Haydain Neale, 1970–2009
The Lee's Palace Mural is Dead! Long Live the Lee's Palace Mural!
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Rebuilding a Child's Paradise
A very clear message from the Council of Canadians on health care reform. At Bay, north of Dundas.
We had originally planned to write a sprawling account on the maintenance of free public health services - including the possible fines for private clinics and the provincial leadership-aspiring George Smitherman's warning of such fines - but we thought of the already omnipresent emphasis on the issue. It's such issue with such emphasis that perhaps we forget other issues. Like: Where are the billboards for the protection of lower tuition fees?
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Never really understood the tuition fee argument. The biggest cost of University isn't tuition, it's living expenses. And the less tuition students pay, the less that degree is worth...and have you seen what a 4-year Philosiphy B.A. is going for nowadays?
I don't think the CFS and tuition free protection groups can afford billboards. Also, the biggest cost of university education may be living expenses but keeping tuition fees low is one of the few ways to help ALL students (grants might be one other way) but because people have different living arrangements it would be tough to create public policy that targets students.
Also, I take issue with you statement that cheaper tuition means your degree is worth less. Does this mean that in Germany where tuition is virtually free their degrees are worth nothing? Of course not. The worth of the degree is relative to what the market demand is for the degree (one of the arguments that the govt in ontario used to charge market rates for some programs). Keep in mind that the number of degrees granted each year is controlled by the number of seats the government wants to fund.
Brad has a point about the value of an undergrad degree if it is cheap.
I believe that an educated society is better for everyone and so I believe that university should be as cheap as possible. However, if most people have a degree, then that degree isn't worth much when it comes time to getting into a career.
But price is not the only thing that can add value.
Make university really fucking tough.
That way it is a true meritocracy and those who really work hard can get through it and graduate. Just a thought.
there aren't many jobs that judge you on your 4-year philosophy degree (i know, i have one of those). even if you have an economics degree from harvard - which presumably comes at a very high price - i think you should still have to work work work at the outset of your career. i feel like people graduate with a warped sense of entitlement because their degree.
furthermore, as much as a truth it is in canada, i've always disliked the "value" idea for education. UCC high school students are much smarter, U of T is superior to lakehead, blah blah. i don't think money has a place in education - definitely not to the degree brad is talking about.
I live at home, so my living expenses are low or otherwise covered by my parents. If you live near the university of your choice and still move out for no reason other than pride or some misguided sense of independence (a job would be more practical), that's your choice, and nobody is going to compensate you for it. There are a lot of people who move out because of necessity, but a lot move out for frivolous reasons and then complain about cost.
"And the less tuition students pay, the less that degree is worth." Or, you make your degree worthwhile through development of critical thinking and an intellectual work ethic. University is where you go to learn the art of learning. People who learn faster are what you might call "smart".
In any case, nice fi ligature!
"Make university really fucking tough."
Yeah. That would be cool. I had to work wayyyy harder at CEGEP(free) in QC than I did for my undergrad degree(expensive) here in ON. Guess which experience I value more?
University grads need to realize learning doesn`t end at graduation.