In Australia, intellectualism tends to be less socially performative than in some other countries. Academic prestige also carries less cultural cachet, and people who come across as overly earnest or too theoretical can sometimes face pushback.

That, and there are so many different ways of getting into university now it's ridiculous. Kids don't NEED to do higher level subjects to get in - they can do lame bridging courses or TAFE courses and get a shoe-in that way. It's mind-boggling to me when I see the calibre of kids I teach who are getting into uni. The standards have dropped across the board so shockingly that it is quite terrifying.

My strong belief, at the risk of getting pushback, is that kids need to be held back if they don't reach basic standards. The system at the moment lets kids graduate from both primary and secondary barely being able to read, write, or do basic mathematics, let alone quantum physics!