The Pros And Cons Of Post Secondary Education

In societies all around the world, young adults today - from all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds - are feeling the pressure to pursue a post secondary education as much has they have in previous generations. This is often the influence of those individuals who have taught us everything that we know up to this point; parents, teachers, government figures, scholars, and even celebrities. It is at this time in our lives when we must begin to analyze certain elements of a post secondary education, like what is the purpose, who benefits from an individual’s education, and who should pay for it? The answers to these and other related questions will vary between societies, between nations, and between individuals. How we perceive the objectives
This topic is addressed in many different ways all around the world, as individual countries vary on the political spectrum from one another. For example, many of the Scandinavian countries provide post secondary education at little to no cost; in North America, we see significant variances in the cost of university between Canada and the US, with the States implementing much higher costs than here. There are pros and cons to be considered for both extremes. On one hand, students in countries that provide education are likely to be less stressed about the costs associated with school, but taxation rates in those countries are typically much higher. On the other hand, students that are required to pay for their own education are more likely to apply themselves and do well in their studies, though the extreme costs make it unavailable to many people. In Canada, specifically Alberta, as mentioned in previous lectures, university students pay around 25% of the operating costs of their postsecondary institution. When all is said and done, this still accumulates to a substantial amount of money that puts most of us into debt for many years. However, I think that this requirement holds great value as an incentive to do well in school and become a well educated citizen. I also think that with the remainder of the funds coming largely from government taxation, it exemplifies not only the value that governments and societies place on education, but also the support that post secondary students can know they are receiving. University is an investment into the future, and everyone is an investor in a democratic socialist country like Canada. Since post secondary education is not mandatory, I think it is only fair to ask that students contribute to the cost of their own future, as well as the future of their