this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2025
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Actually Infuriating

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[–] Theoriginalthon@lemmy.world 78 points 5 days ago (10 children)

It's not strictly true collage or university as it's know in the rest of the world, in the UK it's only Scotland that gets free tuition, not the rest of us, higher education which is 16-18 is free

[–] zloubida@lemmy.world 25 points 5 days ago (2 children)

In France, college is free only if you're from a underpriviledged social class, and only for a limited time.

[–] synapse1278@lemmy.world 29 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (9 children)

I didn't qualify as "boursier", my tuition was around 400€/year through out bachlore and master degrees (école d'ingénieurs). It's not so expensive. I still was able to claim 90€/month of help for housing (CAF). My friends who qualified paid 0€ for tuition, and they also got more for housing but I don't remember how much. This was from 2011~2016.

In south Germany today, a foreigner, who can't claim any financial help, has to pay ~~3000~4000€/semester~~ 1500€/semester.

Still far far away from what education costs in USA from what I've heard.

Edit: Corrected the price of tuition in Germany.

[–] BakedCatboy@lemmy.ml 15 points 5 days ago (5 children)

Our local university charges $440/year for parking :/

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[–] brewery@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Came to say this. Most people in the UK have to pay tuition for university. There is a govt loan but you're still paying it, plus interest

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[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 14 points 4 days ago

Would you look at that, Brazil has all of those! The problem with UHC is that right wing politicians have been doing everything in their power to dismantle it ever since its inception.

The previous govt (fucking bozo) was also keen on "isn't it better to have some work and no rights, rather than having rights and no work?"

Public universities, while being free, often can only be attended by the well off, since class times might be all over the week (Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning AND night), fucking anyone that needs to work to sustain themselves.

[–] camelbeard@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago (4 children)

The world isn't this black and white, so you can't just compare things at a basic level like this

For example the Netherlands has intuition fee's for universities. It's about 2500 euro per student per year. I'd much rather have it free, but it's still nothing compared to the 50K or 100K some people pay for an American University

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

And the UK for that matter. You only get free education up to A Levels (18 years old).

If you want a degree then you pay for it.

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[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 44 points 5 days ago

But renaming mountains and bodies of water are going to solve all of that, our orange god king told us so.

/s if it’s not obvious

[–] LandedGentry@lemmy.zip 37 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (34 children)

We need to stop calling it “free” college. It’s not free. It’s a worthwhile investment we all pay for and reap the benefits of.

We don’t call it a “free military.”

[–] Mr_Blott@feddit.uk 11 points 5 days ago (16 children)

College is free, uni isn't

Not our fault just one country uses the word incorrectly

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[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Republicans: Don't care, owned the libs.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago

What was that quote? "A Republican would eat shit if they thought a Democrat would have to smell it"?

[–] Majorllama@lemmy.world 21 points 5 days ago (21 children)

I've never worked a single job in the US that didn't have sick and vacation hours. Granted it was like 5 seconds allowed every 7 years but still.

[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 17 points 5 days ago (11 children)

Neither of them are actually a legal requirement. What is offered is basically part of the "compensation package" (it's considered part of your pay) in the US. Also there are A LOT of jobs in the US that don't give paid sick time or vacation time, they are usually pretty far down the hierarchy though, and the jobs that do give paid time off typically don't give it to you until you have been employed there for at least a year.

I don't think this graphic is stating you cannot get any of these things in the US, but none of these things are guaranteed by the government.

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[–] BigBananaDealer@lemm.ee 10 points 5 days ago (11 children)

i dont even have sick hours anymore its all pto. so if i get sick i just lose my vacation

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[–] inv3r5ion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Paid sick leave exists in some US states, for example vermont. It’s not a lot but it’s better than nothing.

[–] Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (2 children)

Sadly we are all not blessed by having Bernie as a ~~governor~~ representative.

[–] inv3r5ion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Bernie isn’t our governor. Republican Phil Scott is. With ~70% of the vote.

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[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago

Yeah. The Democrats screwed up that opportunity for us. Twice.

[–] Clbull@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

Free college is no longer a thing here in the UK. But our student loan terms are bloody generous.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 5 days ago

Plenty of states offer free community and state college admission for residents; not saying the chart isn't right (and sad) but I hate the stigma that the only good colleges are for-profit private ones.

[–] JizzmasterD@lemmy.ca 20 points 5 days ago (10 children)

Canada actually has paid sick leave for a few years now. If I remember correctly, it’s federally mandated 10 paid sick days and 3 paid personal days.

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[–] Resol@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago (7 children)

Well, there's one country I'm not moving to. It amuzes me that a first world country, hell, a global superpower, doesn't have any of that stuff, it would benefit everyone, especially free healthcare because you wouldn't have to worry about going bankrupt just to get that surgery you know you need. It doesn't even have to be free, just making it affordable for everyone is already a huge step.

[–] viking@infosec.pub 7 points 4 days ago (4 children)

America isn't a first world country. It favors the rich in the same way as most African and Central Asian nations.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

The first/second/third world designation is a cold war relic. America is first world by definition, but we probably should have ditched the whole framework after the Berlin Wall fell.

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[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Indeed, but nothing is for free and we pay for the so-called "free" services through taxes. Yes, the 1st Class EU members are way ahead of the piss poor US labor laws and public services. Thanks to the MAGAts, working conditions will become 3rd World.

One matter, the blue-collar apprenticeship system in Germany is outstanding and the only organization that comes close are the trade unions in the USA, but it depends on which local you are in. Some are superb and some are WTF.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yes healthcare is paid for via taxes so it isn't strictly speaking isn't free, but it also isn't the same as paying for health insurance. For one thing you don't pay more money just because you've got a Pre-Existing medical condition. In a way everyone pays less because all of the people that would otherwise pay for private healthcare, still pay the taxes, so everyone else is being subsidized by the rich, who in the US wouldn't contribute to anyone else's healthcare.

I don't think anyone ends up paying more in taxes than they would if we operated under the US private health care system.

So while your point is strictly speaking true, it's also a bit pedantic.

[–] tlou3please@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago

No disrespect to the guy individually but "it's not free, it's paid for by taxes" is mentioned every single time when this conversation comes up.

Everybody knows. Nobody actually thinks these these things appear out of thin air. We all know how taxes pay for public services and employment rights.

[–] inv3r5ion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 days ago

I love the way Germany has trade unions that are trade wide rather than smaller unions. I wish we could import that to America.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 12 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (6 children)

Asterisk on Canada’s not free post secondary

The majority of the cost is paid for citizens so it’s still better than the US

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago

Trash country. Trash electorate.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago

Oligarchies gonna ollygark.

[–] negativenull@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago
[–] atro_city@fedia.io 14 points 5 days ago (4 children)

UK has free college? Is that a joke?

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[–] Fluffy_Ruffs@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Yeah but what's the price of eggs in those countries?

Checkmate, libs 😎

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[–] NONE_dc@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago

This is kinda misleading 'cause it portraits the UK as a Paradise and, well... Is the UK.

(Although, compared to USA, The UK is indeed a Paradise)

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Luckily there's still many other important things such as food safety, workplace safety, consumer protection... um...

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[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

We used to have free college, but college students protested things which pissed off Reagan so he campaigned against it

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[–] zloubida@lemmy.world 12 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Why is the British flag the pre-1801 one?

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