Jan 03 2009
What value a degree?
Years ago I used to admire those who had gone to university and gained a degree, so much so that I went as a mature student and got one of my own 10 years after leaving school. Not any more. It used to convey so much and demonstrated the differences between us all. Of course, that was in the days when differences were allowed! And, of course, schools were called schools and not “places of learning”.
The approach was different then, of course, as we all went to school and the cleverer (or harder working) passed exams while the others didn’t. A smaller proportion secured places at university while smaller again went on to take multiple, or higher, degrees. Universally, though, the more education the more you seemed able to extrapolate, to deduce and to add to knowledge by using what you knew to produce new information. That doesn’t seem to happen any more, probably because everyone is too scared to make a mistake.
Take a visit to the vet, they seem to have a checklist of those limited things that can be guaranteed to be (that is, safe to treat) and if your pet’s complaint isn’t on the list they can’t help. Nobody thinks for themselves anymore they just tick boxes. Now, I’m not singling out vets as it happens in many other areas. Take your local garage for example. To maximise profits employees have to be cost-effective (cheap!) and they have to check boxes because services have been reduced to this. Send in something out of the ordinary and they’re universally baffled. End result? Usually, a huge quote to replace something which includes the fault by a wide margin. Like the BMW 4×4 last week (not mine, incidentally), quoted £6000 to replace transmission, fixed by a brake service costing £250.
Another example, my neighbour’s wife called out a guy to look at the computer. A few head shakes, grunts and low whistles later and the offending item was pronounced dead and a new one advised. Our good friends at Computer Medics got involved to transfer the data. It’s generally easier to transfer data from a working machine and they didn’t know it couldn’t be fixed so they installed a replacement power supply for around £30 and got it back on its feet.
Of course, all of these people, whether with or without degrees, have been taught to operate the checklist. If it’s not on the checklist it can’t happen, try this when you get cold-called:
Caller: “If I could show you how to save money on your ‘phone calls would you be interested?”
Me: “No!”
Caller: “But everyone is interested in saving money…”
Me: “Not me, I prefer wasting it thanks”
They hung up soon afterwards.
The point is their checklist couldn’t cope. There was no option for Mr Grumpy. Now, checklists are a great idea but, like many other things, if you place too much reliance on them they become like the proverbial millstone. We need at least some of us to think outside the circle and not rely on checklists. After all, if you’re dying of something and it’s not on anyone’s checklist you’re gonna be pretty pi**ed off about it…
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