I attended a private school, so I accept that they can charge $60,000 a year or any price they want to. I see the school as a business. You pay for the services and opportunities they provide.
While a college education is often crucial for success in the workplace, that doesn't mean that everyone should be guaranteed a college education or that it should come easily to everyone.
I stopped reading at this point.
That's a terrible way of thinking for a society. Education is the main way how someone can climb up in the social "ranks". So, if you make education only accessible for rich people (a mid class citizen could NEVER pay 60 000$ for a year of university, that's ridiculous), you keep the other part of the society getting more and more poor. And that's horrible for a society. An accessible education for EVERYONE means more high incomes tax payers, a longer life expectancy for the population, less ill people, less people on social programs, etc. And there are studies to prove all those points.
Don't wonder why the USA population has such a low life expectancy, if you compare it to other "rich" countries. They have really important issues when it comes to social equality.
The comments on the article makes me want to puke. Just make me more confident on how different we are than all the rest of the Canada.
We are NOT the rest of Canada, we are NOT the United States. We value social equality for everyone. We have the most generous social programs in North America. We are not selfish. We all pay high taxes to provide those social programs, to make everyone live in a better place. We want everyone to have a chance of getting a good education and having a successful life.
We are the province of Québec!
The rest of Canada can keep on voting for Harper, who is destroying democracy, culture and everything that the Canada tried to build in the past decades. Barely no one voted for him here..
The comments on the article makes me want to puke. Just make me more confident on how different we are than all the rest of the Canada.
We are NOT the rest of Canada, we are NOT the United States. We value social equality for everyone. We have the most generous social programs in North America. We are not selfish. We all pay high taxes to provide those social programs, to make everyone live in a better place. We want everyone to have a chance of getting a good education and having a successful life.
We are the province of Québec!
The rest of Canada can keep on voting for Harper, who is destroying democracy, culture and everything that the Canada tried to build in the past decades. Barely no one voted for him here..
Harper
While I agree for the most part, Quebec is in no position to be bragging about anything Fadi. The roads the healthcare etc..
But take pics and post please! Did you submit an itenerary in accordance with la loi spéciale?
Are they doing Old Montreal and Place des Arts again?
What you're saying in the first line of this paragraph is extremely elitist. Everyone pays income taxes, therefore everyone is entitled to the same quality of services. You can't just make things easier on people because they had the fortune of being born with a trust fund.
I'm not so big on this idea of entitlement. Sometimes, I think it is taken too far. People start to believe that they are increasingly entitled to more and more things. I believe this mentality often leads to laziness.
When I read about these protests, I think about my mother who funded her education (undergraduate and masters degree) on her own when her parents thought that it was not necessary for a woman from Iran to get an education. She had no financial support from her family, but she thought an education was important so she strived to pay for her own education. If there are limitations in life, you work around them. She didn't simply protest why she couldn't get things more easily and ask others to accommodate her. She worked hard in order to achieve her goals.
Quote:
Originally posted by Patri
An education is an investment, on behalf of the student and of the society. When is a well-educated society a risk? Maybe to a corrupt government, or a group trying to keep a population ignorant. Otherwise, investing in education only helps raise the standard of living of any specific place.
Having a degree and what you make of it are two different things. Your friend could've had a GPA of 0.5 for all I know, what does it matter? Companies are looking for more well-rounded employees and while that piece of paper called a degree won't be enough to secure you a job, it is essential to even be considered for an interview.
As for a "risk," I meant a financial risk. You hope that the investment will be worthwhile, but it's not guaranteed.
There are many things that have become essential, but that does not mean that people are automatically entitled to them. I think access to affordable healthcare is important and should be available to more people. I see that as a different need than obtaining a college degree to meet the requirements/expectations of the job market.
Quote:
Originally posted by Patri
What does that change? The article says it's more of an ideological issue than an economic one. Sure, there are many people (myself included) who won't be affected by this hike but that doesn't mean it's right.
It reflects the things people value and are willing to pay for. The cost of an iPhone or smartphone over a year is at least $1400. That's nearly the same price as tuition for one semester (according to the article). So for the luxury item, paying the exorbitant price is not an issue. For the education that will be an investment for your future, an increase in tuition prices causes revolts. Okay.............
