ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

Hurrah for Rowan Williams (¡°No fooling about impact¡±, Opinion, 17 April). The one unifying factor of every degree should be critical analysis, training to think, bringing enlightenment to the masses. Unfortunately, this is labour intensive. Meeting targets of raising ¡°D¡± students to ¡°C¡± or 2:2s to 2:1s is achieved much more efficiently by teaching the answers to exam questions for students to doggedly commit to memory.

Students are well aware of this. You may lead a horse to water, but you cannot make a student think. Attempts to do so are enjoyed by a few students but call down wrath from many in teaching evaluations. Besides, the bulk of graduates, including academics, are employed to ¡°do¡±, support the CEO, and not think. It isn¡¯t always good for employability!

Hugh Fletcher (retired)
Lecturer in genetics
Queen¡¯s University Belfast