Education : Should It Be Free?

         Image Credit: istockphotos

Today, education is not only a basic requirement for a student, but it is also a requirement for a decent standard of living. Countries like Germany, Norway, and Sweden have had a free education system for many years. Well, did it ever pop up in your mind that education should be free of cost everywhere? Let us discuss whether education should be free

Do you often come across people in your life who always question every child they meet, "What do you wish to be in the future"? Does this question resonate with you? It’s a powerful impact that education has in building the future of anyone and everyone. We humans subconsciously correlate good education with a decent lifestyle.

You can call it a fair game when education becomes free of cost. Even today, the poor cannot take any advantage of our education system and the obvious reason is the lack of financial aid. Degrees, schools, and colleges are only available to the middle and upper classes. If education becomes free of cost, many smart but poor children will have access to good learning, which will make a big percentage of the population financially secure.

Paying off an educational loan is the biggest nightmare that haunts most middle-class parents. Many crucial years for a middle-class student go into paying off his educational loan debt. Imagine being free of this stressor; free education will be a lifeline for many, many such people.

Furthermore, students who manage to pay for their education but later decide to drop out will soon have the option of continuing their education once their education is free. The government and public schools will no longer be the only options for the poor. Graduation and post-graduation are something that even the underprivileged will aim for.

                                

 Image Credit: istockphotos

 You remember how you were so excited to take that technical course but had to put it off because it would cost you thousands of dollars? I remember I wanted to pursue an image consultant course which I had to give up as the fee was more than INR 3 lacs, of which 50% of the fee was to be paid upfront.

Education should be free so that people like you and me can easily pursue the courses we've always dreamt about. Soon, we will see our dream of pursuing our passion come to reality. What more do we want?

A country like India will witness a drop in crime rates. Also, if you have ever observed that if you have basic education, you will stay away from most of the family drama, gossip, or unwanted quarrelsome fights. That is the power of education. It gives you a sense of the wisdom of what to ignore and what to welcome in your day-to-day life.

We will see more graduates in the coming years, which will create more employment. India will be more balanced financially, as these graduates will earn a decent amount of money and have more money to spend. For a tricky question like education should be free? All of the statements above provide satisfactory answers.

Now let's look at the downside. We know nothing comes free. If it is free education, the government is the one who pays for it. Finally, citizens will end up paying higher taxes to compensate for the same thing.

Yes, you will agree with me here. When we have bills to pay, we have a stronger sense of responsibility and we live a more disciplined life. The value of anything is higher when it has a price attached to it.

So, finally, should education be free? Yes, education should be free, at least up to graduation. It will bring in huge employment for the nation and, in turn, further improves the economy. It is every child's basic right that you can ask for.