Category: Education

A Contract For Americans (3/10)

Public University Education For All – Trade Schools Included

We’ve gone more than a century with compulsory, free public education being made for all. The benefits of an educated public are too numerous to mention. But there are plenty of people out there who’ve studied this.

This article fleshes out a Top Ten list:

  1. Creating More Employment Opportunities
  2. Securing a Higher Income
  3. Developing Problem-Solving Skills
  4. Improving The Economy
  5. Providing a Prosperous and Happy Life
  6. Giving Back to the Community
  7. Creating a Modern Society
  8. Bridging the Borders
  9. Creating Equal Opportunities
  10. Introducing Empowerment

Some of the above “Duh..”-level but you can dig deeper and find more unexpected benefits. This article has a list that overlaps the previous one but also includes:

  • Healthier lifestyle (and longer lifespan)
  • Experimentation and Diversity
  • Socializing and Networking
  • Pursuing Your Passion
  • Personal Skill Development
  • Environmental and Social Benefits

There are SO many ways that education benefits people – but that last one above – Social Benefits? This article (again, while overlapping some) points out some more benefits that should make the news:

  • Overall Poverty Reduction
  • Discourages Crime
  • Reduces gender-based violence
  • Reduces child marriage
  • Reduces maternal death rates.

And that’s just the start.

So it begs the question… Ages ago, we decided that primary school wasn’t enough and we funded education for all through high school. Now, 70 years ago, you could get a decent job with a high school education – but that’s not the ticket it used to be. You need a college education – or so we’re told. Personal experience has shown me that trade schools should be included in that. We may need more doctors, nurses and engineers, but we don’t need more MBAs. What we DO need are more carpenters, auto mechanics, electricians, plumbers, general contractors and the like.

So why are we not paying for college? We have public universities in every state. It used to be easy to pay for college – but not anymore. We have 4 times more student loan debt than auto loan debt. Remember the cries over all the credit card debt we have? Student loan debt is more than TWICE as much. ….and it’s not getting any better. And it doesn’t get easier for students once they get out because:

  • Graduates are usually just starting their careers and make well under the average salary – so the debt burden is high – like carrying a mortgage except you don’t have a house backing it up.
  • Even bankruptcy won’t help. Students with private student loans were stripped of their bankruptcy protection in 2005. (Federal student loans became non-dischargeable in 1976)

Why are we burdening our most inexperience but promising young workers with debt? The idea would be ludicrous for elementary, middle and high-school. Now, with so many other countries providing free public university education, it’s ludicrous now, here, in what’s supposed to the Greatest Nation on Earth.

So over the past few years, a few people started pushing the idea. It started to gain traction when Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders started promoting it.  Free tuition at public (not private) universities.  Radical?  Not if you live in Europe.  Germany and almost 40 other countries offer their citizens free (or almost free) university educations (sometimes there are some small fees). There are even 9 countries which will let Americans attend for free or with a nominal fee. Think about that. Germany, France and Iceland will do, for OUR kids what WE WILL NOT DO!

But what about here?  Would it work here?  IT ALREADY HAS.

California used to offer free tuition to it’s in-state students.  This was their policy until the 1970s.  Some colleges in New York were also free – again, into the 1970s.

Sanders said we could pay for this program by instituting a 0.5% tax on stock trades.  How much would that be?  Well, it could raise $350 BILLION per year over the next several years.  That pays for a LOT of college.  And the impact?  You’re talking about $5 for every $1000 worth of stocks, bonds or derivatives traded.  A small price to pay to have more engineers and doctors paying into Social Security versus “gig economy extras”.

That we are trying to profit off of our children is CRIMINAL. That we are stifling their opportunity based on an ability to pay is REPREHENSIBLE. And we only hurt our country in the process.