Universities are not intended to be closed-in worlds. They should reflect the real environment as a place for students to learn different ideas and challenge existing ones. So it seems worrying that some of our universities’ academics are now the subject of a Senate inquiry into supposed left-leaning prejudice in their teachings.
The inquiry into academic freedom in universities began in Sydney this week, after the Young Liberals movement claimed some professors are inflicting cultural and ideological biases on students. The group has submitted blacklists to the inquiry, naming those they believe frequently teach left-wing ideas. A number of academics are now facing the investigation, which the NSW Greens are calling a ‘witch-hunt’ threatening the academic autonomy of the tertiary system.
Indeed, this inquiry into academic freedom seems an attack on freedom itself. Professors should be given the independence and the trust to present ideas fairly, in the way they deem they are best taught. Now, a number of academics have to justify this independence, when clearly their years of service to education should warrant their positions as qualified teachers. Such an investigation sends a serious message that academics are being watched, and could face retribution if they teach what some students do not want to hear. The Young Liberals are now calling for an academic bill of rights dictating how courses should be formed and presented. Does this not contradict academic diversity? Telling universities how and what to teach suppresses scholarly freedom and the nurturing of new ideas.
The mere fact it was set up at the request of students from a single political persuasion signals a distorted approach to academic examination. Surely, students of other ideals should also express concern before such inquiries are even deemed possible. Would these students be so concerned if the views being taught aligned precisely with theirs? Earlier in the year the Young Liberals ran the ‘Make Education Fair’ campaign, asking students to report staff expressing anti-Liberal views. Surely a movement seeking to expose anyone with a conflicting view is a direct example of the political control they seem so eager to condemn.
Undoubtedly, university courses should be taught on the basis of ideological pluralism and accurate context, and students marked by the merit of their work rather than their political beliefs. And indeed, some academics do share their political views with students. But this should not be a cause for alarm. There is a big difference between sharing a view and forcing it upon others. By the time young people enter tertiary study, they have the intelligence to pick and choose the ideas they will accept. University is not meant to guide you along the status quo with values corresponding to your own. The real world is not like that. It is not always comfortable. This seems quite obvious. Everyday various conflicting ideologies meet us which we must process and deal with. University should be a place to hone this skill. Strong minds are formed by hearing an opinion, processing it alongside one’s own beliefs and life experiences, and choosing to believe or reject it.
There is nothing wrong with being concerned about the standard of teaching at our universities. Yet, this inquiry appears impulsive and one-sided. It demeans the integrity of professors and the intelligence of students. I remember when a teacher once told a class to consider voting for Labor at the next election. At first, the words seemed overly direct and uncomfortable. Yet, I chose to accept the point of view as one of many I face every day and left it at that. No offence taken. At the next election I will be voting by my own views, on what I’ve learned and understood from myriad experiences. That class will be long forgotten.
Natalie Alexander
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