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Education Freedom
!!! quote "Student Loan Wisdom" "Knowledge is power, but power apparently costs $50,000 plus interest"
Call Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education{ .md-button } Email Minister of Education{ .md-button }
Call Myles McDougall, Minister of Advanced Education{ .md-button } Email Minister of Advanced Education{ .md-button }
Why Should Education Be Free?
Because somehow we decided that learning should come with a side of crippling debt. It's like paying for air, except the air is knowledge, and you'll be paying for it until you retire.
The Current "Freedom" System
!!! example "The Alberta Education Journey" 1. Graduate high school 2. Take out massive loans 3. Study something "practical" 4. Graduate 5. Work for 20 years to pay off loans 6. Finally start saving for your kids' education 7. Repeat cycle
What Real Education Freedom Looks Like
- Free post-secondary education (yes, ALL of it)
- Vocational training programs
- Adult education opportunities
- Professional development
- Research funding that doesn't require selling your soul
- Actually paying teachers what they're worth
But What About Standards?!
!!! info "Plot Twist" Countries with free education actually have higher standards. Turns out when you're not worrying about paying tuition, you can focus on learning. Who knew?
The Economic Freedom Argument
When education is free:
- Innovation increases
- Entrepreneurship thrives
- Workforce skills improve
- People can actually change careers
- The economy grows (fancy that!)
What We're Missing
- Lifelong learning opportunities
- Skills retraining programs
- Research and development
- Arts and cultural education (because we're not all meant to be engineers)
- Technical education that doesn't cost a kidney
!!! tip "Pro Freedom Tip" If you think free education will make degrees worthless, explain why employers still value graduates from countries with free universities.
The Bottom Line
Education freedom means having the ability to learn and grow throughout your life without mortgaging your future. It means understanding that an educated population is an innovative population.
!!! warning "Reality Check" Your freedom to choose which bank owns your future isn't actually freedom - it's just debt with extra steps.
Ready to learn about real freedom? Share this page with your fellow Albertans - especially the ones still paying off their student loans from 1995.
Sources & Evidence
Post-Secondary Funding Crisis
- Alberta post-secondary funding has been cut 31% since 2015 - the largest cuts in Canada
- Source: Policy Options - Alberta education funding
K-12 Education Challenges
- Alberta education funding is approximately $1 billion short of meeting actual needs
- Class sizes continue to grow beyond recommended levels
- Curriculum changes made without adequate teacher consultation
- Source: Alberta Teachers' Association
Rural Education Access
- Rural communities have limited access to post-secondary options
- 67% of rural Albertans and 80% of Indigenous communities lack reliable high-speed internet needed for distance learning
- Source: CRTC - Broadband availability reports
Special Needs Funding
- Special needs funding insufficient for actual student requirements
- Many students with disabilities lack adequate support
- Source: Alberta Education Statistics
