The Heinz Journal "The term "to earn" has certain moral overtones. If you earn money, you are justly rewarded for some service you render for the well-being of others. Work thus has to do with your relation to and participation in your society’s (or your family’s) activities to secure its survival and well-being."73
the EU averages of 30% and 83% respectively.”77 But it is not simply the equal distribution of educational resources that contributes to the just society as Rawls envisioned it. Aside from tuition fees, Sweden has implemented a payment schedule for additional educational costs which is reflective of each individual family’s income and accounts for the number of children in a given family.78 Hence, families occupying the lower levels of the economic food chain receive a larger benefit. The fees requested of parents may never exceed three percent of the family’s monthly income and may never be more than approximately $155.79
When viable candidates are excluded from the workforce in order to tend to their familial needs, society is deprived of contributions to production. We see that Rawls’ theory in regard to equity works seamlessly with Swedish policy. While families are receiving lower income, on average, a redistribution of wealth serves to better society as a whole. In the U.S., the cost of childcare is a burden to be carried almost exclusively by parents.80 The cost Child Outcomes of enrolling children in some form of infant care system generally costs about 15% of the median Not only does Swedish policy work to alleviate income for married couples and nearly 50% of the stress from parents, it also contemplates the future state’s median income for single mothers, wheresocietal return of adequate childcare. All children as enrollment of children in a preschool system are eligible for free public childcare from the time costs approximately 11.5% of the median income they reach one year of age, meaning there is no lag for married couples and over 39% of the median time between the allotted 16 months of parental income for single mothers (see Appendices 1, 2, leave and children’s eligibility for free care.74 Like- & 3). Childcare in America is, in fact, costlier than wise, preschool is free for all children between the college tuition in many situations. ages of three and six.75 Sweden eliminated educational fees for parents through the Independent "In 2013 the average annual cost for an infant School Reform of 1992 which affects both statein center-based care was higher than a year’s 76 run and independent educational institutions. tuition and fees at a four-year public college The heavily subsidized cost of primary education in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Even has resulted in high enrollment rates of Swedish the annual average cost of care for a fourchildren. “51% of children under three and 95% year-old in a center, which is less expensive of children between three and six are enrolled in than care for an infant, was higher than public formal childcare. These figures are well above […] college tuition and fees in 20 states and the District of Columbia."81 man Rights Resource Center; Circle of Rights: Economic, Social & Cultural Rights Activism, A Training Resource. Web. 1 Dec. 2015. <https://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/IHRIP/circle/ modules/module10.htm>. 73 Ibid., 74 Ibid., 75 Cost-free preschool is available up to 15 hours per week. "Sweden: Successful Reconciliation of Work and Family Life", supra note 96. 76 "Free Education from Age 6 to 19." Sweden.se. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <https://sweden.se/society/free-education-from-age-6to-19/>.
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In fact, the cost of childcare is the most expen77 Ibid., 78 Ibid., 79 Ibid., 80 U.S. parents bear approximately 60% of the funding for childcare. Lynette Fragaet al. "Parents and the High Cost of Child Care, 2014 Report." ChildCare Aware of American. 2014. 26. <https://www.ncsl.org/documents/cyf/2014_Parents_and_ the_High_Cost_of_Child_Care.pdf>. 81 Ibid., at 22.
Spring 2017