All education and healthcare should be funded by government and free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Healthcare and education are both essential services that can be extremely expensive and, as a result, unaffordable for those on a limited budget. Nevertheless, it is important to establish just who is responsible for funding them. The healthcare of a country’s citizens is vitally important. Without adequate healthcare, people of all ages can become extremely ill and thus unable to earn a living or take care of themselves. So, it is essential for governments to provide well-equipped hospitals as well as highly trained staff to run them. There is also a need for appropriate emergency services. Furthermore, without a good public education system, people may find they are limited in their work choice. If education is not provided free to all, those born onto poverty may find themselves unable to raise above that level. We may all wish for these essential services to be provided free of charge, but the government needs to obtain the funds for them from somewhere. Even when they are provided, there has to be a way of recouping the costs. One way of acquiring the necessary funds is by imposing taxes. Alternatively, access to welfare can be means-tested and based on personal level of income. The irony is that, in democratic societies, where a government is selected based on its promises, it is often the political party that promises tax cuts that is elected to office. It seems clear that poorer members of our society need this type of aid and if these costs are covered, at least partially by the government, we need to accept that our taxes will be used to fund them.