THE 1960’S WERE THE PRECURSOR TO THE SICKNESS OF UNIVERSITY ACADEMIA:
For the Longest Time, I have been Speaking & Writing about the Sickness being Inflicted upon our Children by the Industry of Academia. Which Has Become A Hugely Obscene . . . Not For-Profit, But In Reality – A FOR-PROFIT INDUSTRY.
I Don’t have a Great Deal of Time or Patience to Watch Television. But when I do, it’s Usually Tuned to Fox News, for the News Content, with my Television on, just as it’s on Now, as I Write this Editorial with the Sound on Mute.
I PREFER TO READ & LISTEN . . . MORE-SO THAN TO WATCH:
And every now and then, I will look up from the Keyboard and check the On-Screen Crawl to see if anything is Happening that might be of Interest to me.
But . . . If I’m going to Watch Fox News for Full Content, I‘ll Watch their Network after 8:00pm. But even then, I Prefer to Watch Online Senseless Movies & Stories Based on Truth, or Documentaries.
Last Night (August 30, 2019) . . . Anne was out Doing a Tupperware thing in support of a Girl Friend, and I was Too Tired to get into Watching Online Television, so I Watched Tucker Carlson, and found myself Absorbed in his Conversations (Interviews) Concerning Academia.
So I Watched To The End.
MY PARENTS COULDN’T AFFORD IT & I WASN’T GOING TO BORROW MONEY:
I’ve Told This Story Many Times . . . And I Might Also Have Written About It.
Unlike my Friends, who went to University Full-Time on their Parents’ Dime, and then Borrowed Money on the Canadian Student Loan Program at Reduced Rates of Interest, so they could Finance Back-Pack Trips to Europe, India or Wherever . . . I Worked.
I Also Wanted To Go To University . . . Because during the Late 1960’s – that became the Thing-To-Do. And if you Didn’t go to University, somehow, you just Didn’t Measure-Up to the People who Did.
The Serious Students Took Science or Commerce, both of which Opened Doors to Post Graduate Opportunities, which included Medicine, Engineering, Accounting, Business Management & A Plethora of Needed & Important Professional Spin-Offs.
The Wannabes Took Arts . . . And The Real Schmucks Took Fine Arts.
I WAS PITIFUL IN GEOMETRY & WORSE IN ALGEBRA . . . But in order to get into University, you Needed to have at Least One Credit in Either of these Two Mathematics.
I was NOT a Good Student & Passed my High School Courses by the Skin of my Teeth. In Fact, I Preferred to Work while going to High School, Rather than Going to High School. And as a Result, I Finished High School at Night and on Weekends at Sir George Williams Evening High School for Adults, to Pass one of these Two Mathematics Courses.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO ME ON THE WAY TO LEARNING:
At Sir George Williams Evening High School, I had to Pay Cash for each of my Courses. And I needed to Travel from the Far-Off Suburbs where I lived, to Downtown Montreal, where Sir George was Located.
It Was A Sacrifice . . . But I Really Wanted To Get Into University.
Amongst the many Interesting Aspects of Sir George William’s Evening High School, was that a Below Average Student like me, Evolved into a Serious Student, at first because I was Paying to be there, and I got to Pick & Choose what I was going to Study, and to some Extent, which Teacher I wanted who was Giving the Course. And Then . . . Because I Learned The Value Of Learning.
I GRADUATED IN SPITE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDED ACADEMIA:
Because this Education was on My Own Time & My Own Dime . . . and the Teachers Didn’t give a Rat’s Ass if I showed-up for their Respective Class or Not, and whether I Passed or Failed – the Teachers didn’t Really Care . . . Not Only Did I For The First Time In My Life Apply Myself to Learning Academically, I took a Bunch of Courses I didn’t Need to Take, and I Passed Algebra & Geometry more Easily than I ever would have Imagined.
Please Bear This In Mind . . . I Went to High School early in the Morning, just until after Noon. And right after the High School-Day, I went to a Five-Day per week Full time Job Selling Men & Boy’s Wear for a Private Retailer known as Debonair. And when that Job wasn’t Paying Enough, I went to Work for a Montreal Retail Chain known as Woolco, which was Equivalent to today’s Target.
And Then I Went To Night School 3-Nights Per Week & On Saturdays.
When I Finished Public High School & Evening Students’ High School, I Graduated with far More Credits than I Needed. And because I Graduated with Credits from Sir George Williams Evening Students Adult Classes, based on my Average Marks, I was Given an Unconditional Entry to Sir George Williams University, which I took Advantage of by Choosing to Enroll in the Night Classes while I Worked during the Day.
I Won’t Go Into The Myriad Of Unpleasant Jobs I Had Before Getting Into Sales. But, while I was doing whatever I had to, to Pay for my Education & Lifestyle, most of my Friends were Busy Touring the World on Student Loan Money, Smoking Dope and Playing Cards in the Student Lounge . . . BUT THEY WERE GOING TO UNIVERSITY – HOORAY . . . HOORAY!
