The pros and cons of free education

With a lot of people advocating for free education for all, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of access to free basic education. All stakeholders should be asking themselves if free education is working for the kids of a nation or if it would be better to have parents pay for it.

Some of the concerns around this subject involve issues of quality of education and access of the same. The only way to establish the truth about this is to weigh the pros and cons of education. It is only by knowing the advantages and disadvantages of free basic education that any conclusion can be made.

Like everything else, free education comes with both merits and demerits. While it allows for every child to access basic education regardless of their family’s financial situation and ability to afford an education, there are concerns of quality and whether or not the same education deteriorates in value.

The idea of having every kid access free basic education is a brilliant one. This is because it has a number of benefits that include guaranteed access to basic level of education. This means that all students in the country can have access to at least the most basic level of education. This way, no one will be illiterate.

With education being a key to a better life, when kids are educated even at the most basic level; they increase their chances of fending for themselves and their families in future. These students can join the workforce or even become entrepreneurs upon completion of the basic level education or even join tertiary institutions for further studies. Either way, there will be an improvement in lifestyle which is good for the economy.

Even if they will be unable to further their studies, the basics are enough to make them mature into forward-thinking individuals. The fact that all children have access to the same quality of education is an advantage to them. It does not matter how wealthy or poor your family is, free education levels the ground for all kids, giving everyone an equal opportunity to excel.

When all kids have a chance to get into a classroom and study, there is a level of fairness that is created. These kids will develop with the spirit of fairness in them and will strive to create it for others. A lot of traits are nurtured at school and the fact that no kid is being left out means everyone benefits in the long run.

When kids are exposed to education, they can pick out areas of interest and decide what they want to become. Unfortunately, without this opportunity, most will settle for what is available as long as it fends for their daily needs.

While free basic education access comes with numerous perks, it is not all rosy and easy. There are a number of challenges that need to be looked into.

When parents do not pay for the education of their kids, the government has to ensure that it overstretches the little available resource to accommodate every student. This can be difficult especially with the rising population. Everything, from physical to human resource will be constrained. There is the danger of education being downplayed. The fact that it is available for free may bring out the notion of it being ordinary and normal which is not advisable. Sometimes, people have to incur a cost to appreciate what they are getting. Funding the program will definitely lead to increased taxation.

With large numbers and constrained resources, teachers can only do so much. As such, the quality of education will reduce indefinitely. Teachers may be unable to attend to each student in a satisfactory manner. There is no time to learn about each student’s strengths and weaknesses. This way, only the brightest and quicker learners in class have an advantage.