Tag Archives: Free education

Does free education guarantee the accessibility of higher education?

Does free education guarantee the accessibility of higher education?

On 11 October 2019, the Constitutional Council confirmed the French State’s duty to provide free public higher education. This decision is based on the preamble of the Constitution of October 27, 1947, which in paragraph 13 states that: “The Nation guarantees equal access for children and adults to education, vocational training and culture. The organization of free and secular […] … learn more→

Deepening inequality is the high price students will pay for free education

Deepening inequality is the high price students will pay for free education

University students have scored some massive victories since “fees must fall” entered South Africa’s lexicon. They have secured more government funding for fees. They have forced universities to address a complex range of institutional inequalities. This #FeesMustFall movement has become a force for social change centred around access to and free tertiary education. It demands […] … learn more→

For Colleges, \’Free\’ is about much more than money

On Astor Place in Lower Manhattan, you can stand on a street corner and see, for higher education, the power and fragility of the word \”free.\” To the right stands the Cooper Union Foundation Building, a steel-re­inforced Italianate brownstone that has, since 1859, been home to Peter Cooper’s vision of a college, \”open and free […] … learn more→

Competing with “Free,” Part Two

If non-elite colleges and universities want to avoid the fate of travel agencies and film companies, what should they do in the age of free MOOCs? I’d suggest focusing more clearly on what they can offer that MOOCs can’t. That means having people around to help students get through the perplexing parts of courses; having […] … learn more→

Competing with “Free,” Part One

If credits are available for free, what will colleges sell? This is becoming a lot less hypothetical than it was even a few months ago. The MIT/Harvard MOOC provider edX has signed an agreement with Pearson to allow students who are taking the free online courses to have exams proctored. The next step, obviously, is […] … learn more→

Free!

Some ideas from the business world translate to academia better than others. At my college, we’re running an experiment with a summer math workshop. It’s targeted at students who either took the math placement test and didn’t like the results, or who are soon to take the placement test and are concerned about the possible […] … learn more→