After Two Years Of University, I Quit. I Knew that I was Never Going to be a Neurosurgeon or a Rocket Scientist. Nor an Accountant, an Engineer or any other Profession. And getting a Degree to the Equivalent of Basket Weaving was never going to Happen, as it was Happening to most of my High School Friends.
But what I did know, was that I was a Fine Salesman, Earning more Money on Commissions than my Professors were earning during that Time Period. And I was able to Help out at Home.
All Of My Friends . . . with the Exception of only a Few, Never went-on to Further their Education, and Never used what they were Taught in University, other than to use their Useless Degrees to get a Job, which they needed Training to do, since what University Taught them was Useless, Unless they Wanted to Play Cards, Drink Beer & Sell Dope for a Living.
The Smart Kids Learned Trades, They Didn’t go to University. They Learned how to Build & Fix Things. How to Cook, Manage & Organize. How to Provide Services . . . And How To Buy & Sell.
SMARTY HAD A PARTY . . . And the Kids who went to University for a Useless Degree, of which most did, which led many of my Friends to wind-up working for the Family Business if they were So-Lucky – or took Whatever Job was Available to them, Degree or Not.
TODAY . . . IT’S MUCH WORSE!
Today, not only are Pre-Graduate University Students Not Getting an Education that will Train them for a Real Job, they’re Learning how to Hate & Disparage the Society that has Created the Circumstances which has Given them an Opportunity to be the Best they Can Be.
In Addition . . . Students Are Paying Tens of Thousands Of Dollars To Learn How To Fail. So, when Young Students leave University Without a Useful Post Graduate Degree, all they have to Show for their Time – Is Debt & Despair.
I’ll Discuss This . . . In More Depth In My Forthcoming Podcast – Please Stay Tuned.
Best Regards . . . Howard Galganov
![Parler_-_Logo_(2020)[1]](https://galganov.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Parler_-_Logo_20201.svg "Parler_-_Logo_(2020)[1]"){kind=logo}
10 Comments
I so agree and there are so many similarities in our growing up in regards to education. Only I learned to make good money with my hands as a carpenter. Did quite well for years, until I decided to do what I do now. I have worked hard to study and learn about what is important to get by in life. It disturbs me to see things unfold we see today. Thanks for your writings! Keep them up –
A ray of hope for the USA–Many colleges are partnering with the trades unions to replace the retiring carpenters, electricians, linemen, welders and plumbers by sponsoring college level associate programs that allow HS grads to get “hands on” experience in the trades rather than exclusively academic education–Finally, a real alternative to college! One is offered by NMU in Marquette!
As the managing partner of a CPA firm it became obvious that many graduates applying for work at our firm were ill prepared for their occupation. Many required extensive basic knowledge training to become somewhat proficient. What was even more obvious was the attitude that they deserved high salaries just for showing up for work. We had analytical tools to measure an employees productivity and contribution to firm revenues. The concept of reward based on measurable results was foreign to them
Gov’t welfare system created an entitled society of poor, dependent people. Academia has created an entitled near-equally poor, dependent people with a degree & elitist attitude. Plus they are in debt from student loans & can only get low-paying jobs because their fields of choice are filled by foreigners w/work VISAs. Our gov’ts have rigged the system, whether toward a socialist agenda or to pad their pockets (swamp) by appeasing big corps. Pessimist I am in this area anyway.
Back in the 70s in high school we had a teacher all the kids used to call a communist because of his outward leanings and overly socialist teachings. In class the kids were not exactly mature or always respectful. One day I asked the teacher why he wasted his time with us and he told me at our young age is where he had the most influence upon us. I never forgot that. Make no mistake, today in school at all levels our kids are being indoctrinated in communist and radical ideas.
Professors in some Canadian Universities are teaching socialism, and if a student disagrees they are automatically failed. These Prof’s should be discredited and removed from the system.
Like you, I barely passed high school with some scores in the low 50’s. Only 50% was required in the ’70s to pass. I started CEGEP in electronics but had to quit to go to work because I was having issues at home with my father and had to get an apartment. After 2 years of doing meaningless minimum wage jobs, I was walking downtown and on a whim went in a Canadian Armed Forces recruitment center, joined and was paid to learn electronics and avionics and I have been working on airplanes since then.
Good job Howard and you are correct. So many young people get degrees in ______ and still don’t know how to wipe their butt. I had a similar path through school. The only difference I used the GI bill to pay for collage. I did work full time and go to school at night. Had a wife, a house and new born son to take care of. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger or at least that’s the rumor.
I didn’t like school. I was an average student. Didn’t have money. In 1966 the draft was hot and heavy, so I joined the Navy. Stayed in for almost 22 years and lived from paycheck to paycheck. My kids never enjoyed a week’s vacation and none of them went to college, but they all turned out fine.
After 2 years of the local city college, I realized, that wasn’t gonna work. Owned a VW and became pretty good fixing it. Started my VW business in “74. It grew to 5 mechanics doing 30-50 Vdubs a week. Got into dune buggys welding frames on the side. Sold VW business and started my Steel Fab Business in “84. The welding business, learning as I worked, was really a challenge to make fly. Today 35 years later, ACUFAB, is strong and supporting 6 families. No college needed, just hard work.
Comments are closed.