What are the reasons for making education free for all?
According to the United Nations, about 264 million children do not attend school, and the number is bound to rise in the coming years. The reasons behind such an occurrence are that it has become highly commercialized, and the requirements, including stationery and uniforms, have become expensive for the financially disadvantaged populations (Simoncini 36). Conversely, if education can be made free for everyone, every student stands an equal chance, and they do not have to worry about anything apart from their studies. Besides, it should be free because less fortunate students are keen, brainy, and competent. The only way to fully maximize their abilities would be to make education free (Simoncini 37). Therefore, while a section of the population may disagree on making education free because of capacity; nevertheless, the idea of giving everyone an equal opportunity at short of a bright future surpasses any setback.
1.1. Problem Statement
There have been disparities between the rich and the poor in recent times, and one factor that has promoted such culmination is education. While the rich continue to receive a high-quality education, the poor have been restricted from lack of or low-quality education. For many children, the lack of education has promoted persistent inequality and marginalization. In this case, inequalities originate from various perspectives, including health, and cultural identity. These disadvantaged population, in most cases, find themselves sidelined to margins of the majority of countries’ education systems. As such, they never benefit from learning, an outcome that is essential for their social and intellectual growth. It is also important to note that poverty factors, including illiteracy of parents, unemployment, and illness, promote the risks of non-schooling and the subsequent drop-out rate. Therefore, children from disadvantaged settings are, in turn, forced to stay out of school or abandon their education due to these social and economic setbacks. In this regard, the only way of alleviating such instances is to make education free for everyone.
1.2. Research Objectives
1.2.1. General Objectives.
To analyze what strategies need to be implemented to make education free for all.
1.2.2. Specific Objectives.
To examine the reasons for making education free for all.
To examine ways to make education free for all.
To assess the impacts of making education free for all.
1.3 Research
What are the reasons for making education free for all?
How can education be made free for all?
What are the impacts of making education free for all?
2.0. Literature Review
According to Kopecký (9), the advancement of free education for all stands to benefit the less privileged population in society. Also, it acts as an essential vehicle for individual advancement, socio-economic, and political development. Consequently, by abolishing all financial obligations, the various governments can take the roles of financing maintenance, desk, books, and other non-salary expenditure. In the long-run, proper education for the poor will narrow the gap between the rich and the poor since they will be predisposed to compete on the same level when it comes to seeking opportunities.
3.0. Methodology
This research will incorporate a mixed-method approach wherein both qualitative and quantitative will be employed. In this regard, a case design will be utilized in the chosen sample schools. Since the study focuses on the general education of children, various governments should place measures to ensure that elementary and high school are free, while at the same time subsidize higher education, affordable for the average parent. Also, descriptions basing on the research will be obtained from the respondents within the chosen institutions. The study will go on to conduct the interview and distribute questionnaires to get descriptions from the respondents. Finally, qualitative research will be utilized in the data presentations, which will employ tables.
3.1. Data Collection Tools
Data collection tools will be via questionnaires and interviews. A questionnaire is either a printed or written list of questions seeking to be answered by a specified number of people, as part of a survey. The research will involve documented questions to which the sample will be required to fill, without a researcher’s assistance. As such, the questionnaire will be in two parts, whereby the respondents will be required to present their answers as they wish. About interviews, the researcher will implement an unstructured form of an interview. The reason for using unstructured form is based on the fact the questioning will be flexible.
3.2 Data Analysis
Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be employed in the analysis of the research.
4.0. Justification of the Study
The purpose of the research will be to analyze why education should be free for everyone. While contradictory opinions point to the idea that free education will not be sustainable due to capacity issues and the lack of finances to run the operations still, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Free education will be a social and economic equalizer, reducing the gap between the privileged and less privileged people. Therefore, this will study will function as an eye-opener because failure to make education free will only raise illiterate society; thus, widening the gap between the haves and the have-not.