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Originally Posted by Happy Days  I'm seriously wondering why you made it sound as if you disagreed with me when in fact you basically just reiterated what I said? |
Then you didn't understand what I said. You typed "of course there was fairness" whilst I described why inequities were rampant.
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Why would universities give places to low ability students?
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Given those inequities I've referred to, there is a lower probability of a high ability student from a poor background attending university. Thus, the extra places are more likely to be taken up by lower ability workers from a rich background.
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Why did the old system fail and need to be replaced?
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There were numerous reasons. A mundane explanation is structural change in the economy with informal on-the-job training preferred (particularly in the service sector). However, we also have to refer to the consequences of the "free market". There was a move towards labour market flexibility which encouraged non-traditional forms of employment (particularly part time and temporary contracts). This reduced the value from employers investing in training and therefore further hampered our skills base. The return to apprenticeships is a reaction against that (and of course your hubby would know that the free market fails to deliver because of the distinction between "specific" and "general" human capital)