DMcG,
Hear hear. Besides, it is very hard to define what the whole of the folk scene thinks, because there are so many opinions on the subject. I find that the majority of performers and audience care little how much anyone has studied, so I reckon it is OK to express the opinion that it is better to study, so everyone can think about it for a bit if they care to...
Also there is the idea that most folk music (trad music, anyway)is about continuity, and it can only enrich your understanding of the weight of experience behind the material and the old performers if you listen to all the generations available to you, including your own. Of course you don't have to.
cheers,
ec