It's a changing scene. Most of the teachers of photography belongs to the older generation. That is not meant as an offence. They are more orientated towards salon photography as said earlier. Salon is very strong in the Asian scene.
Many beginners start by admiring salon photos.
There is nothing wrong with that. The danger is when they are unable to look beyond salon-type photography. If there's any consolation, many of the up and coming young photographers I know are displaying more advant garde and modern experimental works. They are potentially the leaders of the next generation. We may move away from salon photography in five to ten years time.