How nonsensical can this get? What has happened to learning for the sake of learning for the absolute joy of learning?
“I know of a young singer who had to drop out of conservatory because he couldn’t afford the tuition. Think about that. How much should singing lessons cost? We’re talking about a sound-proof room and a voice coach. The student brings the vocal cords. How is this worth tens of thousands a year?
Part of the answer lies in the arms race of fancy facilities being built by colleges. Part of the answer lies in escalating salaries, especially for academic “divas” – the marquee names recruited at great expense to bring in the customers… er, students. Part of the answer lies in institutional metastasis – the expansion of bureaucracy, like any bureaucracy.”