Re: Student-as-client

From: Andy Blunden (andy@mira.net)
Date: Sat Sep 08 2001 - 00:24:28 PDT


Yes please, send me the formatted document.
Send it to ablunden@unimelb.edu.au so I can distribute it at work.

I'm not a teacher. I phrase the issues about genuinely human relationships
in terms of relationships between academics and students and learning
because it's very easy to understand that way, and especially among my
academic colleagues, but yes, this issue is one of the social relations of
whatever kind of society you want to live in.

Andy

At 03:44 PM 8/09/2001 +1000, you wrote:
>At 02:31 PM 8/09/2001 +1000, Andy wrote:
>>Phil, that's a really fine paper.
>
>Thanks Andy --- you're very kind. I'm a bit embarrassed by it by now
>because it seems so long ago that we wrote it, and both of us have done so
>much in between.
>
>>The first half dealing with the ethical issue of the subordination of
>>education to economic rationalist (neo-liberal) political agendas was a
>>bit obvious for me, but once I got past the half-way mark, with the
>>section on "student-as-client" I really appreciated it. I think I will
>>give you email a bit of circulation in Melbourne Uni. I'm sure there will
>>be some people who will really enjoy it.
>
>I can send the MS word file as an attachment if you (or anyone else) wants
>it. It looks a bit neater.
>
>>Could I make this one suggestion: we should not give the
>>"managerialists", the "customer-focus ideologues", "economic
>>rationalists" or whatever you call them, the ground outside of education.
>>That is, we know their ideology stinks when applied to education, but
>>actually it stinks when applied to hospitality and building construction
>>too. That is, the relationship academics foster with their students
>>(described by Martin Owen) is not something which is unique to education.
>>Whether I'm looking for accommodation or trying to get a building put up,
>>I would expect the same relationship. Your Bruno is not only lacking in
>>understanding of education when he equates it with building construction,
>>he actually has a poor understanding of construction as well.
>
>I laughed out loud when I read this. How very true. I had never thought of
>it like that. And I agree wholeheartedly.
>
>Thanks.
>Phil



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