Yes, you read the headline correctly! I agree with Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America. Not everything he says of course, but in his first address to the Joint Session of Congress he said:
“I know that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why if you are willing to volunteer in your neighbourhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford a higher education.
“These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children’s education must begin at home.
“There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay.”
Important concepts that our nation would be wise to emulate.
The first paragraph deals with encouraging national service and volunteerism through reduced higher education tuition.
I have written previously that we need to get more Australians, particularly young Australians, to invest their time and energy in their community for the benefit of others.
Just as we teach our children to brush their teeth and use their manners, we should be fostering a culture of community service. If we have to provide some incentives for students, or build it into the educational curriculum to help make it a lifelong habit then we should consider it.
Obama’s other points are very well made. We need to help support parents so they can make the right choices for their children. Of course, making the right choices at home is one thing, but our public officials would also be wise to heed the words of not passing on to our children a debt they cannot pay.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
