Latest news with #CulturalCapital
BusinessToday
5 days ago
- Business
- BusinessToday
Sarawak's Free Tertiary Education: A Scheme That Sounds Better Than It Works
Dr. Syed Alwee Alsagoff The Sarawak state government's recent approval of the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), debated in Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak and set to commence in 2026, deserves closer examination. Academic commentators caution that such schemes may, in certain conditions, undermine the very goals they seek to achieve. Theoretical frameworks across disciplines warn against such approaches. Economic theory via Gary Becker's Human Capital demonstrates how removing price signals distorts investment decisions. Sociological analysis through Pierre Bourdieu's Cultural Capital shows free access benefits only the privileged. Social psychology's Leon Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance Theory explains why students undervalue cost-free education. The fundamental flaw becomes apparent when examined through three critical pressure points. These interconnected challenges are funding sustainability, employment economies, and social outcomes. When any one area fails, the entire system breaks down. The Funding and Quality Crisis Free tertiary education begins with noble ideals. It may quickly collapse under financial strain. Universities become chronically underfunded – lecture halls overflow, equipment grows obsolete. Faculty burnout soars as universities compensate by slashing staff and morale – quality lies in ruins. Without proper funding, 'free' becomes a bargain at the cost of excellence. Scotland's SNP policy cut per-student funding by 15% in a decade. France still struggles with Mitterrand's underfunded fiscal legacy – its 2014's dismal stats reported 30% on-time graduation, 44% first-year retention. Macron's recent €904M education budget cuts worsen overcrowded reality. Germany stumbled initially. Merkel's Higher Education Pact 2020 and Excellence Initiative had to pour billions into reforms. They reinstated Numerus Clausus restrictions. Elite program admissions remain brutally competitive everywhere. Only 20% of qualified applicants secure UK medical school spots. 25% in Germany's Numerus Clausus. 5% of NEET-qualified candidates in India. These bottlenecks exist regardless of tuition fee schemes. The verdict? Free tuition works only with massive, sustained investment and tough controls. Anything less fails students and economies alike. Job Market Disconnect Critics argued against Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa-era 20% graduate unemployment. Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's education expansion bred 'diploma mills.' Free tuition without market accountability fails. When neither students nor universities bear the cost of poor program choices, the result is identical. Protests over unemployable degrees. Systems that prioritise access over outcomes. Today, Sarawak's economy depends heavily on oil, gas, and palm oil. It requires specific technical skills and entrepreneurial capabilities. While the FTES covers STEM, Law, Medical, Accounting, and Finance programs, this traditional academic focus may not align with future emerging economic needs. A free university system that channels students toward conventional programs today – rather than future growth sectors like digital technology, green energy, and advanced manufacturing – creates ill-equipped graduates tomorrow. Social Mobility Failure The most profound irony: poorly designed free education policies may increase inequality rather than reduce it. Chile's experience under Michelle Bachelet's expanded free higher education shows how middle-class families capture the greatest benefits. Working-class students continue facing barriers from living costs and cultural capital gaps. Brazil shows similar patterns under Lula da Silva's expansion policies. Chronic underfunding creates a two- tier system. Wealthy families send children to expensive private schools for university preparation. They then capture most free public university places. Poor students miss out entirely. In Sarawak, urban families in Kuching and Miri are better positioned to take advantage. They have superior secondary education preparation and stronger social networks. Rural and indigenous communities face different barriers that removing tuition fees doesn't address. A Better Path Some critics say Sarawak merely requires resolute governance to optimise implementation rather than pursuing ideologically-driven yet demonstrably ineffective strategies. Rather than blanket free tuition, the focus should be on: Enforcing PTPTN's income-contingent loans with proper graduate tracking Targeted equity reforms – more scholarships for poor and rural B40 students Performance-based funding that rewards universities for post-tertiary professional trajectories. The debate isn't about ideals of access (this is unassailable) but implementation realities. A tuition-free degree is worthless if it doesn't open doors. Related
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The best cities in the world revealed - and seven UK cities make the list... is YOUR hometown on it?
