He added the introduction of tuition fees meant students were now more picky about which courses they go on and only the good would survive

By DANIEL MARTIN

PUBLISHED: 00: 41 GMT, 29 October 2013 | UPDATED: 00: 41 GMT, 29 October 2013

David Cameron has launched a strong defence of so-called Mickey Mouse degrees.

The Prime Minister attacked the ‘snobbery’ of those who denigrate qualifications such as golf course management and music studies.

He said that, in fact, these courses could lead to decent jobs - and were therefore just as valuable as many of the more academic subjects offered by colleges.

Mr Cameron, who never used the term Mickey Mouse degrees, made his comments at an event celebrating apprenticeships in Oxfordshire.

He said that, too often in the past, Britain has pushed students into university when what the country needed was more people with vocational qualifications.

The Prime Minister praised Germany, which does much more to ensure that people get the type of education suitable for them.

Speaking at a Mini plant, he said: ‘For many years there’s been a snobbery in this country about some degrees.

‘They were called music studies or golf course management and people thought there must be something wrong with these degrees.

‘Frankly we’re now going to find out which degrees really benefit people. It will get rid of that snobbery.’

Mr Cameron said the introduction of tuition fees meant students were now much more picky about which courses they go on - because they have to contribute more towards them.

This means students weigh up which courses will benefit them in the long run - meaning that only the best will survive.

Courses such as golf course management could turn out to be the ones most likely to land people a good career, he said.

‘Because there are some students who make a bigger contribution on fees, I think quite rightly students are more fussy what it is they’re putting themselves in for, ’ Mr Cameron said.

‘They’re saying before I sign up for this degree I want to know how many lectures I’m going to get, what quality teaching I’m going to receive, and whether this degree will help me get a good job.

‘That’s a very good thing. “Where does this leave me in terms of a qualification that will help me to get work? ”.’

Comments:

1) The real reason behind the Mickey Mouse degree courses - invented by Labour - was to fulfill Tony Blair's ridiculous ambition that everyone should go to university, and to keep the youth unemployment figures down artificially. It's always been the case that only around 20% of people are university material, so soft easy courses had to be created for those who are not. The result is that we have people with unnecessary 'degrees' who can't find jobs or think that certain ones are beneath them.

2) Please don’t use the word 'degree' when you mean a bog standard college course. Degree's today are just a posh A level. They have been watered down so much most people with a bit of nous (common sense) could probably sit one and pass straight off without the tuition. Lets get back to the times that you had to work your butt off to get a degree and when it had some value.

3) Freddy.Johnson - I totally agree with you, degrees are being dumbed down. When I did my masters I was shocked at the low intelligence of some people, it was embarrassing. Unfortunately Universities are now like the school system, you are told what to revise, which in my opinion, doesn't give you a rounded knowledge of the subject. They need to make qualifications harder otherwise any numpty can get a degree which devalues the achievement of others. Personally I wouldn't advise anyone to study for a degree unless there was a profession at the end of it e.g. solicitor, chartered surveyor or engineer.

4) A university degree is no indication of intelligence.. Some of the most stupid people I know have loads of academic qualifications but haven't got the common sense required to change a light bulb.

5) Funding must be channelled into science courses and research, not degrees in celebrity journalism.