ALL PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES AND MOST PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN THE WEST ARE ON A FOR-PRLOFIT BASIS. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES ARE BECOMING THINNER EVERY YEAR.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring the style of bussiness into academic,although it may bring some good infuence.But academic and knowledge,teaching need people to study with a quiet heart without the noise of profit.Bussiness will break the balance.
I do not think that the students are consumers. There are many different between education and commerce. We learn knowledge and skills from teachers and bosses. But University undertakes more duty and responsibility than company. Maybe we just study the concept of business and obey the moral of teaching.
In my opinion, students should not be treated as consumers although in market economy. Education is important for one nation’s development. If the students are consumers, the right to receive education will be inequity. This inequity will affect social stability. However, it is ture that students are treated as consumers nowadays. Rich people can spend money to enter schools even enter famous university. Meanwhile, some excellent student can not go on their studies because they have no money. It is unfair.
It is a right thing that our universitis augment its scale by enrolling more students,because the young people can get more education which is helpful for the long-term developpment of our country. And I also worrried about the quality of the higher education.the amount of students in universities are growing much quickly, While the resouces in universities colleges can’t keep up with the growth in the numbers of the students. And the structure of human resousces graduated from university is not reansonal.It is a searous problem in china today.The government should do something to solve this issue.
HOLISTIC ENGLISH TREATS STUDENTS IN TWO CAPACITIES
FIRST you are all consumers of the educational product we offer. We must meet your educational needs.WE MUST SATISFY YOU WITH A QUALITY PRODUCT THAT PRODUCES THE REQUIRED RESULTS.
SECOND you are the value added product we are producing. We add an education to your being and make you more valuable to society. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REMAKE AND RESHAPE YOU INTO THE BEST EDUCATED PERSON YOU CAN BE SO YOU CAN MAKE YOUR MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTION TO A BETTER OFF HARMONIOUS SOCIETY.
It is our obligation to make certain we are not placing educated idiots into the labor market. (We should NOT put defective products into the stream of commerce) What is the difference between melamine in milk powder that kills babies and educated idiots turned loose into the community who kill society?
Students are treated as consumers?Yes,such situation is actually exsit,and it more and more universal in many countries.In china,this phenomenon is even more outstanding performance on special schools,which do not value students achievement and the students are able to enter school only because they have enough money.In my view,it is a wrong decision for schools to take students as consumers,it will make Chinese education loses its original role and significance under the inducement of money.
These years many educators are making their efforts to provide a better environment for students, they want to supply what the students really wanted. It is glad for us to see this! Our country also does lots of efforts on this point, for there are too many Chinese people and our economy is not powerful enough. However, the result is unsatisfactory. More and more college or university graduates can not find job. As the article mentioned, there is a Chinese university diploma, the products supplied by university not meet the needed of the market. Our country’s higher education is big business; we need better education model to improve in higher standards. This is a process which need improve step by step. I believe after more practice we will transform the poor condition.
I don’t think students should be considered an consumers.That makes the school to comercial,which is contrary with the initial purpose of schooling.Maybe in the school,there are many things connected with momey,but it is another thing, because knowlege is not equivalent to money.
I partly agree with the idea that students are consumers. Sometimes ,we pay money as tuition to learn some skills in order to earn more money. However, I like my teachers treat me as a student rather than a consumer. I don’t like to call my supervisor “boss”either. After all, the relationship between teachers and stuents is more harmonious.
Public education in China is at the aims of easing the difference between urban and suburban area. However, the truth is opposite to the original purpose. Nowadays students live in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai could have much more opportunities to get access to high quality education, comparing to students whose families are in suburbs. In that case, the poor should pay much more efforts to get a decent life than before. Because no matter how hard they study, they are not able to have the high quality tutors help them. As students become consumers all around, the poor could not afford the fee for education so that they still stay in their original area and continue to lead a hard life as their ancestor.