A new ranking of the world's best cities has been released and there are seven UK cities in the top 100. The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index ranks 1,000 cities based on their economy, quality of life, environment, human capital and governance. In 2025's list, New York takes the crown and is described as the 'economic capital of the United States' and 'in many ways, the world'. Second on the podium? London. The report says: 'London may fit the definition of a "Global City" more than anywhere else in the world. 'The city has established itself as a perpetually relevant locale for business, science and technology, education and the arts.' While the Big Smoke's economy helped it rise up the ranking, London 'really stands out' as the 'world's leading city for human capital', due to its 'numerous world leading universities, diverse labour force and large pool of international headquarters'. The report adds: 'London has weathered the UK's past stumbles related to Brexit and the turmoil of the Prime Minister's office quite well. Fears that Brexit would lead to a decline of the city as a global financial centre have not been realised.' Although London scores highly in the ranking, its high housing expenditure, low economic diversity and low income equality are noted as weaknesses. But London isn't the only British city to earn a place in the top 100. Edinburgh lands just outside the top 50 in 57th place. The Scottish metropolis is listed as a key example of a 'cultural capital'. Cultural capitals have a 'high quality of life' with many 'cultural sites' and a 'sizeable share of foreign-born residents'. Bristol is the second-highest performing English city and ranks at 68th place. The city picks up high scores for economy and quality of life. Leeds ranks in 83rd place and is listed as a sustainable city. Sustainable cities are considered to have 'prioritised sustainable growth' and are 'focused on the clean energy transition'. Cambridge, another city considered to be a 'cultural capital', ranks in 86th place on the list. It gets its highest scores for its economy and quality of life. Glasgow just makes the top 100, ranking at 90th on the index. It scores particularly highly for quality of life. BEST CITIES IN THE WORLD 1. New York, USA 2. London, UK 3. Paris, France 4. San Jose, USA 5. Seattle, USA 6. Melbourne, Australia 7. Sydney, Australia 8. Boston, USA 9. Tokyo, Japan 10. San Francisco, USA 11. Los Angeles, USA 12. Washington DC, USA 13. Dublin, Ireland 14. Stockholm, Sweden 15. Seoul, South Korea 16. Zurich, Switzerland 17. Oslo, Norway 18. Copenhagen, Denmark 19. Dallas, USA 20. Toronto, Canada 21. Singapore, Singapore 22. Munich, Germany 23. Brisbane, Australia 24. Chicago, USA 25. Geneva, Switzerland 26. Denver, USA 27. Amsterdam, Netherlands 28. Atlanta, USA 29. Berlin, Germany 30. Houston, USA 31. Perth, Australia 32. Luxembourg, Luxembourg 33. Philadelphia, USA 34. Brussels, Belgium 35. Minneapolis, USA 36. Vienna, Austria 37. Vancouver, Canada 38. Helsinki, Finland 39. Hamburg, Germany 40. San Diego, USA 41. Phoenix, USA 42. Basel, Switzerland 43. Montreal, Canada 44. Madrid, Spain 45. Miami, USA 46. Tel Aviv, Israel 47. Austin, USA 48. Bern, Switzerland 49. Gothernburg, Sweden 50. Portland, USA Source: Oxford Economics The last British city to rank among the global top 100 is Manchester which comes in 93rd place. Another 'sustainable city', Manchester is recognized for its high quality of life. Paris takes third place on the overall ranking and is described as one of the world's 'economic powerhouses'. San Jose, the home of 'most major technology companies' including Apple, Meta and Alphabet, takes fourth place on the list. The report states that the Californian city 'attracts some of the brightest minds around the globe'. Seattle rounds off the top five due to its status as a 'major tech sector' and its high income per person. Melbourne, Sydney, Boston, Tokyo and San Francisco also make the top 10 best cities in the world. At the other end of the scale, Sokoto in Nigeria ranks last out of 1,000 cities with Sultanpur in India and Kaduna in Nigeria also among the bottom three.
