You need a job for experience
You need experience for a job
You need college for job
You need a job for college

The society created a paradox and then ignored it.

It's mostly referring to the highly paid jobs, so in short - unless you have money, nobody cares how smart you might be. You're given an average job instead of the opportunity to work somewhere where your brain would be actually put in use. This way, society would only increase its not just level of education but also growth in general.

As if the goverment wasn't rich enough. What matters is money. Can it be changed? Should it be changed? — Craiya

This really isn't a paradox as such because there's such a thing as promotion. The job experience you acquire qualifies you to another position in the heirarchy and your old job goes to the person who either has no experience or has less experience than you.

Milliniel?

Sorry, that's not what I meant. Here's an example: A guy, who's grades from chemistry are nearly perfect and who's enjoying studying this subject - can't afford higher education (such as college or even high school because his family lacks of money). That will leave him with a very small amount of jobs which he could be doing in the end. Instead of working in a lab (with the chance of discovering something) he'll be given a mop or a position for a cashier. My question is - is that something we should be taking care of? Or is it a problem so extended it's simply not worth dealing with?

A stupid question, a stupid answer. I get it. :D

Sorry, that's not what I meant. Here's an example: A guy, who's grades from chemistry are nearly perfect and who's enjoying studying this subject - can't afford higher education (such as college or even high school because his family lacks of money). That will leave him with a very small amount of jobs which he could be doing in the end. Instead of working in a lab (with the chance of discovering something) he'll be given a mop or a position for a cashier. My question is - is that something we should be taking care of? Or is it a problem so extended it's simply not worth dealing with? — Craiya

My bad. My exercise routine is jumping to conclusions but you did post the gist of the paradox of job experience.

A guy, who's grades from chemistry are nearly perfect and who's enjoying studying this subject - can't afford higher education (such as college or even high school because his family lacks of money). That will leave him with a very small amount of jobs which he could be doing in the end. Instead of working in a lab (with the chance of discovering something) he'll be given a mop or a position for a cashier. My question is - is that something we should be taking care of? Or is it a problem so extended it's simply not worth dealing with? — Craiya

There are endemic problems in the cost of education. If we, through government action, simply foot the bill, costs will skyrocket further. Compare this to healthcare: because most prople had insurance, prices skyrocketed because insured consumers were insulated from actual costs. The same thing could happen with higher education.I favor doing something to make it easier to climb out of poverty, particularly regarding higher education and vocational schools, but we have to be careful to avoid exacerbating the endemic problems.

It's mostly referring to the highly paid jobs, so in short - unless you have money, nobody cares how smart you might be. You're given an average job instead of the opportunity to work somewhere where your brain would be actually put in use. This way, society would only increase its not just level of education but also growth in general. — Craiya

What is the percentage of high paying jobs in the working world? I really don't have much of an idea but let's suppose it is a generous 10% of all of the jobs in the world. How many people really need to be educated to university level to fulfill those places even if they were all vacant?
How many of those that have graduated or will graduate from the university have good high paying jobs? Not many I'll bet. And it is not because they don't have the money or the experience or the correct education, it is because there are not enough jobs.

I have ex students that have worked hard to get good grades in high school and got scholarships to some good colleges. Even one in Harvard and another just received a 5 year total cost scholarship to study in Japan. And only a couple of them are well off even by local standards.

If a government was to setup a scheme where as you say "your brain would be put to use" it would very quickly be bombarded with claims of discrimination for not letting anyone study what they wanted to instead of what they were good for.
No society needs a couple of thousand new engineers every year, but so many people insist that is what they want to study. The same applies for every other degree that is offered. An many of them would be useless as professionals.

Free or cheap higher education is not the answer, nor is selective higher education. Does anyone have any better ideas?

And don't forget, someone still has to clean and pick up the garbage. If everyone goes to university who will do those jobs?