Education and banking

When I was 15 my grandmother decided it was time I had a bank account. But in order to accomplish this, I had to put on a suit and tie and be interviewed by manager of the local branch of the Midland Bank to see if I was a suitable customer for one the the UK's most august institutions.In the 1960s and 70s one had a personal relationship with the branch manager.

Fast forward 40 years. Now it's off-share call centres, internet self service banking, telephone menu systems and literally no way to talk to the local branch manager on the phone; HSBC which bought Midland in the 1990s publishes only a central toll free number.

Unless that is, you are wealthy. If you're part of the 1% then you have a personal wealth manager,and tailored personal service.

Education is in danger to going the same way. John Henessy, Stanford's president has said:


“while the gold standard of small in-person classes led by great instructors...”
“…the gold standard is, by its nature, expensive. So it is, in my mind, the ideal educational opportunity for the really best students for the institutions
that can afford to provide that together with families. But it can’t be the entire solution given the cost of education in the U.S.”

“As a country we are simply trying to support too many universities.  Nationally we may not be able to afford as many research institutions going forward.”

That looks to me like a two tier solution; small classes for the super rich, and MOOCs for everyone else.

That's not how I envision widespread access to quality higher education.