Some contemporary political parties and governments in Canada are promoting a form of "structural adjustment” in which government or state involvement is either reduced or completely eliminated from several traditional areas of the public sector. Based on the material presented in Unit Two, as well as on your own views and experiences, would you generally agree or disagree with this perspective?
Introduction:
Canada is a country which has a relatively healthy economy and has not gone down the drain like other European economies which are suffering incredibly due to the recession. However there is obviously still the need for the country to have a balanced budget and this means that some political parties are advocating structural adjustments and deficit reductions through the cutting down of government spending programmes and a wholesale clearance of services from the public sector. Although this in itself is a laudable task there are problems when the lower sectors of society are adversely affected by such cuts and eliminations as these would be the ones who are least probable to recover from cuts in their income and lessened expenditure. However the reduction of government involvement in certain areas such as industry is of course crucially important if the country is to survive on a sound economic footing.
Whilst Canada is a country which prides itself on a strong health sector, the issue remains that this is causing a lot of problems viz a vis expenditure and infrastructure maintenance. Some of the more right-wing parties are calling for an end to subsidies for health and are calling for a radical privatisation of the whole health service. This is obviously an important issue in this respect and could see radical privatisation of this sector with the clear results of several people falling through the safety net. When one compares Canada to the United States, the differences are quite obvious as they are two countries which have radically different systems where health is concerned.
There are several issues regarding health which need to be addressed accordingly and which require the intervention of the state but doing away with health services completely is simply not on the cards as it will bring about privatisation into everything and that will definitely cause all sorts of problems in this regard. When one observes the international situation, everything falls into place and one can observe why the issue is so important especially with regards to a balanced budget which is not always the case in everything. Yet again one must observe that Canada is a country which has a huge amount of potential and there is a lot more to be had if the finances of the country are on a sounder footing accordingly.
Education:
Education is an issue which always remains a hot potatoe and one has to invest quite heavily in this field to ensure that the best results are achieved. Although Canada is again comparable to the United States, there is a lot of difference especially with regard to how this is perceived on different wavelengths. Some right wing advocates are looking at the axing of several programmes from the curriculum and removing state funding for some schools which would eventually see them close. Funding for such schools would be essential so that their educational programmes can continue and they would continue attracting the widest gamut of students from all over the country.
Obviously there is a lot of importance given to education in the country and if some of the educational programmes were to be cut, this would mean a complete disaster for the country’s future. Education is crucial not only for the betterment of citizens but also for the country’s future well-being which makes it move forward as a state in this regard.
The experience of university is also rather unique. You get to make new friends and mix around with different personalities thus learning from life and intensifying your life experiences. You also get considerable exposure to what art is really like as your tutors and instructors will probably be artists of the highest level and these are able to share their experiences with you and you will learn incredibly from what they impart to you. Finally university life brings about a new social dimension which calls for a different approach to life in the sense that you may feel that everyone is putting pressure on you to become something or someone but this is definitely not the case if you apply yourself to university life accordingly. If cuts are made to a university and other institutions of higher learning then the results can only be disastrous for the perennial future of the country.
The United States is a country where education is always given paramount importance and this is reflected in the considerable amounts of institutions spread over all categories which are available. This compares well with what is available in Russia for example where education is still on a sporadic level although there have been recent pushes by the Medvedev administration to make schooling more accessible to all.
Egypt which is currently still passing through considerable turmoil especially with regards to civil administration has an education system which is very much in tatters at the moment. However this does not mean that the potential in the system is not there and if it is in full working order when the situation stabilzes,. It means that education in Egypt would be among the best available, at least in North Africa.
Japan has an excellent educational system which can be said to be superior to the US not least due to the fact that it has a rate of almost 99 per cent when it comes to tertiary educational levels. The country also has an excellent educational system in the primary level and is also very much on the ball when it comes to secondary education with a vast range of career choices available for the young although the recent crunch in the economy has seriously affected opportunities.
The US System
In many ways the US system is inherently flawed in that it does not offer equal opportunities to all. In the South where education is still something of an issue, there is still de facto segregation in certain areas which is definitely not seen in Japan or Russia for example. Children from poorer backgrounds and from different ethnic communities obviously suffer to integrate themselves into the white community and this means that the language barrier for Hispanics is something of a problem when it comes to this fast growing section of the population.
However when it comes to college education, the US can be said to be head and shoulders above the rest. With such prestigious universities as Harvard and Yale, we can observe a shift in the quality of education which is not seen in the other countries chosen for comparison. Russia especially is problematic in this respect with a very poor tertiary education sector whilst Egypt’s at present is totally non existent. Japan can only come close in certain aspects but its main universities such as those in Tokyo and Osaka are principally geared for Japanese students and do not offer international opportunities for those who wish to study in that country.
Comparisons:
If one were to choose an educational system which was comparable to the US then it would have to be Japan where the opportunities are substantial. The system begins from the very down with intense levels of teaching especially when the students are very young. This is perhaps slightly better than the US. Egypt suffers from an intrinsic instability and malaise in this respect while Russia is working hard to better its educational systems especially in the larger cities of Moscow and St Petersburg where there is a vibrant life and young community.
Budget cuts and lesser government intervention will certainly bring about a disastrous result in education which cannot be denied. The way forward for Canada remains prudence and restraint with the end result being a stronger country socially, economically and financially.
Works Cited:
Public Sector Industrial relations 307; Centre for Work and Community Studies, Athabasca University, 2010 Print
"Budget fights deficit with freeze on future spending". CTV News. March 4, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
"Canada's international investment position". The Daily. Statistics Canada. June 17, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
"Gross domestic expenditures on research and development". Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
