What is the economic argument for having free public education?

I just watched a video from Vox(Sorry for the source, I know) where they compared the US with free school systems in both Norway and Holland and they concluded that those system is better. What I want to know is what is the economic argument behind this system. I know that the US spends more both federal and state money on public schools then Norway and Holland spend on essentially everyone to go to college(just to name a few things essentially school provides). Essentially I am asking what is the economic argument for free government-provided education in countries like Norway and Holland?