An embarrassment to anyone who has standards at UG

Jul 17, 2012 Letters

Dear Editor,
I read with amusement the letter written by a Sherwood Lowe in KN (Tuesday, July 10, 2012). I am hoping that Mr. Lowe (heaven forbid, Dr. Lowe) is nowhere close to UG in terms of teaching or learning. And let’s hope for our children’s sake that he is far from any administrative position. If he is on any of these fronts—teaching, learning, administration at UG—then it is no surprise that UG (Turkeyen) has become a laughing stock.
I am no lecturer, but this letter under the name of Lowe should cause embarrassment to anyone who has standards at UG. Lowe draws from Ernest Boyer—and correctly so.
But then he draws conclusions about KN’s editorial as to what it does not say. KN’s editorial does not ignore anything, including “stakeholders who are more interested in the ability of universities to produce more graduates who can apply knowledge and perform at the workplace.”
Lowe goes on: “In developed societies, a huge market exists in the economy for research output. Universities have the financial incentive to chase private and government research contracts and grants. No such market exists in Guyana” But Mr. Lowe never asks why or why not? So much for critical thinking. So you blame something for not happening, but do not have the basic thinking of asking why is it not happening? And if it is not happening, then how can UG make it happen? Or would they do the usual and sit by and wait for someone else to do it for them?
Now we all know that UG is a failed enterprise—precisely because people like Lowe cannot move beneath the surface. Here is Lowe’s “evidence” that “useful research is done at UG: “As Exhibit A, I point to the University’s Research Day Conference where whole days are devoted to presentations of staff research.”
Now, as a layman, I am wondering this: what good does it do if a set of 40 (say) UG lecturers sit around and speak at each other? What is the quality of what is done? Has any of it been published in international, scholarly refereed journals? If any has been published, where was it published? Anything could be called research, but valid research is made valid only when it is published.
Is this Lowe’s idea of excellence? Importantly, this is Lowe’s only evidence of useful research. In my uneducated mind, Exhibit A should be followed by Exhibit B, C, D, and so on. Excellence indeed.
And then Mr. Lowe asks that airy question: “What should be the justification for UG?…should it focus more on producing graduates (learning) or research?” But poor Mr. Lowe should return to that which he quotes from Ernest Boyer. Incidentally, a real scholar has already identified these variables and has gone beyond Boyer in implementation of the variables at UGBC). But Lowe returns us to the simplicity of either teaching or research.
If Lowe is an example of UG scholarship, we have lots to worry about. And please, do not use my tax dollars for this stuff.
Mark London

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