For-Profit v.s. Non-Profit Education

[Keanumoreira]

Admittedly, I know little about the competition between for-profit and non-profit institutions. I brought it here in the hopes of a broader, more pellucid perspective. Which is better and why? Advantages, disadvantages, etc...

[Tidus44]

Not sure about elsewhere, but here where I am non-profit educational institutions are those funded or subsidized to a degree by the government. They typically offer non-degree courses (there are exceptions) and are generally technical or trades focused. Those that qualify can obtain training at minimal or no cost and for those that do not qualify, cost is still pretty minimal as the eduction is subsidized, but placement is limited. The non-profit institutions are typically focused at providing an educational opportunity for those who otherwise could not afford to go to school - hence the need to qualify to get into the courses.

 

The for profit institutions offer pretty much the same courses in trades and technical careers as the not for profit, but the costs can be fairly significant depending on the course taken. The for profit institutions are generally run by private businesses, but are regulated by the government to ensure quality. A number of these institutions offer certain courses that are not generally or readily available elsewhere. For example, gun repair.

 

Since the courses are regulated by the government either through the department of education or a professional body (apprenticeship and even unions such as the nursing aides), there is no difference in the education in the institutions. The electrician from one is educated the same as an electrician from the other, for example.

 

The biggest advantage I would think (aside from the cost) is the non-profit institutions offer more services to the students as they are focused at educating and getting a job for those who qualify to attend the institution. The institutions work quite hard at getting the students jobs and even assist in relocation costs (if needed) to ensure the students gain qualification and a job in whatever field they are looking at. They also generally have free day care and even subsidize transportation (ie: bus passes) for students.

 

I would suggest the differences in other locations may be quite significant, but I live in a nice socialist country that tends to provide for those who otherwise cannot provide for them self.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Tidus44

[KakeiTheWolf]

Well, I don't have college to judge, but I know that even before college, there is the concept of "for-profit" education.

 

What I mean by that is that, where I am, the school system purposefully cuts corners (such as hiring pedophiles because they are cheaper on the payroll) and views students as expenses, constantly depreciating in value assets that were the obstacle between the school and a fiscally profitable bottom line.

 

You see, the school system recieves a handsome sum in school-related taxes to fund what they must do, courtesy of unknowing parents. Essentially, education for those in middle and high school is a business venture, designed to wring dry the government and parents of money that they in turn line their pockets with.

 

So, to maximize personal profit, they neglect buildings (some don't even do asbestos checks), hire poorly qualified teachers, enforce Skinnerian discipline tactics, and tunnel costly students (autistic, mentally ill, emotionally, and other such risk factors are notable) into school systems known as "Bridge Programs". Bridge programs were originally designed to funnel students with severe mental illness into a program that would be the homonculus of the school system, a middle ground between asylum and school.

 

These Bridge programs are not unlike prison complexes, with the students primarily having mental illnesses of an emotional sort. The rest of the students are on the autism spectrum, usually mid-to-high functioning in nature. These two groups fit poorly together, resulting in a constant atmosphere of violence and chaos, which in turn worsens both groups, creating a vicious cycle in which, if they did not have one before, any student would leave with one or more mental illnesses, regardless of original mental health upon entry.

 

To counteract the conflicts between what can be likened to factions of a gang war, teachers serve as more of Skinnerian prison guards than actual teachers. They carry a single belief: That if you physically harm a person enough, they will obey you. Using this negative reinforcement in tandem with a type of radical punisment known as ASC, they believe they effectively command respect and fear.

 

ASC, which stands for Alternative Class Structure, is an extreme form of punishment that can take a few forms. At the best, it is where students are put in a room with no method to pass the time for the entirety of a day. At the worst, its most common incarnation, a student will be taken into a small white room and beaten until they either pass out or yield to authority, after which the punishment serves as a form of solitary confinement, where the room is locked and guarded for the remainder of the day. Though this system is used in accordance with a set of rules, it can be reserved for as little as an ill look to a staff member, which is then deemed a physical threat and intent to harm others.

 

Some people are not content with this system, and threaten to tell authorities. This is always fruitless, for two reasons. The first is that the school system has an ironclad lawyer, and enough influence to muddle the mind of any juror. The second is that the system is long used to covering up evidence and getting people to behave under threat of severe harm for any time vigilant eyes try to substantiate claims of abuse.

 

Now, the school system deals with people who snitch in one of three ways: Discrediting them (or making them seem mentally ill), physical torture (far beyond their usual), or rape. Thus, they ensure their operation stays safe by causing what they consider "acceptable damages" to those who would jeoparadize their operation.

 

As a result of being in such a system, I was anally raped at the age of ten, nearly killed by negligence (resulting in ER visits) on countless occassions, I still fear small empty white rooms, and I have a significant mental illness, Multiple Personality Disorder. So, it stands to reason that I have a negative stigma attached to for-profit education. This, in my school system, one which is in no way unique in my country and even state, is not rare, but the most common tale.