Writing Task 2 - Sample 3: Education

Topic: Some people believe that  university education should be completely free, while others believe students and their families should pay at least part of the cost. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Today, in many countries having a university degree is a prerequisite condition for young people to secure a decent job. Because of this, many people believe that it would only be fair if everyone had access to university education, hence it should be free. At the same time, others refute that students and their families should pay for their higher education, partially if not completely. Both opinions have their own rationale, which will be discussed in this essay before arriving to a reasoned conclusion.

People who believe in free university education argue that it leads to a more educated and productive workforce which in turn positively enhances economic growth.  A current study reveals that the most powerful economies in the world, such as the United States, Canada and Japan have higher rates of university graduates in comparison with developing countries. It can be seen that there is a correlation between economic growth and higher education. Thus, to enhance the quality of the workforce, higher education should be made accessible to everyone and therefore it should be free.

On the other hand, people who are against this idea argue it is unjust for people who do not want go to university to subsidize those that do. Higher education is expensive, as evidenced by a recent estimate in Australia that a free university system would cost the government 23 billion dollars a year. In order to raise this huge amount of money, the government would have to force people to pay more taxes. That means a larger portion of people’s wages, including those who do not intend to go to university, will be cut to pay for the education of those who potentially have higher income.  In other terms, it is making the poor pay for the rich, which is unfair. Thus, university education should not be provided for free.

In conclusion, it can be seen that both sides can be strongly justified. However, I believe that free higher education is an ideal which is not quite realistic. According to the aforementioned argument by the latter group, it is not fair for people who do not go to university to subsidize those that do. It would cause a negative reaction in the portion of the workforce which effectively diminishes national economic growth. The government can resolve this problem by providing loans to those who wish to go to university instead.  

(398 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Le Chi at Pathways.

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