retired_mekeesha

THAILAND

The government recently brought in an excellent health scheme; any Thai citizen can get health care from a government hospital for 30 baht (c. 50 cents). Of course private health care is much more expensive but a heck of a lot cheaper than in the west.

Education - well this is my field.
State education is free but the quality is mostly appalling. Decent education has to be paid for and is pretty damn expensive.

Higher education isn't free - it also is very expensive IMO - the costs vary from institution to institution.

Basically if you come from a poor background your education opportunities are very limited.

retired_ash2884

The UK is a bit of a mish-mash.
All 5 to 18 year olds education is free (although some who can afford it pay to send their kids to the contridictorily "public schools" such as Eton, Harrow and Rugby e.t.c) But University is only subsidised, and only free to those whose parents earn less than £14000 per year (20,000 euros i would guess) The rest of us have to pay £1600 tution fees in England and Wales - Scotland has a graduate tax. All accomodation at uni has to be paid for either from you or parents pockets or via our "much loved"(not) Student Loans system that sees our graduates aquire an average of £11,000 debts for a 3 year course.
All health care is free at GP/Hospital level (although you can again pay to go private or take private medical insurance) but only under 19s and those claiming income support get free dental or opticians. In England all prescriptions are free under 18 (25 in Wales!) or those on income support. After that, they are charged at a small (though not market value) amount. An annual charge of £100 or so can be paid by those in poor health to get all the medicines they are prescribed at no extra cost.

KingsbayYHPE

Health Care is free at the point of contact, in other words if you visit a GP, a Hospital...or a Paramedic Practitioner :cool:

Medications are supplied on Prescription, which costs a standard charge of about £6.50 an item.

Dentist charges vary, if you're kucky enough to have an NHS one near you, and eye tests cost about a £10er, too.

Specs cost money, but there are good low-cost deals around.

Education for primary and secondary schools (5y/o to 18y/o) is free.

Higher Education in Scotland costs a lot less than in the rest of the UK, and students can get bursaries to help pay for costs.

All in all you're better living in Scotland than in the rest of the UK for Healthcare, Higher Education and for Care of the Elderly.

retired_tinkfaeree

Although you pay the prize: it's Scotland after all ;-)

retired_ash2884

Incidentally, to conclude my last statement, The school and hospital/gp system works well, even if it is not a quick acting or well funded as the Nordic nations or the paid systems (healthcare at least) of the USA. Universities on the otherhand, are unloved, as the Labour government imposed student fees on the nation with about 12 months notice, leaving people unprepared (had we been given 5 - 10 years warning, we could have started "college funds" and minimised our debts) plus the debts are taken out of our pay packets (average UK graduate earns £17000 in first year) and with our high rents and house prices, it is forcing graduates to move back in with their parents to stop themselves becoming destitute!. Now much more alarmingly, the government is introducing "top-up fees" where universities can charge more than the current standard amount, and could see only the rich afford to go to the top universities. On top of this, all university fees and loans are based on your parents income (they assume wealthier parents will be able to pay for their childrens university) and with our high house prices and mortgage repayments, many families do not have the disposable income the government assumes they should! - Rant over.

retired_burnandshine99

<rant>Don't get me started on education in the UK... it's dreadful. In order to fulfil some stupid notion that everyone must have a university education, you can now take degrees in basket weaving, golf course design and Man Utd studies! The value of degrees has been grossly deflated by this, and cost to the tax payer has exploded.

Och well, I'm hopeful that at some stage some intelligent politician may see that that's one of the major reasons the UK is going to lose more and more ground economically over the next 10 - 20 years and does something about it.
</rant>

KingsbayYHPE

Go back to the Netherlands then

retired_mrsjb

I think we just discovered why Ian chooses to live in Jockland :p

retired_burnandshine99

Brrrr... don't get me started on that <censored> country!

I'd rather stay and pay hardly any taxes, and enjoy the clean (but wet) air. Besides, in NL I'd be forced to join the AA; here nobody bats an eyelid

retired_tinkfaeree

what's the AA?

Also, you seem to have a crush for countries with royals.