I’ll let you into a secret. I have an ambition to complete a Ph.D. My husband has one, but I only have a BA in Literature and a Master of Arts in Education and so, consequently, when Gaby Monteiro at Canbury Press asked if I’d like to read the anonymously written The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University, I was intrigued. This might reveal more! My thanks to Gaby for sending me a copy in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Canbury on 28th March 2024, and distributed by Simon and Schuster, The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University is available for purchase through the links here.

The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University

Odd students, racist colleagues and inept administrators.

Rising business influence and crumbling academic freedom.

Absurdly wasteful corporate schemes and broken toilets.

Low student welfare, an unwillingness to fail anyone and an A+ explosion in cheating… 

For a decade, students and academics have been painfully aware of the deteriorating state of UK universities. But the public has only been able to glean anecdotal accounts about poor value for money, underwhelming lecturers, falling standards and creaking facilities.

Now, after a decade of frozen tuition fees, an anonymous academic presents a no-holds-barred account of life on campus.

My Review of The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University

A year in the life of an anonymous academic.

Goodness. I’m not sure if I loved or loathed this book. And that is not a criticism, but rather is a reflection of the narrative’s absolute strength because the frustration of working in HE is replicated in the reading of The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University. 

The author makes the reader think, forcing them to contemplate unpalatable truths, such as the impact of the nefarious financial sources underpinning today’s higher education (HE), and is perhaps as complicit as those he berates and accuses. I say this because The Secret Lecturer is predicated on the premise that no-one stands up to corruption, complacency and duplicity in HE. The evidence for this is presented with complete authenticity and a compelling argument, and yet the author remains anonymous – which feels rather akin to the very practice of refusing to accept responsibility that is so despaired of within the text. And yet, the reasons why the author has remained anonymous are valid and honourable – what’s the point of trying to change things from within the system if identifying yourself means you’ll be thrown out of that very system rendering yourself impotent? 

There’s incredible impact in this book because the nonsensical administration, the casual acceptance of corrupt or lazy practice, and the sheer frustration of those doing their best to counteract such things all feel sadly all too familiar. Reading The Secret Lecturer reinforces the feeling that we have lost our integrity in order to retain wealth and our own status and self-importance. 

But if this sounds unremittingly negative, then don’t be misled. The Secret Lecturer (both book and author) conveys a dry, ironic and often self-deprecating humour and considerable humanity, particularly through consideration of mental health, sexism and racism. There’s a real feeling that we ordinary folk are all in this together and if we support one another in subverting the ineffective status quo within institutions, not just HE, we can, and will, make a difference. I found the book enraged me, but it made me feel heard. The scenarios depicted are similar to those any of us might encounter. The Secret Lecturer speaks out on our behalf. So, whilst being enraged I was also inspired. As a result of this book I feel galvanised to do something, to speak up and to be proactive. 

As an aside, I loved the way the text has an index and references replicating scholarly research that the author so misses in many of his students’ and colleagues’ papers. It also made me wonder if I still hold my ambition to complete a Ph.D, but you’ll need to read the book to see why I might be doubting that concept now!

I found The Secret Lecturer fascinating. It’s pithy, political and revealing. It’s a book that will astonish some and feel all too familiar to others. I still don’t know if I enjoyed reading it, but I’m mightily glad I have. I urge you to read it too. At the very least The Secret Lecturer will entertain you, and in addition it may well surprise you, and it might just change your life! 

About The Secret Lecturer

The Secret Lecturer works in higher education at an undisclosed university in the UK. They’ve written this account to paint an accurate picture of university life and to question whether the status quo is in the long-term interests of students, staff, and the country.