Well, what do you expect? If you insist on forcing everyone to obtain a higher education diploma, at all costs, partly without maintaining the corresponding level of education, then you shouldn’t be surprised that a higher education diploma, or even a university degree, has little real-world value. Especially if you haven’t acquired any other, more down-to-earth and practical skills during your studies.
It’s time we face reality: a piece of paper isn’t proof of skill. This is especially true when the bar is lowered, whether to safeguard the educational institution’s income or because of an ideological conviction that equality of opportunity is important, as is equality of achievement.
And credential inflation is real: more than half of 25- to 34-year-olds now have a higher education degree, but at the same time, almost half of vacancies no longer require a specific credential. Employable skills are in demand.
And yes, it will all be AI’s fault now, but the decline of our education has been going on for a long time and the rise of LLMs is a great lightning rod.
Don’t get me wrong: I believe (fundamental) knowledge, a corresponding critical mindset, and research are very important, and as a society, we should do everything we can to provide this to future generations. I’m just not convinced that this is optimally achieved in our current education system.