It is good for the development of Colleges and Universities to operate in a business model. But I can’t help worrying about the eduational equality. As a student who come from a poor village,I am very clear about the meaning of high tuition. We spent about 90% of my family’s income on the educations of me and my younger sisters.
We need to be educated in order to chang our destiny to be poor, but the high tuition may shut us off. Premier Wen Jiabao once said that in the universities the percentage of countryside students is far more smaller that their city counterparts.
Nowadays,taking the student as the customer is a tidal current in every country.In my opion, I don’t agree this way of treating education.Because the university and college form a model of commercial function,the students who graduate from university or college become a product.In the future, they can only apply to work not contribute to the development of society.
Nowadays more and more schools are treating the students as their major consumers. Under this fierce competetion between varied schools contending for their consumers, there must be some poor schools got out of the education field, while the better ones live down.
Sometimes, students are no better than consumers when it is expected that what students have paid is equaled to the curriculums offered by college. That to satisfy what they need such as the physical and mental health is not in the service area. In the other hand, when there are increasing millionaires of graduations year by year, the college education inevitably becomes productive line which produces innumerable products with the same look. As a result, students are regards as consumers which are waiting for being picked by the employees. In both ways, students could not reach satisfaction as clients while they cannot highlight their added value as one of millionaires of productions.
Frankly, I support that students are treated as consumers. Every coin has two sides. So here also are two sides. Here students feel that institution is only money making business nowadays… yes it’s true… but on the other side,it up to how we utilize our time in universities. It’s not just a complete of the subjects and getting good marks,if you don’t have practical experience then it’s useless.So don’t blame universities,it’s all depend on us.
I agree that there’re lots of problems in the Chinese higher education system and the “English Fever” is one of them. I don’t deny the importance of learning English, however, I don’t think it’s necessary to emphasize its importance everywhere. In China, English ability test is compulsory in the national post-graduate entrance exam no matter what subject the students apply. Even though we have put such great effort in improving students’ English, there’re little obvious effects of producing comprehensible English output. The reason for it is that our English education focus too much on grammars and readings. Take the CET exam for an example, it contains reading, listening and writing parts. The speaking parts are newly added. Most students don’t bother to take this part because it’s optional. Indian students are more likely to be hired than their Chinese counterparts despite that they may have worse English accents. That’s because they can deliver effective English communication which is what the employers value most.
I don’t think it’s a suitable time to introduce a new system that treating the students like consumers. All in all, college or university campus is still a pure place where students study and research absolutely. Education is totally a method to cultivate talent and make money for the society without make money for themselves. At a certain extent, education is something of public welfare. What the university needs most may be the reputation and excellent students or academic achievements. Market centered education needs to be contemplate.
Though the higher education was commercialized since 1990s, the government also subsidizes colleges a lot of money every year. Compare with the universities in capitalist country, Chinese college tuition is too few to mention. So I think it’s the main reason that western countries take students as consumers more than China do.
I do not really want Chinese universities take us as consumer, just student would be fine in nowadays. I am afraid that if we are treated as consumer, the tuition for Chinese students would be as higher as the universities in capitalist countries do. Then there will be little students can afford it to go further education.
I think my viewpoint maybe somewhat jejune. Actually, I think it would be good for students to be treated as consumer and obtain good services.
The existence of private schools generated a lot of competition between public schools and private schools in a certain degree, training schools,especially English training schools,made education as a profitable industry. I think this phenomenon is a double-edged sword,both have advantages and disadvantages.
I think this issue can be regarded into two aspects. First, we are indeed consumers to a certain extent now that most of us afford a lot for higher education each year, let alone those in the private-run universities. So from this perspective, I think the curriculum designed in universities should cater to students’ needs which are oriented by the market. As we know, competition has been becoming more and more fierce in recent years not only among companies but also among students hunting jobs. We all want to master more skills than others in order to be outstanding and find a ideal job. Second, university is not a place only to teach us how to use some kind of machines or equipment, but also a place where we can mould our temperament and nourish our spirits. What is more, as for those not mature enough students, it is hard for them to tell out what they really need and have to learn, so under these circumstances university should play a role as guider taking students’ personalities and market requirement into consideration and we look like more students than consumers.
