Make it merit based

It is more than two decades ago that the misguided user-pays policy came to our education sector.

Officially, our schools did not charge fees but in practice, schools raised funds under one pretext or another. Officially, universities and other institutions started charging ever-increasing fees, the logic being that if you earn degrees and go on to better-paying jobs, you need to pay for your education, and no one else benefits from education except the students.

Now students of the last two decades have degrees, but earn nowhere near the sum once associated with higher education.

Thankfully, we are seeing a beginning of a reversal of that silly policy. But with that reversal comes the criticism that some students will scam the system. There is some truth to that.

We now need a system in place where entrance to universities and other institutions is merit based. Society has to treat education as an investment. Students have to treat education as a right that has to be earned, not demanded. PRADIP MANCHANDA

Churton Park