Useless degrees

The publication treadmill is the source of that. It's inevitable that academics see students as an annoying addition to their work-load when the need to publish is constantly impressed upon them as their 'real work'. I'm not excusing it; but it is part of the same culture you describe. A sort of institutional disorder.

From their perspective, though, the advent of tuition fees are scary for the reasons I outline. There is a power shift happening in favour of the students. We'll see the full extent of it when we end up with the US system of sky-high fees, I imagine.

Interesting that you say when. I agree, i think it's inevitable.

Remember though, it's actually the government's money, not the students. On the whole, anyway.

I have no qualms with academics, almost all of the trouble comes from the management and admin staff in my university. But maybe this is simply because they have the academic staff under an iron fist of job insecurity.