One more,
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)
