“Education is the most
powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”—Nelson Mandela.
Education is power.
Education is change. Education is stability. Education is a lot of things. It
is the building blocks to a more thriving society and population. It enables us
to better ourselves as individuals and as a whole. So why is it that children
all over the world are still receiving unequal quality of education.
Article 26
of the United Declaration of Human Rights states:
(1) Everyone has
the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and
fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory […]
(2) Education
shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall
promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or
religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for
the maintenance of peace […]” (United Declaration of Human Rights).
Yet, free, equal education is still unavailable to many
children around the world. EqualEducation is a movement out of Cape Town, South Africa that strives to gain
equality in South African education through analysis and activism. “Education
was the foundation upon which inequality was fashioned during the years of
apartheid, but unequal educational opportunities still remain amongst the
greatest obstacles to equality, dignity and freedom in today's South Africa.”
Sarah Emily Duff writes in her blog Broken Toilets and Equal Education, about attending a public
meeting on the state of government-funded schools in South Africa. She said the
EE has been campaigning to publish a set of minimum norms and standards for
school infrastructure. She quotes Pierre de Vos, Professor of Constitutional
Law at the University of Cape Town who says, “[They] saw 132 grade 9 learners
crammed into one classroom […] our little ones get taught in mud huts and do
not have the ‘luxury’ of toilet facilities at all.”
It is an astounding thought that there are still children
in the world who are subjected to such horrible learning conditions, especially
when education is a fundamental right inherited by all human beings. Nelson
Mandela was correct when he said that education is a weapon that we can use to
change the world, now we just have to make sure every human being is armed with
it.
Elduvina Fraga
ReplyDeleteYes, education is a powerful weapon, but in countries such as Africa, kids do not have access to a quality education. The government and resources are not equal for all people in Africa. Many organizations, however, do help children, as well as other sectors of the population, set up their environment in a way to increase their opportunities to an education. I believe governments still need to improve and invest in schools because it is the only way they can truly reach the goal of providing a quality education for all.
On the other hand, elementary and secondary education is free in the United States and as parents we often don’t encourage our kids to take advantage of all the opportunities they are given to obtain a higher level education. The level of motivation regarding education for our youth is low. Sometimes, we expect the government and others to do all of the things we are supposed to do to educate our kids. In Africa, they don’t have the same resources we do. Sometimes they have no food to eat; African kids often die death because of starvation. However, our kids, who sometimes feel entitled or privileged, throw their food in the trash. As parents, we need to get involved in our kids’ education in order to help educate them. Then, maybe sometime in the future, they can help others who are not as fortunate and who want, or deserve, better opportunities.