The Societal "Becoming"
This morning I was reading an article discusses the pressing funding crisis in UK higher education, highlighting that many institutions are on the brink of bankruptcy due to a combination of international competition, government policies, and rising costs. For example, the University of Hull plans to close its chemistry department due to insufficient student numbers and funding. With 40% of universities expected to operate at a loss, there are concerns about a domino effect impacting the entire sector(Nature).
This situation resonates deeply with concerns about the value society places on essential roles like educators, especially as the focus shifts toward profit-driven models at the expense of public good. I would think most people observe that if we continue to undervalue those who shape future generations—particularly in foundational education—we risk replicating historical cycles of decline, similar to what happened in ancient civilizations.
In philosophical terms, this trend points to the erosion of educational idealism, where education was once revered as a path to cultivating the whole person—ethically, intellectually, and spiritually. Thinkers like John Dewey and Paulo Freire advocated for education as a transformative process for both individuals and societies.
History, if anything, teaches us the dangers of devaluing essential public roles. The Roman Empire’s collapse was due in part to its neglect of public services and overreliance on wealth extraction. We are at risk of following the same path, where essential roles that are the bedrock of a functioning society are treated as commodities, rather than as pillars of a healthy and flourishing culture.
So, what’s the solution? It begins with a cultural shift. If society starts to see the value in its educators, police officers, and firefighters—and pays them accordingly—then it begins to rebuild a strong public sector that underpins long-term stability and growth. This requires an economic shift away from exporting wealth and toward investing in human capital.
By devaluing educators, particularly those in fields that nurture critical thinking, such as history and philosophy, society seems to be embracing an instrumentalist view of education, where knowledge is valued primarily for its economic utility—a hallmark of neoliberalism—the undervaluation of essential public roles like teachers, police officers, and firefighters is emblematic of a broader societal crisis. These are the professions that uphold the very fabric of society, yet in modern economies like those of the UK and Canada, we find them underappreciated, both in terms of salary and social status.
This is in stark contrast to what these positions demand: they require not only high levels of competence but also immense responsibility and integrity. Yet, we treat them as merely part of the bureaucratic machine, subject to underfunding and austerity measures, while corporate sectors and financial markets extract vast wealth. As noted, this resembles the late stages of the Roman Republic, where societal roles that were once esteemed began to deteriorate under the weight of economic mismanagement and social inequity.
Investment bankers and similar roles often embody a system that emphasizes profit over people. While they may contribute to capital markets and financial systems, the reality is that their work does not provide tangible benefits to the broader society in the same way that educators, healthcare workers, and public servants do. A 2019 report by the OECD highlighted how much of the financial sector's activities do not contribute to real economic growth and instead foster speculative practices that can lead to instability(Statistics Canada). Investment banking often operates within a negative feedback loop: profits are generated primarily through fees and transactions rather than through creating long-term value or societal benefit. This creates a system where short-term gains take precedence over sustainable growth, leading to economic disparities and societal tension.
Moreover,
the real estate investment sector frequently exemplifies a predatory ‘slave-seeking’ society, that condones practices that undermine basic human rights,
particularly in the post-modern context.
While earlier societal issues included the aftermath of wars or the establishment of welfare states, today we grapple with the consequences of globalization, technological advancement, and the financialization of everyday life.
Civic Responsibility: A society that truly values its educators understands that their role extends beyond imparting knowledge; they shape civic responsibility and social consciousness. Historical figures like John Dewey advocated for education as a means of preparing individuals for active participation in democracy, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and historical awareness(Statistics Canada)(OCUFA).
Economic Models: The prevailing economic models must reflect the reality that society is interconnected. Educators, healthcare workers, and public servants are vital for the collective good, and yet their compensation does not reflect their importance. This disconnect breeds resentment and disengagement from public service, weakening the very foundation of society.
As housing prices soar, driven by speculative investments and a focus on profit, many individuals find themselves priced out of their homes. The National Low Income Housing Coalition states that there is a significant shortage of affordable housing across Canada, with many low-income families paying more than 30% of their income on housing(Statistics Canada). This issue is compounded by policies that favor developers over residents, allowing for further inequity.
On a psychological level, undervaluing these roles sends a message to society: those who serve the public are of lesser importance. This de-prioritization erodes social cohesion and leads to what can be termed a collective de-motivation. When teachers, police officers, and firefighters are not adequately rewarded, their work becomes a thankless task, leading to burnout, disillusionment, and a loss of the sense of public duty that these professions should ideally foster. In the long run, this leads to a society that doesn’t value education, safety, or even its own future.
The philosophical cost of this shift is enormous. When history teachers and humanities scholars are marginalized, society begins to lose its capacity for self-reflection. As George Santayana famously warned, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." When we ignore the lessons of history and undervalue the teachers who provide them, we fall into the trap of short-term thinking, where immediate economic gain is prioritized over long-term intellectual resilience.
