Education should be free

The leveller of all humanity is without doubt education. Someone who has knowledge will have power over another individual especially when the knowledge is needed. However there is also a generalised advantage of being educated because knowledge can be adapted. An argument against this is we forget things anyway, so why waste money on education. What is important is not all knowledge is forgotten and the learning process stays with you. Another advantage is self confidence. For example, I have dabbled with spreadsheets, but I don't need to know a great deal about them, I've heard of a pivot table but don't know how to apply it. I am educated to a high level in statistics and forgotten a lot of it. However, I know in my self, if I apply myself I could pick up spreadsheets and how to use them to a higher level and even possibly apply statistical formula to large sets of data  competent spread sheet users would not understand. It's there, I know I got it hidden away in the recesses of my mind and will over time improve my spread sheet knowledge a little further, but I'm not particularly bothered.

Yet after secondary school in the UK knowledge comes at a cost. I believe Universities should be free and every educational subject under the sun taught for free in evening classes. Further none of it should be compulsory. Of course if there are failing students who are just there to stop getting on with their life they should be kicked out of classes.  The cost of free education would be the continued passing of exams. It is people who have the motivation to learn which matters.  School children should be given the choice to continue school from the age of 16 to 18 it should not be compulsory and in some circumstances I believe if they are 15 there could be special exception to allow them to leave. Unemployment benefits however, would not be free.  There would be a tailored regime for those who are unemployed.  Training in job application, training in interview techniques and if the failure of their getting a job is their own education then educational classes should become compulsory linked to their claims for benefits. There should be no free meal.  In any educational system though there would have to be exceptions allowed for the vulnerable, the disabled and those who need extra help.

Lastly the application of education needs to be thoroughly examined.  The serious question is, do teachers teach their subjects in a way which makes them understandable and can they be remembered?  There are both good and poor teachers, if the poor ones have students who continually fail then the poor teachers should be re trained or helped to find an alternative vocation.

The saddest thing about society is the number of individuals who don't recognise their own worth, the number of very intelligent people who sit and watch TVs, who play game consuls who have opinions on subjects but just don't have a little more knowledge to take their passions further.  Equally sad are those who just don't want to learn and want to condemn their selves to lives of boredom and have no interest in self improvement.  But education is not everything, some life occupations are highly important and just as respectful as the queen's.