When I went to university in the 70's, it was all paid for by the state. No fees, and a generous grant to live on. I remember students inviting me to a march to demand bigger grants. I looked at my bank account at the end of the first term and I'd only spent half the money I'd been given by the state to live on so I went out and bought a motorbike. State funded education I don't find unacceptable.
However, there are a lot of bad lecturers, and just a few very good ones. I remember an enthusiastic biochemistry lecturer whose lectures were so good the biggest lecture theatres would be packed out by every kind of student. He was really funny but you also came away with a sense of amazement at the biochemistry going on in your body.
I think the great majority of learning material could be online. My son has very little tolerance for poor lectures and has sourced most of his own educational material. It's worked out very well for him. I think education could be easily vastly improved and at the same time made much cheaper or much of it free. You know, using the internet...
I think the current system is quite a con really, kids amassing big debts for an often poor education.
