For the Fallen

For The Fallen
(Laurence Binyon- 1914)

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea. Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres, There is music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted; They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain.

Universities...who needs them?

This morning at exactly 2:25am, I completed the third but final edition of my university personal statement. I found it suprisingly difficult to "blow ones own trumpet" whilst writing, but in the end had to rely on my relaxed, late night, creative state to make sure the third edition was going to be the best. Whilst racking the archives of my memory on what I had and hadn't done in relation to the course I was applying for, a thought suddenly struck me. I was basically writing out a manifesto, a record of achievement, an assurance to the reader that I deserved a place on the course for the seeming lucrativity that is the simple ownership of a piece of paper, which indeed most people these days have already acquired. Now whatever your view on education, it's always nice to have higher academic qualifications, and of course a pleasure to study subjects which you enjoy, but the fact is most professionals these days have them. It could even be argued that a vast number of non-professionals have them too, simply because the degree is no longer for the highly educated elite. One might say that if a person works hard for their higher academic qualifications then by God they deserve to have them, and by all means I agree; but the overall value of higher academic qualifications has dropped incredibly over the years, with nothing to take its place of high standing.

Its seems that Labours policy of 'getting more people in to universities' has undermined the very merit of having a place there at all, and such concequences in nearing years will undoubtably result in the need for an even higher educationary establishment to be implemented. It's kind of like inflation in the sense that the more available something is the less value it has, and therefore something which is less available at the time increases in value. For example, years ago in the 1920s, only a minute proportion of the populus had the opportunity (and indeed ability) to obtain a degree compared with today, which at this time almost undoubtably offered these people a high ranking position in employment as well as society. Today however, we see vast amounts of medical, dental and law graduates being pumped out of universities like they're on somesort of production line; whom are essentially considered (from an employment perspective) to be '10 a penny'.

Labours agenda on the subject could well be attributed to the mere moderate socialistic principles of equality for all, or the attempt to increase average intellect per head of the country, more likely however it can attributed to the removal of large parts of the population from the unemployment register for as long a time as possible. The government knows that students who are prepared to work hard for at least 3 years, just to obtain a degree, are not going to wallow at home on state benefits once they realise that the jobs they are trained for are scarce. No, they're going to work harder to find any job which pays in order to pay off their student loans, thus ensuring they stay off the unemployment register further. We know from personal experience that most people usually get settled in long term jobs, and hence the government meets its target on unemployment for everyone to see.

Universities...who needs them?
Well, most people actually. Despite the rise in the number of graduates, the decline of appropriate employment positions, and the complete de-valuing and undermining of our education system, we have no choice but to conform. However, to gain the equivalent social value of a Degree from the 1920s today might just involve the acquiring of a Phd...

(Photo: 1st 2nd and 3rd editions of my personal statement.)

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Welcome to Across The Water, where the political analysis' of British politics and current affairs will be reported upon from within the confines of the Isle of Man from the excedingly informed keyboard of none other than Martin David.

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