Monday, November 03, 2014

Entrepreneur Attacks Third-Level Colleges Shocker - says Irish Colleges are putting students through “Mickey Mouse courses”!

So another day goes by that a so-called Irish Entrepreneur who has made millions of Euro here has a go at third-level Colleges in this country. Jerry Kennelly, founder of Tweak.com, says in an article reported by The Journal that There are too many second-rate colleges in Ireland with ‘Mickey Mouse courses'

Dr Jerry Kenelly.
Image Source: Tweak.com.
Now Dr Kennelly (he has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Limerick) is of course entitled to his opinion. There are many who probably agree with him. 

I don't. 

Despite his negative attitude towards our courses in our Colleges, which didn't prevent him from accepting the UL doctorate or a fellowship from IT Tralee, he thunders that the Colleges themselves "are set up for the benefit of academics". Wow - I didn't know that! 

I don't agree with this either (but then I wouldn't since I am an "academic"). On what basis does he spout this nonsense? 

He also says that the Colleges "have a lot of courses that are absolutely useless", and further comments that courses are a "waste of peoples’ time and energy". Strong stuff indeed. Kennelly complains that he cannot hire Irish people and that he has to "employ people in Stockholm, Lisbon and Hyderabad to get the job done, to find the qualified people". Presumably Swedish, Portuguese, and Indian Colleges don't have "Mickey Mouse courses"? So what does Dr Kennelly do about this? He turns at an easy target (third-level Colleges), and blames us for his woes. Does he actually understand what he is saying when he states that "there’s an absolute disconnection between education and the real world"? Maybe he should join one of our Industry Panels that we have to put all our new programmes through to ensure we provide courses that Industry wants?

So Jerry - I challenge you to name the "second-rate" Colleges that are causing you angst?  What are the "Mickey Mouse" courses that you are referring to? Which degrees "aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on"? 

Third level Colleges' first duty is to provide education to our students. Indeed the mission of my own institution (National College of Ireland), is "To change lives through education". Later this week it is Graduation Day in NCI. I and my colleagues will see our graduates proudly accept their degrees - their lives will have been changed by their achievements. I dare Jerry Kennelly to stand on the stage at our graduation ceremony (or indeed at any other College Graduation) and tell our students that they have just wasted their last three or four years in a second-rate College doing a Mickey Mouse course. Jaysus!

(Amended to remove some language)

9 comments:

  1. Great torrent of abuse!

    Now how about addressing the issue?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous,

      Many thanks for your comment - I have toned down the language a bit some of it did verge on "abuse" (unnecessarily so).

      As my post points out - I don't agree with Jerry Kennelly. I don't think my College (NCI) or any other third-level institution in Ireland is "second-rate". I don't believe that they are set up for academics. In fact I don't agree with anything Jerry Kennelly says. For me he raises a non-issue.

      Eugene

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  2. What Kennelly ignores is the fact that the recent OECD report on education shows unequivocally that there are huge personal (economic) benefits that accrue from third level education, especially and quite astoundingly in Ireland. Clearly young people are benefiting because their third level education gives them a huge advantage in the market place.

    Greg

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    Replies
    1. Hi Greg,

      Many thanks for your comment - I agree!

      You might also be interested in a recent paper by Dr Brian Lucey of Trinity (with Zhang & Larkin) recently published "The Economic Impact of Higher Education Institutions in Ireland".

      Eugene

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  3. Jerry needs to read the recent OECD report on education. It showed unequivocally that young people benefit hugely (in purely economic terms) from third level education. This is a particularly pronounced effect in Ireland. Clearly the job market values the third level 'product'.

    Greg

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  4. Jerry Kennelly 200% right.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous,

      Many thanks for your comment.

      Don't take my word for it that third-level Colleges in Ireland are not "second rate" as claimed by Jerry Kennelly - check out Zhang, Larkin, and Lucey (2014) "The Economic Impact of Higher Education Institutions in Ireland". You might be surprised with what you find - a key finding of the paper is that the "picture painted overall is of a higher education sector which adds considerable gross value to the economy". Not bad for "second rate"?

      Eugene

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  5. A bunch of academics high-fiving each other hardly represents a rebuttal of Kenellys argument

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  6. Hi Anonymous,

    As I posted in response to another (same?) Anonymous commenter above...

    Don't take my word for it that third-level Colleges in Ireland are not "second rate" as claimed by Jerry Kennelly - check out Zhang, Larkin, and Lucey (2014) "The Economic Impact of Higher Education Institutions in Ireland". You might be surprised with what you find - a key finding of the paper is that the "picture painted overall is of a higher education sector which adds considerable gross value to the economy". Not bad for "second rate"?

    Also...

    Take a look at the first ever Higher Education System Performance Report for Ireland published last June (available on the education.ie website) - you might not be surprised if there are a few "high-fives" amongst my colleagues and me!

    Eugene

    ReplyDelete