Posdata

Education has been a main topic of discussion this week, especially the comparison between school systems in the U.S. versus here in Spain. My friends, most of them from South America, have been asking me about universities in the States and why they are so inaccessible to many people. I was unable to give them a concrete reason why (higher administrative costs, higher professor salaries, maybe more money put into research?) but was shocked to find out how much a B.A. or M.A. equivalent is here in Madrid. My roommate, Mariana, is attending the Complutense University of Madrid, one of the largest and most reputable here in the capital. Her carrera, or degree in public relations takes roughly 3-4 years. Each year her tuition is 1,000€ ($1,500). Two years ago she got such high marks that they decided to waive most of her tuition, so last year she paid no more than 300€. For an ENTIRE year. Almost makes me want to stay here to do grad school so that I don't end up with $20,000 of debt after graduation.

Where is all the money going to in universities in the States? Why don't they offer subsidies for those who go into fields like education or social work or medicine? I know there are a lot of scholarships and fellowships out there, but still! Our government subsidizes its farmers. Couldn't we offer a break to those who are educating or caring for the future generations of our country?

An interesting article I read in the NY Times: http://lessonplans.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/well-paid-teachers-im-on-board/