Two reports from the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (Högskoleverket) turns into somewhat depressing reads, and are in my mind worth pondering about.
Gender differences remain - and change
Starting and receiving a higher education (defined as a degree post high school) has in Sweden become a gender issue. More women and men enter higher education, and the percentage of women awarded a degree is even higher. In the doctoral educations there seems to be an even distribution of men and women. Yet, the women have generally lower salaries than men, and men remain in the leading positions (where 82% of the full professors are men).
The authors of the report and an editorial in a Swedish news paper concludes with that they can foresee "a low-educated male proletariat (sic! [wiki]), a female proletariat and a male power elite". A very saddening forecast, I must say!
Teaching in higher education
Following on reports on the quality of the different educations in Sweden, the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education has made a study of what it is like to be teaching and having leadership positions in higher education. 200 teachers at eleven institutions got to fill out a time diary what they did ever quarter during a week.
The usual work week for teachers at all levels (lecturers, senior lecturers and professors) has 54 hours. A "normal" work week in Sweden is not more than 40 hours, but depends on age - and whether you are employed in the government or in the public sector.
Economic hardships have led to more students per teacher, fewer new employed teachers - but also larger and more diverse student groups.
The administrative support has been cut down, so a lot more time of the time is spent on administrative tasks.
The consequences are that they spend less time doing research and keeping up-to-date in their own areas, more compromises, and fewer hours with individual tutoring and support.
These are all things that I recognize from my work back home in Sweden. The classes are very large, and the student body is very diverse in issues regarding having a family with an academic background. The needed and appreciated diversity among the students create challenges time wise for you as faculty.
Leave a comment