Written by:
Raymond Addai

US students protest cuts to higher education

It has long been speculated that the United States educational system is lacking behind compared to that of other foreign nations such as Japan and China. To make matters worse tuition prices at U.S. colleges are steadily increasing in an economy where numerous students find it extremely difficult to find jobs, internships, or any substantial way to generate income. Furthermore, there have been numerous budget cuts to not only U.S. colleges but also K-12 schools due to the economic recession our nation is facing. As a result, many educational institutions have had to make cuts in the number of instructors they hire among other things which is only going to set the U.S. educational system further back.

On March 4, also known as the Day of Action to Defend Public Education, many students of all ages ranging from elementary school children to college graduate students protested against our country’s faulty educational system. Across the nation, increasing tuition prices at colleges such as the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Santa Cruz have angered many students. However, previous protests such as the numerous protests held on the, Day of Action to Defend Public Education, have failed to instigate change and have resulted in multiple arrests.

Student debt levels are at an an all time high. What is the future of the US college educational system? Will this cause many more young Americans to miss out on the opportunity of going to college? Why should students pay more for an education that is not going to guarantee them a job out of college? What do you tell to an unemployed college graduate who has to pay back his/her college loan because it has been six months since he/she has graduated? To go to graduate school and get in more financial debt!! There has to be another alternative.

These are just some of the questions that will not only need to be answered by our lawmakers but also by ourselves. Photo courtesy of Flickr.