Degrees in the Arts are very important. Perhaps I have a bias, with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in arts subjects. I also have a long history as an English teacher, as well as a literary radio program for 2RPH. So I suppose my bias is huge indeed.

A few years ago the Australian Government vastly increased fees for arts courses, favouring 'jobs-ready' offerings instead. I am all in favour of cheaper science or engineering degrees, but the turn against arts subjects is a very retrograde step and much to be deplored.

Firstly, it presupposes that tertiary education is all about getting a job once graduated. I have always opposed this notion. There are pathways at university that do more readily lead to jobs because of their very specific nature within the framework of a modern economy, whilst there are other studies which, while they may lead to future employment, serve other, much broader purposes.

Such as gaining critical thinking skills, developing the capacity to gather, consider, critically analyse and respond to whatever is going on. To challenge, where needed, dominant paradigms, suggest reforms, hold institutions and governments to account, in a manner that is logical and reasonable.

Secondly, the arts develop and mature the personality, allowing us to see into the lives of others, develop compassion and empathy and deeper understanding of the human condition. They should, in theory, make us into better people and better citizens. They help us to 'get' wisdom.

This utilitarian push will reach an end-point someday, hopefully not too late for a generation. I urge governments to be fair to the arts and to treat them as serious, worthwhile studies.