UK Dream For Higher Education (Facts And Fictions) [ 2006-6-2 ]
By C. D. Bhatta
England has been the centre of knowledge in modern times and has dominated 'international knowledge repository' for long. The Oxford, Cambridge, the powerhouses of the scientific inventions are the oldest standing universities in the world. There was a time when half of the Head of States or the Governments of the Commonwealth Countries were the product of British Universities. Even North American Universities, like Harvard University, were established by scholars who studied in England. The Oxbridge are still ahead in the world university ranking but British Universities certainly have been overshadowed by the North-American Universities. Princeton University, whose ranking corresponds with the London School of Economics, has the budget of entire British Universities (excluding Oxford and Cambridge). Funding has become most exhausting factor in UK higher education. The best thing of British Education system, nevertheless, is the quality of internationally acclaimed education and the hospitable British culture where one can easily adjust. The most important of all is the academic genre that is rarely available anywhere else. These are the reasons, among others, why England still is the preferred destination for international students.
There are more than two hundred universities in Great Britain and they have ranking systems based on their own performances and impact their products make internationally. The best universities like IVY League in the US are classified as 'Russell Group of Universities' famous for academic excellences and provide some economic assistance as well. There are twenty of them. If one can afford, it is highly recommended to attend these Russell Group of elite Universities and have a niche of UK education and varsity life, which surely would be lifetime experience. London is particularly good to study finance and economics as the city itself is the Centre for International Finance and full of international investment and commercial banks with tremendous opportunities for career growth.
However, all is not well. British Universities are awfully expensive (in average sterling ponds 9000 per year tuition fees plus maintenance) and extending visa has become notoriously expensive for students. For example, if one has to extend student VISA she/he has to pay five hundred sterling pounds. And financial aid is rarely available so is the job opportunities to substantiate education. And life becomes hell without enough resources.
London ? the most sought destination by the international students because of its truly cosmopolitan nature; carries population of more than its capacity. Those were the days, when there was no problem at all with 'unskilled jobs' and one could make maintenance and even tuition fees out of it but things have vastly changed. In addition to students, there are many economic migrants of different colours like doctors, engineers, accountants and coolies who have taken the job that the students normally used to do during off time. The situation has further deteriorated after the eastward extension of European Union as it has helped to meet internal demand of unskilled labour within the Europe with no need to look beyond unless newly wedded countries reach to the economic status of their older counterparts. This has forced skilled workers from Third World countries to land in the unskilled low paying jobs. Today one can see South Asian doctors cleaning utensils in curry houses (Indian Restaurants are known as curry houses in UK). Majority students had never returned and overstayed. This has added extra burden on already swelling population thereby resulting steep competition among migrants for the limited type's of jobs. Migrants from Third World countries do the same job such as ? restaurant business, off licenses or corner shops, security guards, departmental stores, factories etc. This has either erased or reduced chances of getting part-time jobs to international students during off time.
The biggest worry however, is falling into the trap of private colleges who operate under the guises of attractive pseudo name similar to that of famous schools. Besides universities, there are many mushrooming cheap colleges in London and around its periphery. Mostly (99%) operated by migrants from South Asia; Africa, Turkey and Cyprus whose owners/principals have little or no knowledge about education forget about having had an opportunity to be acquainted with British education system or its degrees. But don't get surprised if you see their line long qualifications - whose full form cannot even be found in the Oxford Dictionary. These colleges have glossy brochures with pictures of Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the Westminster with courses ranging from BIS to MBA augmented by facilities such as computers, library and personal tutor. But it is not a surprise; when you see no standing building, forget about other facilities. One could easily get baffled by seeing glorious ads of these colleges in local newspapers here in Kathmandu and their directors' giving interviews to reputed daily newspapers and electronic media as against the distressing reality. There is a 'racket of ring' that runs these dubious colleges which neither are recognized by the government nor by the British Universities. The most frightening fact is that they don't at all have qualified teachers and enough rooms to cater. Another aspect is not even a single native student can be seen in these colleges and British Home Office authorities are always running after them because of their doubtful nature of business. I do not like to point out name of colleges and spoil their business but I have a duty to inform and warn aspiring students and their parents about the situation of these private colleges. All these names that frequently advertised in local newspapers by their local agents (the so called education consultants) are not authentic and their situation is more pathetic than our language institutes. Many Nepalis have also opened up colleges and their owners/principals as others have never studied in the British Universities. They work daytime in the college and run Curry House in the evening the same goes with their 'lecturers'. In most cases, one could see restaurant in the ground floor and college in the first floor. The worst of all is their 'lecturers' can't speak correct English.
You also see one or two kuires in these colleges but they are there just to make an impression that they do have English Lecturer's /owners but reality is something very unusual, these junkies normally spend time drinking cheap beer in pubs and spend remaining of their time with bookies. To be very straightforward these private colleges are spoiling Britain's reputation on higher education and cheating international students.
That said, this is in no way bad but this is bad if the one who has a dying desire to have British degree happens to end up in these colleges. One can imagine the quality of education they impart. If the intention is different, these colleges are fine to vanish in London's serenity (if one manages to get visa here) and end up in curry houses forever. Because they are cheap, one can extend visa through them (as long as both are not caught by the Home Office); can stay there forever; drink beer (which is comparatively cheaper); watch football games in the world famous football clubs and end up as Lahore; if lady luck shines, who knows one might get PR (Permanent Residency) one day and become British, if not English.
This is what I have seen and experienced during my stay in London. If you are really going for education with zeal to have degree, don't fall in the trap of these 'colleges'. Rather than running after newspaper ads or local consultants do your proper research by directly getting in touch with concerned institutes. There is no way that one could find financial support once she/he lands up there. Prepare well in advance as what exactly you want to do and how. Otherwise, International Education System (IES) is another way of robbing off and cheating people in the name of 'quality education'. If one can afford she/he should go for university rather than colleges, whose authenticity is yet to be established and are 'bogus' as per British authorities.
There are many ways to find out correct information, like British Council, ex -students, university websites etc. Like in search of job in the Gulf, today we have large number of young students traveling abroad for higher education, but how many of them have really succeeded in their goals, and how many of them have ended up in curry houses is a subject of real curiosity for everyone.
(The author is currently a PhD fellow at London School of Economics, London)
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