"Going Dutch"

The Dutch are having second thoughts about their education system and how to finance higher education. Up until now, they have been extremely generous with everybody, regardless of actual financial need, but that cannot longer continue. So, they are switching from all-out grants to loans, albeit ones very easy to pay back. The whole idea is to get most of the population into college or universities, a goal that seems wonderful, but is not necessarily desirable.

Not everyone is college-material. People can lead productive and useful lives without a university degree. Society needs all kinds of laborers, professionals or technicians that have never seen a painting by Brueghel or read Erasmus.

Other countries would do well to reconsider their approach to universal funding for education. As in other aspects of life, quality is more important than quantity.

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