From a psychological standpoint, the treatment of educators mirrors a society suffering from cognitive dissonance—a disconnect between what we claim to value and what we actually reward. Most people would agree that education is fundamental to a functioning democracy, a thriving economy, and a just society. Yet, when educators are paid poorly and treated as expendable, it suggests that society has internalized a different set of values—ones that prioritize immediate productivity over the cultivation of wisdom.
In the Roman Republic, the process of exporting wealth and consolidating power into the hands of a few became unsustainable. Landowners and political elites focused on consolidating resources, leaving much of the public infrastructure to rot, including the military, public services, and education. Soldiers—once honored citizens of Rome—became mercenaries, and public institutions deteriorated as the wealth was concentrated at the top, much like the wealth gap we see today.
In Canada, public sector wages are often restrained under the guise of budgetary control. Teachers, for instance, despite their critical role in shaping future generations, earn far less than their counterparts in the private sector, even though their job complexity demands no less skill. According to StatCan, the median salary for a full professor in Canada hovers between $143,000 and $230,000(Statistics Canada), but those starting their teaching careers face stagnant wages and often work under precarious contract conditions. Police officers and firefighters, too, while making above-average salaries, are rarely compensated to the degree that matches the risks and responsibilities they shoulder.
Why is this? Because our economic system places more value on capital gains and short-term financial returns than on the public good. In UK policy, for instance, the emphasis on fiscal austerity since the 2008 financial crisis has significantly undercut the pay and resources for essential workers. Canada has followed similar trends, prioritizing corporate tax cuts and global competitiveness over investment in its domestic workforce.
Similarly, in the UK and Canada, there’s a fixation on globalization and capital extraction, often prioritizing private profits over public welfare. The result? Underfunded public services, low wages for essential roles, and an inability to attract the best talent to positions like teaching, law enforcement, and firefighting—positions that demand the highest caliber of individuals. As with the Roman Republic, this can lead to long-term decline, as public institutions become weak, ineffective, and eventually unsustainable.
There is a psychological cost to undervaluing education. Maslow's hierarchy of needs teaches us that people need both esteem and self-actualization to thrive. Teachers, particularly those in less commercially viable disciplines like history, often find themselves in positions of low social esteem and economic insecurity. This leads to burnout, disillusionment, and the eventual erosion of talent in the field. Who will want to teach the lessons of the past when society doesn’t deem them worthy of support?
the idea of education as a business transaction and a method of control. This reflects a Foucauldian view of power, where control over knowledge—who gets to teach, what gets taught, and how it's valued—is a way of maintaining broader social hierarchies. If teachers are treated as commodities, and their fields of study are measured solely by their market value, then the narrative of history itself is at risk of being controlled by those with economic power.
This commodification reduces education from a public good to a private service, and the consequences are dire. When society stops valuing critical education, it becomes easier for authorities to shape narratives that benefit those in power, limiting the ability for future generations to question the status quo.
The long-term consequences of devaluing educators—particularly those in history and the humanities—extend far beyond the classroom. When society loses sight of its educators’ value, it creates a generation of citizens with limited historical consciousness, weak critical thinking skills, and increased susceptibility to propaganda.
Democracy Suffers: History teachers don't just impart dates and events; they contextualize current events within broader historical trends, fostering civic awareness. Devaluing this role risks weakening the very foundation of democracy—an informed and critical citizenry.
Cultural Amnesia: The result of underfunding and marginalizing educators is a society prone to cultural amnesia, where the lessons of the past are forgotten, leading to repeated mistakes in governance, economics, and ethics.
Economic Short-Termism: Finally, when education is reduced to a business transaction, the long-term benefits of intellectual growth are traded for short-term economic gains. This shift in focus contributes to a culture of short-termism, where immediate profit takes precedence over sustainable development, much like the environmental crisis we're facing now.
Ultimately, the devaluation of teachers reflects a society in crisis, where profit motives override public good. If we continue to ignore the philosophical and psychological importance of teachers—particularly those who teach history—we are effectively trading our collective future for short-term economic stability. A society that doesn’t remember its past, doesn’t value critical thinkers, and treats its educators as disposable is a society that will slowly unravel.
A society that prioritizes education over short-term profit stands a better chance of addressing the inequities and complexities of our modern world. If we can begin to shift our cultural narrative and economic policies, we can honor the foundational work of those who educate, protect, and serve, and ensure a sustainable, thriving future for all. If we want a future worth living in, we must elevate the role of educators to one of cultural stewards, guardians of democracy, and nurturers of wisdom—not just cogs in a neoliberal machine.