In an ideal world I see education more as the older generation investing in the new one, rather than the new generation investing in itself. That's the only way to progress. If you're 18 then you might not think an education is worth the sacrifice, and so talent and potential can be lost, due to barriers that should not be there.
Education is even more important than health care. An educated population is a less ailing population. And an educated population leads to a better functioning democracy.
Just got home! WOW! It was amazing! A HUGE protest! Apparently, there was 250 000 people marching, more than any other students protests. There were a lot more than students - teachers, parents, artists, workers, citizens, everyone was gathered in Montreal downtown! And other demonstrations were held in other cities, such as Vancouver, Calgary, New York and Paris in support of students here! So proud
Could Montreal protests expand across the country?
The Quebec protest movement could spread across the country, according to a group representing Canada's university teachers.
This comes as thousands marched through the streets of Montreal on the 100th day of protests against a hike in tuition fees.
The demonstrations have people talking and Jim Tusk with the Canadian Association of University Teachers says that lays the groundwork for the movement to expand.
"I think there are going to be discussions in student organizations and in families across this country in light of what is happening in Quebec and that will turn to what's happened in their own province and whether that is justified or not," he explained.
Turk said the movement has forced students across the country to look at their own situations, which are generally much worse than Quebec's
"Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia have dramatically, over the last decade, increased their tuition fees so it's as high as $6000 and that's just tuition. Then students have to pay auxiliary fees, pay for books, room and board etc," he explained.
Tusk believes the progress made in Quebec will influence others to take a similar stand to try and stop the rising fees.
He added that the rising cost of tuition has lasting effects on students financially.
"The problems are getting to a point in other provinces where students are graduating with massive debts and those who go on in professional schools - in medicine or dentistry - have extraordinary debts."
The Canadian Federation of Students says it will be a big topic of discussion at the groups annual general meeting at the end of the month.
I'm not so big on this idea of entitlement. Sometimes, I think it is taken too far. People start to believe that they are increasingly entitled to more and more things. I believe this mentality often leads to laziness.
When I read about these protests, I think about my mother who funded her education (undergraduate and masters degree) on her own when her parents thought that it was not necessary for a woman from Iran to get an education. She had no financial support from her family, but she thought an education was important so she strived to pay for her own education. If there are limitations in life, you work around them. She didn't simply protest why she couldn't get things more easily and ask others to accommodate her. She worked hard in order to achieve her goals.
As for a "risk," I meant a financial risk. You hope that the investment will be worthwhile, but it's not guaranteed.
There are many things that have become essential, but that does not mean that people are automatically entitled to them. I think access to affordable healthcare is important and should be available to more people. I see that as a different need than obtaining a college degree to meet the requirements/expectations of the job market.
It reflects the things people value and are willing to pay for. The cost of an iPhone or smartphone over a year is at least $1400. That's nearly the same price as tuition for one semester (according to the article). So for the luxury item, paying the exorbitant price is not an issue. For the education that will be an investment for your future, an increase in tuition prices causes revolts. Okay.............
Sorry, I have to disagree. I don't think that the term "sense of entitlement" can be applied in this situation. Was it a sense of entitlement to get women to vote? Was it a sense of entitlement to get rid of apartheid? I'm sorry, but education is an inalienable right. Everyone is entitled to it. There is no "sense" to accompany that entitlement. Your mother was a courageous woman to do what she did but there are dofferent underlying socio-political issues in that situation.
With that being said, Canada and Quebec's socio-political situation also needs to be taken into account. We are a welfare state and our taxes subsidize healthcare, education, pension plans, social welfare etc. university degrees give access to higher jobs which entail higher salaries, higher income and thus higher taxes. My taxes are going to fund the pensions of all the people saying that I'm not paying enough for my degree. But guess what? THEY didn't pay for their degrees, they ran the country dry and now they don't wanna subsidize my education. THAT'S a sense of entitlement. Our system is give-and-take. The students realize it, the rest of the population doesn't. Investing in my education mean investing in the future. And a good future doesn't start with $100k of student loans
Sometimes, I think it is taken too far. People start to believe that they are increasingly entitled to more and more things. I believe this mentality often leads to laziness. 
