A few days ago, I participated in the Antena 3 television program “Public Mirror”, where the host, Susan Grizo, asked if I was criticized by private universities of the government. He replied that he agreed, at least for three reasons.
First, because higher education cannot be a business. Either as an ideological business (universities created, for example, religious institutions that strive to train in their own ideology), or as an economic business (universities created by companies or venture funds that prevail economic benefits). Higher education, such as education as a whole, is the right of a person.
Thus, his organization cannot be developed from the concept of business to obtain economic or ideological benefits. Like educational concerts at the level of universal education, conceived from an ideological goal (63% are in the hands of religious institutions) or economic benefits, and which, in fact, became not only the largest institutionalized factor in educational and social segregation in this country, but also based on the reproduction of a new generation of extreme right and extreme right.
In short, the continuation of the recognition of the existence of private universities means the assumption that capitalism, profit, usury and benefit of benefits can manage science, knowledge and training in higher education. Or that religious ideology and even ultra are reactive (such as the Catholic University of Murcia) is the one that establishes the purpose of training and research in higher education. Both interests frontly contradict the main sense of higher education as law, as a space for critical scientific training and as a generation of knowledge and science, depending on the common good. Moreover, the economic and ideological interest of private change is a change in the goal and significant sense of higher education.
Secondly, because “Chinguitos universities”, as the government called them, destroyed the alleged “social elevator”, which was usually attributed to higher education. In addition, the reality of this “social elevator” is very doubtful, because children from the working class are mainly ultimately the working class, and realizes that the myth of the “social elevator” does not question the meritocracy, preserving the hierarchy of the above and downstream.
But the truth is that these private “beach bars” even more broken the possibility of accessing higher education in equal opportunities and the opportunity to complete their training with a certain justice of the results. Meanwhile, for example, in medicine, some should get very high notes in selectivity and sacrifice themselves in high school, and, despite their families, they see how their daughter or son remained at the door and cannot make a medical career that he always dreamed at the State University; Others who have two fewer points for EBAU or took five, but their families can pay from 17,000 to 23,000 euros at a private university and conduct a medicine with private classes, if necessary, and practices in private centers. Those “chiringuitos”, which have become retail sellers at the price of gold, especially in the online media of the master, growing business.
Thirds, because universities are institutions, three main functions, training, research and transfer of their knowledge to society. This can be done only through state universities, the purpose of which is the common good, not business or benefits.
If what is established as the reason for the creation of the university is a business, its function will always be on the service that this business reports benefit its owner. Thus, its priority will bring dividends for its shareholders, which are those who finance the company, its management will be similar to the company, it will hire teachers as cheap and economical as possible working conditions, and a study that is not economically favorable, will be almost zero, its transition will be focused on the same, as well as at the economic level, does not depend on social benefits. The ideology and interests of ideology. That is, about neoliberal, capitalist and even ultra -reaction, as we saw, etc.
Therefore, as a society, as a scientific community, as a state policy aimed at creating a science in the service of a common good, we cannot turn higher education into goods and university into an industry of knowledge, as I claimed in the program “Public Mirror”, which became virus on social networks. Science, knowledge, wisdom, university training cannot become a business. If we do this, we will fail as a society and as humanity.
We must protect public higher education that fights the logic of the market. Higher education, which confirms the absolute priority of people in relation to economic profitability. Higher education that unites various fields of knowledge. This helps our young people develop a critical spirit and use the most brilliant scientific, social and political achievements of past generations. Higher education, which contributes to the values of the world, solidarity and harmonious cooperation between countries and people. Higher education, which is aimed at developing freedom of thought, creativity, individual liberation and social transformations. In short, higher education, which all citizens offers fundamental knowledge, science in the service of the common good, as well as the opportunity to get acquainted with the most difficult knowledge methods that help them develop as people and contribute to the creation of a more fair, better and more supportive society and the world. And this is guaranteed only by public higher education.
