The topic of "university" education is up for discussion today.
My concern with education is that it is not designed around life-long learning of the individual but is instead biased toward government and (especially) corporate objective. In other words, given able and free education toward consumer choices, would the education system be radically different from what we have now?
For example, would we have far greater numbers of dance, music, and arts schools? Would we have schools teaching social progress and development? Would we have more trades-trained adults? I do not know but I have a sense that talent development and consumer choice are being poorly represented by education, and especially higher education.
Yes, I am conceptualizing publically-funded, consumer-driven, privately supplied education. Essentially free education but within existing budget (no new money).
Private money would still be injected into the education system. Right now about $10 billion is injected from corporate sources into the university system. I would expect this to continue but perhaps from a wider variety of companies and for a greater multiplicity of purpose as educational institutions competing for consumer dollars would be more representative of Canadian society.
I can see, for example, the evolution of a Tar Sands College, or a Wind Power Generation School, or a Music Video University. Public priorities according to the desires of people, not of commerce or government.
Life long learning to me means meeting the needs and priority choices of people at all stages of life and circumstance.
And people, through public funding, are empowered to vote for the education they need with their consumer dollar.
Supporting the priorities of people instead of corporations seems more green, to me. And isn't that the objective?
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Life-long Learning
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Bravo, I have been calling for open-access and publicly funded post-secondary education, training, etc. for the longest time. You know what I get in response most of the time? People won't appreciate their education if it's free. Or: We don't need liberal arts education.
ReplyDeleteThose would be the typical responses.
I have gone through such a system, and it was great, and even Scotland recently abolished tuition fees.
The Saskatchewan government has slashed increases to provincial regional library systems over their 15 years of governing, leaving library systems unable to maintain services or pay for new computer equipment to replace old systems off warranty. The CAP program was cut back this year, and the Cons. cut Lifelong Learning funding at the federal level. It's essential communities have libraries to educate and socialize people. Without them, Walmart becomes the cultural center for a city.
ReplyDeleteThat is why we need Genuine Progress Indicator driven taxes at federal and provincial levels of government. If the tax cut does not raise GPI then it would not be enacted. Similarly, a new tax must raise GPI. Some would say all tax increases must be balanced by tax decreases ... fine by me. Note that it is a win-win scenario.
ReplyDeleteSounds like great green policy to me.