Is_Free_University_Education_for_All_a_Right_or_a_Privilege_

Is free university education for all a right or a privilege' In this essay I will look to understand both arguments for and against university education being a right or a privilege. A right is something that all people in the country have. Whereas a privilege is only for certain people usually people with a lot of money. What’s wrong with saying that higher education should be a right then' Isn’t that something everyone would agree on' Well actually, not one of the UK’s main political parties does. Even Labour, who are opposing the tuition fee hike, are not suggesting that education is something that everyone should be entitled to without incurring any cost. They want students to pay a graduate tax instead, and pay for their university experience in that way. So there’s no major political party saying that higher education should be a right and therefore freely available with no personal costs. On the other hand, many agree education is a privilege. They argue some people don't want to get an education and they would waste valid places on courses, and university should be a privilege for the students who work hard and get the grades to get into uni not to students who fail but still get into a uni as it is a ‘right’. Also most children can't afford an education. So therefore education is considered a privilege for those who can't afford an education. Many people think all people have a right to an education, but many throw it away. George Washington stated that in order for a democracy to work it needed an educated population and he stressed that education should be available for all. One of the better things about the United States is that there has been an affordable education for all people, so it is seen as more of a right. If we’re saying that Education is a right in the context of higher education we are saying that university education is something that people are universally entitled to regardless of their circumstances. Evidently, this isn’t the case. There is no automatic entitlement to a higher education in the UK. Firstly, you have to be willing to take on the debt/able to afford the fees. You also have to have an application which is impressive enough to get a place at a UK university. So it certainly doesn’t seem to be true that education is a right. Although if education in a university is free, therefore making it a right, it will encourage individuals to pursue more of what they can become. This is far more different from a paid university which only promotes financial problems to students at their young age. And worse, if a student can’t afford to pay for a higher education, he/she will be forced to discontinue his/her studies and settle for less. Furthermore, the society will benefit from having a free university. Socially, it will increase the number of individuals who are highly capable and well-informed in their chosen fields this will produce a more competent workers and individuals. This will not just help increase the production of work but also increase the number of individuals who are able to attain a degree in higher education may in turn be educators in the future, sharing their knowledge to others. Many people argue people are free to pursue an education as they so choose once they pass the compulsory years of public of education; but beyond that, post-secondary education comes at great personal price in terms of money and workload. If post-secondary education was a right then we'd have more university graduates than we do and so many households wouldn't have the burden of rising tuition rates because the government could take care of it. Increasing numbers of people are claiming education is a privilege, they argue; education is treated as little more than a product; to be snapped up by those most able to pay. Bit by bit, the principle of free education has been replaced by the notion that students are ‘consumers’ who should pay for the benefit they get from studying. Education is then either a privilege or a right. It can’t be both. If it is a right, society via taxation pays and society reaps the benefits. If education is a privilege then individuals pay for their own training and after they’ve completed their training only those who can afford their services will be able to benefit. Many people see this as the most logical way of looking at the arguments. As a sixth student going to university in the next few years, I obviously don't think that fees are the best thing in the world, but I can understand the necessity of it. The unfairness of it comes from people from poorer backgrounds potentially having lower fees. As someone whose parents have a relatively average income, I think it is unfair for everyone else to pay extra to subsidise their education! Surely parents don't pay for university anyway, and as few students have much income, all students will theoretically be in the same boat when they start. University education should be a privilege for those who are prepared to work hard enough to pay it off.