Education – Whose Responsibility?

I found myself agreeing with the Senator of Oklahoma who on a television interview said this week, that education, law and order, national security are some the key things that a Government should be responsible for. Tom Coburn thinks proper funding in the US for education should be provided by the government and that  funding education via a lottery undermines virtue. I agree, as I can think of girls turning to lap dancing and such to pay their university fees.

 

Funding the arts and saving failing banks should not the responsibility of  Government. I completely agree with Senator Tom Corburn when he said  what should have been done was  was a social safety net put in place by the governments in the US and Europe  and to have allowed the casino bankers to have gone bust. Now what

our hapless – or complicit governments, who did not think the whole thing through have done, is create a huge debt for us and for future generations.

 

So in order to generate income they want to run the education system like a business and saddle students with huge debts like they have currently under the US education system. American university students leave university with a debt of a staggering $120,000 (dollars) on average! This is what our UK and other EU governments now want to follow.

Lisbon Student Protest

 

Education is not a business. It is an investment in the future of a country. A well educated population will generate economic wealth as well as create social harmony. So it the responsibility of a government to educate it's population.

 

 

 

While Education is not a Business,  I understand that a Government's budget is not infinite.

Education is not a Business

 

Have a look at this poster below from the London 2010 protests. The placard say 'Defend Every Course, Job an Service'.

London 2010 Student Protest

This is nonsense. While I want University education to be broadly free, I do think we have to wean out some worthless degrees like degrees in 'Media Studies' and 'Rock Stars'.

 

Today, in the UK many organizations cannot find graduates with the relevant science based degrees. At the risk of sounding like I am calling for the re-introduction of Salazar's elitist policies, I think degrees that provide students with real skills in the work place and for doing cutting edge scientific research should be promoted and be free of charge to students with capability. If someone wants a degree in 'Media Studies' let them pay for it themselves or do something else like a diploma that an employer would want. It was a mistake getting rid of our polytechnics..