Good point! It is the market-drive that pushes most Chinese students to study English. From your thread, I get some information about education in western countries. I can’t agree that education should be treated as an industry. After all, education is an equal right that every legal citizen should have. However, if money decides who can go to an university, the poor can never change their condition. It is unfair!
If education’s a Café and we’re here for killing time and enjoying the very latte, we are consumers and teachers those to serve? It quakes our mindset. But education is said to be a BIG BUSINESS that more desires to share a part, then subtle relation between students and teachers might be a little bit twisted for students’ being flattered and grades inflated and in its turn teachers seemingly get back something. Extremes are never nice, like this, but not always. If education’s like a chain store, then the commerce gets roil, both sides are delighted, nothing wrong.
In China, public education’s a mainstream. Then it’s never easy for us be like consumers with that many choices as the western students. Our educational system is more like a factory of assembly line with full of products, we here to be produced, tagged, packed, and sold to the job market. And it would just not guarantee a 0% defective rate, which means that some will fail to get sold and most wouldn’t find a niche. Surely education is then to be under fire and I’m not sure if it’s a fair judgment. Also the debate in whether CET is useful as a way of distinguishing the good and the poor in English. I’m not sure if it’s really so weak in telling the truth as many people shoot. But I think that the job market has its solution, for they already have their strict and reliable procedures of pulling out the best candidates as their employees for long term. This is what I deem as a SECOND filter which rolls the market again. That’s ok! But at a national level, it’s very much more than the job type of thing but a long-term planning of general improvement in intelligence and morality.
Obviously ,our country now treat students as consumers. I remember that several years ago, our government had said that our education system should develop into a industry. From then on,a series of revolution were taken and our high education industry now is developing quickly.
Does it good or bad to our students? Of course, it is more bad than good. We can see that nowdays the tuition of collage is nicreasing year by year, and the size of collages are increasingly. What affect does it has to our students? Since the increasing of collage students, we found it hard to find a job, thousands of graduates can’t find a job every year, the collages do not care what we have learned, they just care about how much new students they have each year.
This article remind me Prof.Yuan,Ph.D. of marketing.In his lecture,he assumed education as a service product to illustrate the principle of marketing.It is wonderful to take his lecture.What I am concern is whether the education in China can transfer to a service product.I believe there are several obstacles to deal with before the transforming.
In the first place,the competition amoung universities is not so fierce that the system can’t produce good service.We all know that competition is good for the consumers.In China,most of the universities are hold by the gonvernment.You can image the degree of the competition if the bosses are the same one.Of course,there are also some private universities.Unfortuantely,the society have a prejudice view to the private unversities.They believe the quality of the education in the private universities is low.There are very litter number of scholars want to go to the private universities.So the situation is becoming more and more serious.If the society can’t change the bias the degree of the competition won’t change.
In the second place,the awarness of diploma deciding everything should be replaced with ability deciding everything.Diploma deciding everything has several defections.For one thing,it is unfair to determin one’s fortune based on the scores.For another,diploma can’t fully represent one’s ability which is more important that diploma.
In the last place,the service product which was produced by universities should meet all the demands but not only the need of the employers.Of course we need businessman,we also need philosphers,poem,scientists.That is to say the university should preserve the consciousness of scholar research.This is important for the future for a nation.The Middle-Kingdom nowadays is lake of thinkers.The university is definitely supported to shoulder the reponsibility.
When it comes to the issue of job-hunting,it is difficult for the graduate to find a suitable job.I beieve there are a couple of reasons behind this trend.
