[user104658]

Originally Posted by Brillopad

Personally I think education is generally expensive but perhaps; if they don’t already, they could link the cost of specific courses to the average earning potential in their particular areas so some courses are more expensive than others. But basically if people want to be high earners they need to pay for the education that will help provide that in my opinion.

Thisnis what really confuses me; the fact that all courses have basically the same (the maximum) fee when the actual content obviously doesn't have the same cost? For example, I've studied a (ridiculous) tonne of things at University. English language and literature, philosophy, psychology, politics, economics, computer science... And many of the courses just aren't comparable if they were to be taken to degree level. For example, philosophy and English literature are VERY light on class time for obvious reasons; a lot of the course is reading, writing essays, and self driven study and that's how it should be and the only way it can be. On the flip side, Computer Science involves dozens of hours of lab time per week, lots of tutorial and face time with staff, access to expensive equipment and software, etc. Psychology, economics, politics fall somewhere in the middle. It doesn't really make sense that a year's tuition for a self driven study course like Philosophy, and a year's tuition for a heavy technical course like CompSci, have the same tuition fee.

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Thisnis what really confuses me; the fact that all courses have basically the same (the maximum) fee when the actual content obviously doesn't have the same cost? For example, I've studied a (ridiculous) tonne of things at University. English language and literature, philosophy, psychology, politics, economics, computer science... And many of the courses just aren't comparable if they were to be taken to degree level. For example, philosophy and English literature are VERY light on class time for obvious reasons; a lot of the course is reading, writing essays, and self driven study and that's how it should be and the only way it can be. On the flip side, Computer Science involves dozens of hours of lab time per week, lots of tutorial and face time with staff, access to expensive equipment and software, etc. Psychology, economics, politics fall somewhere in the middle. It doesn't really make sense that a year's tuition for a self driven study course like Philosophy, and a year's tuition for a heavy technical course like CompSci, have the same tuition fee.

It is ridiculous that courses with different earning potentials and different levels of content and related expense cost the same. We agree on that at least. I see no valid reason why different types of courses should all cost the same and any government in charge should exercise common sense and look into that.

No doubt some will say the government do so deliberately for monatory gain, maybe so, but to me with the other issues in this country, that would not be on my list of priorities personally, although to others that would not be the case. I do not however agree that free education at that level should be free for all. It is a priviledge not a right.