Often, the cost of education can seem alarming. It can be a major factor for a student who is thinking about whether to continue with their education. The good news is that there are fee-free education options in some circumstances.
The Potential Growth of Free Education Across the Globe
For instance, students in Queensland can get help with fees in certain circumstances. In some other countries across the world, access to all higher education is free for students. In many other countries, the argument for fee-free education is growing. So, what is the current situation with global free education and is it always the answer?
Countries where free education is a right
There are more than 80 countries across the world where higher education is apparently provided free of charge. However, “free” does not always mean completely free from cost. While Scandinavian countries, Germany, Cuba, and Argentina do provide completely free study to students, other countries make related charges or only provide free education to the best students.
There is a growing demand for more countries to open educational opportunities to all by removing fees and charges.
The benefits of free education
There are several potential benefits to be had from the state taking responsibility for the cost of education, as opposed to students having to pay. These benefits include:
- Availability of education for all. This means that every individual in the country who wants access to education can get it.
- The country showing that the public good is of utmost concern. This is something that most international governments would want to have as an advantage.
- Increased learning potential for the population, improving innovation and productivity in the country. This is an important advantage for a country as it can help its economy to grow.
- A reduction in the perception of inequalities in society. These perceived inequalities can cause uncertainty and unrest, so reducing the perception benefits everyone.
These are all benefits which apply when the state provides free education for students. As you can see, many of these benefits apply to the whole country and not just the individual. However, there is still a reluctance to provide free education in many countries. So, why is this the case?
The downside of free education
As mentioned earlier in this article, not all “free” education is completely free. Different systems can lead to inequalities, such as only the best students not having to pay
In reality, completely free education is costly to the state, hence the reluctance to commit. It’s also not been proven that countries with free education benefit from a better-educated population. In addition, free education systems can often hide a lack of efficiency and quality.
Having said all of this, in countries like Germany, the free education system does seem to work. There is no easy answer but there is definitely a global demand for education which is free of charge.
It remains to be seen what the future of fee-free education is but availability is at the center of discussions worldwide.
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