For one thing,the quality of the education counts most.Coupled with the increasing of enrillment,the quality of the education decressed.Some of the universities are lack of teacher,there are many students study in one class,so you can image the quality of the class.Another reason for the low quality are the educated pattern as we discussed in the ‘east vs west’ article.
For another,the society can’t afford so many high-educated employees.Most of the manufactories in China are assemble-to-order.They do care is assemble.Design, supplying, marketing, logistics and sales are not their business.But we all know that the process of assemble doesn’t need high-educated employees.They only need some migrant workers.The design, supplying, marketing, logistics and sales processes all need high-educated employees.Unfortunately, these processes are most located at the west countries.China has knowledge this phenomena.Made-in-China should transfer to Design-to-China.Wish this can bring a bright future for the graduates!God is always kind to those who are prepared.The graduates must make sure they are prepared.
In contemporary society, treating students as consumers will pose a threat to the development of education system. What’s more, if humanity neglects this problem, extremely consequence will be produced someday. Treating students as consumers but not clients will impels schools administers spend excessively on money making by forcing students to pay more fees. In addition, if the situation is spinning out of any control, tension and conflicts between students and school administers will be created, which absolutely, is extremely hard to cope with. Therefore, both governments and individuals should pay more attention to the value of education in order to avoid schools are used as a tool of making money, and enable our education can develop in the right way, which contribute to societal welfare.
Nowadays, Commercialization of higher education is very serious. All over the world have such a situation. In my opinion, students should not be treated as consumers although in market economy. Schools cannot be equated with other agencies, schools should not be used for profit. The nature of the business is competition in the market to allocate resources, if the education has been commercialized, it means that there are some kids have no way to enjoy the right to education. This is not fair. However, the State may not have such big financial resources to make education free of charge, especially in higher education. Personally, I think we can learn from the U.S. education system. Countries have established public universities, so that the other of the University of Commercialization. Not only guarantees the right of access to education, but also a reasonable allocation of resources.
Is student consumer or product? Maybe both, education just like hair-cutting or medical treatment, you pay for being satisfied with what you ask but not anything you asked. Imagine a patient goes to a doctor and asks the doctor to cure his illness without pills, injecting or other medical methods. The requirement must be regarded as unacceptable and unreasonable.
If we treat education as a market, it must be a special market which is different traditional ones. Education means transmitting knowledge which is important to foster person with ability, especially for college education. If we treat students just as consumer and apply market theory and business model on education, it will affect the quality of the students. Particularly, higher education is prepared for research ability of academic, which means that teachers must be strict with students and let them possess the attitude and thought to the academic. If the teachers just want to satisfy the needs of the consumers, this will lower the level of the china’s education and be not good for the development of the academic. At the same the time we pay more attention on the score of the examination. In my opinion, the ability and the score are not strictly equivalent. The examination is only a tool to test the students, and it is not the evidence that if a student passes the examination he will be the better one.
For the phenomena that there are fewer students going to college, due to aged tendency of population. So the school must have a definite position for its development, especially for private school, they must connect their development plan with the market needs. The market need more persons who can do things and are with technologies, not the ones who only know the theory and without the operate ability. So there is a need for some school to let their students to learn more technologies.
Education is really a big business! My high school, a key school in my province, earns more than 5 millions RMB every year on recruitment of those students who do not have qualified scores with high tuition. We often called these classes full of high tuition students “profit producer” in jest. Actually, not each student in these classes is from rich family. Great burden is exerted on those parents’ shoulders. I think it is for both warped concept from school and parents, but in essence, the education institution. As for the closure of some colleges, I think it is good news for educational reform and development. Some private colleges will lose their field in the fierce competition because of poor educational quality. Universities should offer two things to their students, knowledge, and culture in which students can form their outlook toward society and world. There is no need of continued existence if universities can not supply those two parts for students. In addition, we have talked about the uncomprehensible English of Chinese undergraduates for thousands of times. I wish things will go better when the society goes better.