View Poll Results: Should University Education be Free?

Voters
25. You may not vote on this poll
  • Yes 100%

    8 32.00%
  • Only certain courses should be free

    3 12.00%
  • It should be means tested on parents ability to pay

    5 20.00%
  • It should be paid back by future increased earnings

    5 20.00%
  • There should be cap on the highest fees

    2 8.00%
  • Let the market decide

    2 8.00%
Like Tree29Likes

Should University be free for everyone?

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    猴山
    Posts
    23,652

    Should University be free for everyone?

    In the recent past only a small proportion of society went to University. It was free.

    The people that went were predominantly from richer families but obviously some from poorer backgrounds also benefited from a free education.

    Times have changed...

    A much higher number of people go to university as economies turn to thinking based economies. This has led to a rise in tuition fees in some countries often with criteria on minimum wages to be achieved before payback - essentially this is a tax on the rich and successful.

    Some would argue that much like public health systems that carry out the basic stuff for everyone but stays away from the super expensive drugs as they have a negative impact overall so the government should concentrate on the whole of society and put resources into the education everyone does, or perhaps like Singapore where more money is spent on continuing education and skills enhancement throughout working life.

    Should university fee be free, or?


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    14,624
    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    In the recent past only a small proportion of society went to University. It was free.

    The people that went were predominantly from richer families but obviously some from poorer backgrounds also benefited from a free education.

    Times have changed...

    A much higher number of people go to university as economies turn to thinking based economies. This has led to a rise in tuition fees in some countries often with criteria on minimum wages to be achieved before payback - essentially this is a tax on the rich and successful.

    Some would argue that much like public health systems that carry out the basic stuff for everyone but stays away from the super expensive drugs as they have a negative impact overall so the government should concentrate on the whole of society and put resources into the education everyone does, or perhaps like Singapore where more money is spent on continuing education and skills enhancement throughout working life.

    Should university fee be free, or?
    Free (or a very small registration fees) like France.

    Education is a right, not a luxury.
    Skyhook and hullexile like this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    6,452

    That depends. While I'm in favor of everybody having free education, it would probably lead to more mediocre people getting useless degrees like gender studies and liberal arts.

    MandM! and shri like this.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    930

    And worse.

    There's no such thing as free. Just a question of who pays the price.

    British universities slip down world rankings as experts blame pressure to admit more disadvantaged students 


  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by mrgoodkat:
    That depends. While I'm in favor of everybody having free education, it would probably lead to more mediocre people getting useless degrees like gender studies and liberal arts.
    Actually, if the government pays, they want an ROI on their investment, so they ensure that those who study end up in a program that brings returns. Often times free means less choice.
    East_coast likes this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    6,317

    If it's free then wouldn't it be more competitive and difficult to get into.

    There needs to be fees so serious people are attending.


  7. #7

    This

    Quote Originally Posted by MandM!:
    If it's free then wouldn't it be more competitive and difficult to get into.
    contradicts this.

    Quote Originally Posted by MandM!:
    There needs to be fees so serious people are attending.
    If it's more difficult to get in, people who get in are more likely to be more serious. In a fee-based system, they usually accept many first-year students, class sizes of 100 students, then hope for a large chunk to drop out.

  8. #8

    I think both are fine, a free or heavily subsidized fee-based system. Germany does well in the former, Canada does well in the latter.


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    930

    No such thing as government pays of course as it's the public's money taken from them.

    Parallels with immigration, where society has a shortage of a certain type of graduate, make it free, otherwise it's up to the purchaser.

    East_coast likes this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    猴山
    Posts
    23,652
    Quote Originally Posted by Ern:
    No such thing as government pays of course as it's the public's money taken from them.

    Parallels with immigration, where society has a shortage of a certain type of graduate, make it free, otherwise it's up to the purchaser.
    Unfortunately the people who decide if it will be free will not be technocrats but politicians.

    Also a sliding scale. Lawyers pay is too high so those courses should be free?
    Ern likes this.

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 LastLast