Education is a Right

Here is a letter written to the Winnipeg Free Press on Feb. 20 and my response:

Re: Universities pay steep price for tuition freeze (Feb. 19.)

I would like to know why every couple of months or so the Winnipeg Free Press takes a swipe at students' groups and everyone else who believes that post-secondary education should be affordable and therefore accessible for all Manitobans.

There are two ways of looking at education: the first is to see it as a commodity. Under this model there is no limit to the cost of tuition and only the ultra-wealthy can afford it.

In study after study, cost is identified as the single largest barrier to education. The other way of looking at education is to see it as a right. We believe that books and learning should not be roped off like a gala at a yacht club.

Perhaps the Manitoba Business Council should lend its expertise in developing administrative efficiency at our colleges and universities as opposed to ensuring the exclusivity of its membership by pushing for elites-only access to education.

CHRIS MINAKER

Chris Minaker is correct in stating that education is viewed as a commodity. The majority of students who seek a University level education do so with the hope of increasing their prospects of meaningful and lucrative employment upon graduation. Indeed a majority of the nation's best employers now demand that their employees become more marketable by attaining some level of post-secondary education.

But he is dead wrong in assuming that education itself can ever be limited to those who can afford it. Anyone who can get a library card or buy a book can access education. Furthermore, those who wish to educate themselves can attend free lectures and even audit University courses if they so desire. No one in our free society can rope off the right to learn.

While I sympathize with the plight of lower-income Manitobans who seek to better themselves and their career prospects through higher learning, I believe activists like Mr. Minaker should refrain from hyperbole when making their case. Those of us who appreciate honesty and balance are not swayed by such arguments.