94 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
94 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
# Education Freedom
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!!! quote "Student Loan Wisdom"
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"Knowledge is power, but power apparently costs $50,000 plus interest"
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[Call Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education](tel:7804275010){ .md-button }
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[Email Minister of Education](https://influence.freealberta.org/campaign/education-reform){ .md-button }
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[Call Myles McDougall, Minister of Advanced Education](tel:7804275777){ .md-button }
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[Email Minister of Advanced Education](https://influence.freealberta.org/campaign/higher-education){ .md-button }
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## Why Should Education Be Free?
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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.
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### The Current "Freedom" System
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!!! example "The Alberta Education Journey"
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1. Graduate high school
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2. Take out massive loans
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3. Study something "practical"
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4. Graduate
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5. Work for 20 years to pay off loans
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6. Finally start saving for your kids' education
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7. Repeat cycle
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## What Real Education Freedom Looks Like
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- Free post-secondary education (yes, ALL of it)
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- Vocational training programs
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- Adult education opportunities
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- Professional development
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- Research funding that doesn't require selling your soul
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- Actually paying teachers what they're worth
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### But What About Standards?!
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!!! info "Plot Twist"
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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?
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## The Economic Freedom Argument
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When education is free:
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- Innovation increases
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- Entrepreneurship thrives
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- Workforce skills improve
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- People can actually change careers
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- The economy grows (fancy that!)
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### What We're Missing
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- Lifelong learning opportunities
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- Skills retraining programs
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- Research and development
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- Arts and cultural education (because we're not all meant to be engineers)
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- Technical education that doesn't cost a kidney
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!!! tip "Pro Freedom Tip"
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If you think free education will make degrees worthless, explain why employers still value graduates from countries with free universities.
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## The Bottom Line
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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.
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!!! warning "Reality Check"
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Your freedom to choose which bank owns your future isn't actually freedom - it's just debt with extra steps.
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Ready to learn about real freedom? Share this page with your fellow Albertans - especially the ones still paying off their student loans from 1995.
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---
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## Sources & Evidence
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### Post-Secondary Funding Crisis
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- Alberta post-secondary funding has been cut **31% since 2015** - the largest cuts in Canada
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- Source: [Policy Options - Alberta education funding](https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/november-2024/alberta-rural-high-speed-internet/)
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### K-12 Education Challenges
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- Alberta education funding is approximately **$1 billion short** of meeting actual needs
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- Class sizes continue to grow beyond recommended levels
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- Curriculum changes made without adequate teacher consultation
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- Source: [Alberta Teachers' Association](https://www.teachers.ab.ca/)
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### Rural Education Access
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- Rural communities have limited access to post-secondary options
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- 67% of rural Albertans and **80% of Indigenous communities** lack reliable high-speed internet needed for distance learning
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- Source: [CRTC - Broadband availability reports](https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/internet/internetcanada.htm)
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### Special Needs Funding
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- Special needs funding insufficient for actual student requirements
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- Many students with disabilities lack adequate support
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- Source: [Alberta Education Statistics](https://www.alberta.ca/education)
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