To every person on earth, education is the most important element of living in modern society. Knowing how to read, write, calculate and speak are all necessary skills needed to function in this world. These are all things that we need to be taught and the education system provides it, for a hefty price.
British Columbia should provide free tuition to post-secondary students to reduce student debt’s and increase the well-being of BC residents.
“Access to education is not a privilege, it’s a right,” according to the Global Partnership for Education. “Educating children no matter where they are is one of the biggest steps we can take toward ending extreme poverty.” But, if education truly is a right and not a privilege, why is tuition so expensive?
“Student loan debt in the U.S. has reached a staggering $1.2 trillion, and the average graduate will have to repay more than $35,000,” says NJ Lechnir, “high tuition allows colleges to “shape” their student bodies.” Doing this means institutions can essentially select which students they do and don’t want, however, this doesn’t discourage students from going to school, it only makes their debt’s even higher.
“I went to graduate school in 2001. It was the greatest mistake I have ever made,” says Denise from Seward, “I also chose not to have a family because I simply cannot afford it, and I am never home because I have to work two jobs.”
If education is a right and not just a privilege, access to it shouldn’t be ruining lives. We can change that here in British Columbia. Many European countries already provide free tuition such as Norway, Germany and Finland. Plenty of students from North America choose to study in these countries rather than at home to avoid the costs of tuition and student debt.
“In Finland, education is regarded as a fundamental right and the Finnish education policy emphasizes equal opportunities for all,” according to the University of Eastern Finland.
Free tuition in British Columbia would profoundly change the North American education system. The students that work through the system would graduate looking into the future with bright eyes, not in fear of their debt’s massive shadow over them. For the sake of our students lives, it’s time to extradite the absurd prices over education and become a bit more like Finland.
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