Originally posted by littleone
Muzby, the fact that you are actually engaging in this discussion does make you different, how many laywers, engineers, doctors etc would actually be concerned enough to talk about this topic.
*Bite*
I think you might be surprised at how many "professionals" are on this board, Littleone
I'm assuming by generalising about "laywers, doctors, engineers" you mean white collar workers whom society perceives as earning lots of dollars??? THat money is a major decider in what courses people select? And in choosing to go to uni ingeneral??
For starters - I'd be infinately better off, financially, i think, if i had left school at 16 and taken up a trade.
My friends who are tradeys are coming up to 30 and all are sitting pretty. Yes, they are all very good at what they do, and have sound business minds to back up their practical skill. And a lot of them are going into tertiary study. Why? - because they want to learn. not for the money, or the prestige.
I'll use medicine as an example becasue let's face it, the vast majority of people will stereotype a med student.
The breakdown - about 70% of students have mum/dad pay their uni fees up front. maybe a quarter of them worked during uni (i remove working summer months for your dad etc etc)
And around 30% are using HECS to get into uni.
Of that 30%, I'd say most of them were working between casual/part time to survive whilst studying.
Me - HECS, multiple jobs. Without HECS there is no way i would have been at uni.
Do i think education should be free - no. I won't give the "who will pay for it" approach, but rather say this - i feel HECS provides you with an education opportunity. It is a burden once you start working, but it IS affordable and doesn't debilitate your earnings, really.
What i would be concerned about with FREE education is that proportion of uni students with the drive and motivation to learn would be lower. Uni would become far too "easy". This is already a problem, i feel, with the upper socio-economic denomination, where students finish school and "go to uni", simply becasue it is the done thing. they don't know what they want to do. they just exist there for a few years.
my parents didn't finish high school. they were shocked when i told them i was enrolling in university. dad just figured i'd be an electrician, as i loved playing with electonics
With regard to our generation being "less cultured - i strongly doubt that this is true. Look at the students when university was free. look at where they are now. Are they any better for it? Is society any better for it??
I'll come up with some constructive arguments (that haven't been drummed up before by "conservative politicians") when i'm not at work and have a chance to think
Originally posted by muzby
but yes, sorry, as you were asking me... i'd like fries with that thanks...
Touche.