Quality of Sweden's Universities Called into Question

Sweden's Education Minister Jan Björklund explains to media just how cold it is outside.

Alright, not really.

Sweden's Education Minister is appalled at the declining standard of higher education. As reported in the Local:

“The quality of the knowledge that Swedish students have when they leave university is not enough to prepare them for adult life,” Björklund told Sverige Radio (SR), adding that too often, the quality of Swedish universities is often "too low".

“We need a much tougher and more stringent government inspection of Sweden’s higher education.”

The first proposal is bureaucratic streamlining at the top. Currently there are three government authorities overseeing universities. Björklund wants to blend those into just two.

Secondly, and more vaguely, Björklund wants to "get rid of all courses that are not up to scratch."

I would recommend re-evaluating all courses that originated from progressive hobby-horses and return to a classical liberal education comprising traditional humanities, sciences and maths; and a polytechnics education oriented around applied sciences (i.e. engineering, mining and metallurgy, meteorology, computer programming and software design, etc.).

However, this is progressive Sweden. So don't expect that this otherwise encouraging development automatically rings the death knell of Applied Marxist Social Justice and Transgendered Studies, or oceanography classes in Gay Wales Against Racism.

But it's a start. Would that we could begin the same process here. Then maybe all of the Occupy This Or That brats would be graduating with degrees that rendered them employable, and equipped them with skills that were broadly transferable. At the very least they might graduate with expectations that were grounded and realistic.

Best of luck, Mr. Björklund