To think that if you are university educated then give up your career...

[KingRolo]

...you should have to pay back the university fees?

I know several SAHMs who have degrees and professional qualifications but have no intention of returning to their old jobs. Some of them only worked for a couple of years before giving it all up.

I know two men who trained to become doctors and then soon after qualifying left to backpack round Australia.

That's fine, it's a free world, but the tax payer paid for these people to spend years in full time education. And for what?

So is it fair that 18 year olds (or their parents) have to pay huge tutition fees when people who were lucky enough to benefit from free education then decide not to use it?

Maybe I'm being U but it does annoy me a bit!

KingRolo

This problem will disappear over time. People have had to pay for their own educations for years now.

Not all university degrees are directly vocational. So if you have a degree in English, under what circumstances should you have to pay the money back? What career is it you have to stick to so as not to be seen as failing the tax payers?

Maybe she's gone away to university this weekend

My degree is in religion, if I go to Church at Christmas am I ok then?

My MA is funded by remnants of savings though and I only got in because I have the degree- it is vocational (Autism,so not only relevant to my 2 asd boys, but to all the other 1% of the population out there)

DoNotPressTheRedButton - tangent, just wanted to say, I think its really cool that you've got a qualification in Autism (I'm one of the 1%)

YABVVVVU

like trellism i did philosophy - if i think alot whilst walking dog/ changing nappies/ mumsnetting does that count as using my degree??

i agree with previous posters- terrible idea that education is just about future employment.

'consider the lilies of the field' and all that.

I did astrophysics... funnily enough, there's not a huge call for it...

@rubberduck

my bro did physics & astro - funnily enough he's teaching english abroad.

although i do know another astrophysicist out in the middle of arizona looking at a print outs from radio telescopes...and drinking bourbon cos there's eff all else to do out there...

I have a PhD in a completely 'irrelevant' subject that would never get me a job in a trazillion years, and am now a SAHM. So yes, OP, I would say YAB extremely U.

Bourbon is good...

... I ended up in Customer Services before becoming a SAHM. Not exactly in the plan.

Oh well

Wot Toffeepopple said:

'But one of the highest indicators of a child's eventual success is the mother's education level. So even if a SAHM is not working outside the home she is still using her education.'

And that's the utilitarian argument. I believe education is a good thing in and of itself.

oh dear lord. actually cant believe anyone would be stupid enough to write this post. yabu.

I was just finishing my degree when I had some really weird thing happen to me and was eventually dx with ms. I will probably never work in my field or quite likely any other either. No one could be more disappointed than I am. I am desperate to work, but as I spend almost all day in bed exhausted I don't think I'm going to manage any sort of regular job.

Make me pay back my fees and stuff, go on, I dare you.