A fascinating story with the title, University students are struggling to read entire books. Books are so slow motion, and require such concentration, why should anyone be surprised? But there were two bits at the end that addd to the pleasure of the story. First, there was this from someone who was described as “chair of Universities UK’s mental well-being working group”:

“I think most students do thoroughly enjoy the challenge of reading,” said Ms Francis. “I remember having to read Derrida and thinking I’d lost the plot – but these materials are supposed to be engaging and difficult.”

Yes, lost the plot, but more to the point how distorted a worldview must ultimately arrive if you finally think you have unscrambled Derrida. In fact, it leads very nicely into the very last quote in the article:

Lizzy Kelly, a history student at Sheffield added: “Students might be more inclined to read what academics want them to if our curricula weren’t overwhelmingly white, male and indicative of a society and structures we fundamentally disagree with because they don’t work for us.”

Our future leaders. She already knows at 19 what is best. A history student, yet, with no sense of history. Why she even needs to go to a university is beyond me.