Friday, April 22, 2016

Aussies are falling out of love with THE



Matthew Knott in the Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australian education experts are no longer impressed by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

"Grattan Institute higher education program director Andrew Norton says The Times rankings are not "terribly high quality".

"They should not be used as a guide for which university to go to and they shouldn't be used as a guide to higher education policy," he says.

In particular, he warns that movements up or down the league table – especially small ones – should not be used a reliable verdict on whether a university is improving or declining.

And he's not alone.

Australian higher education academic Simon Marginson, one of the leading experts on university rankings, is even more damning.

"In social science terms they are rubbish," he told an academic conference last year."

THE will probably not be bothered too much. After all, when you have been declared "education secretary of the world" in China, who cares if an Australian journalist compares you to dead sticks? 

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