In my opinion education is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. The ability to be strong, independent adults is a founding principle for their lives and having the necessary skills and education to be productive, is a vital part of this.
The fact is we now live in a world where nothing is free, including education, and unfortunately politicians and the press fail to emphasis this fact. We are following the USA system, where higher education is becoming increasingly expensive. With two daughters almost out of the university system, and seeing the level of student loans our university graduates are saddled with, I’m very aware that New Zealanders need to save for their kids’ education.
My advice to new parents today is to start a scholarship fund and put small amounts away over the next 18 years. Don’t touch it and you will have some peace of mind when you get to the expensive end of parenting!
John Barber