For those of you who didn't know, there was a state-wide rally in the UC system protesting the 32% fee increase approved in November of last year. I noticed one protester who had a sign which said "Education, It's a Right!" and this got me thinking--is education (higher education in this case) a privilege or a right?
In America, we'd like to think that it is a right, but in many parts of the world education is a great privilege reserved for the rich or very lucky. I found a short article about a man who lived in Belize with his 3 kids. The children's caretaker, who was only twenty-one, constantly told the kids how lucky they were to be going to school and getting an education. He never had that privilege.
Education protestors would argue that though education is not yet accessible for everyone, it is still, nevertheless, a basic human right. Furthermore, this article by a Democratic Socialist group argues that the rising cost of education in western countries perpetuates a environment of separation between the educated and uneducated. And even those that are able to work while going to school are still limited in what jobs they can pursue after they graduate because of their large student debt.
I think most of us can agree that primary school (K-12) should be a right for everyone, does the same apply to secondary (college and beyond) schools? Though there are many forms of financial aid out there, I am sure there are still thousands of students who must skip school because of the money. Should the government be obligated to subsidize education more? What do you guys think?
Oh, and here's the article by the Daily Nexus about the rally.
