Saturday, January 24, 2009

Is education a right?

Every child should have the right to learn. Lacking the skill of reading and writing doesn't get you very far in today's world. I feel education is a right or it should be. Unfortunately, in the United States and across the globe, education is valued differently. For lack of a better term, education is unfair or unequal. For example, in Illinois, some districts receive up to $24,000 per student, while other districts receive less than $6,000 per student. I'm sure this is way above the world average. I heard at a conference last year that in third world countries, specifically in Africa, young girls help their mothers gather water for the family, sometimes walking miles a day. This deprives them of an education, if schools are located near them. Here is a link to their website: Blood-Water Mission . One of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is to “ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling” (United Nations Millennium Development Goals). I believe as a nation we are far from this goal, let alone the entire world. As I was researching, I came across this video my friend’s students put together with students from Los Angeles, California.

I believe education should be mandatory to a certain grade level. As the world grows more interconnected, it is crucial for students to be prepared for the global market. If they are not prepared for what awaits them outside the schoolhouse, I do not feel that I’ve done my job. I’m for equal and compulsory education for all.

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