By Paul Monk, in The Australian
The recent stand-off between the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation and our most prestigious universities, over the idea of a bachelor of arts in Western civilisation being introduced on their campuses, is a disturbing symptom of the state of higher education in this country. It is to be hoped it can be constructively resolved.
Without entering into that dispute, it’s worth reflecting on why anyone might want a bachelor of arts in Western civilisation. Forty years ago, it was exactly what I wanted and I enrolled at the University of Melbourne hoping to get one. I discovered that there was no coherent curriculum providing what I sought. There was simply a wide range of course options from which one was encouraged to choose a major field after first year.
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