There has been a lot of discussions regarding education as a right or a privilege. It is quite a pertinent topic which comes with multiple dimensions. Naturally, the topic is quite debatable as well. There are a variety of factors and perspectives to consider when deciding whether education is a right or a privilege.
While some people think that education must be a basic right, others are of the opinion that it is indeed a privilege. However, to make a judgment on whether education is a right or a privilege there are a lot of aspects to take into account. And, before all of that, we need to know what education actually is. In this article, we have discussed this topic whether education is a right or privilege in detail. Simply keep reading to know what education should actually be for us, Americans!
What Is Education?
In very simple words, education is the transmission of knowledge. That being said, the statement “Education is a right, not a privilege,” was said on 16 September 2022 by UNICEF Youth Advocate Adama Diallo of Senegal. This happened at an event at UNICEF’s TES ‘Learning Crisis Classroom’ installation at United Nations Headquarters in New York. It was the 77th Session of the UNGA.
In today’s world, everything is fast-paced and no one has the time to wait. Under such situations where there’s so much access to so many things, education must also be accessible. Education Is considered to be one of the most basic industries. Along with that, it is also one of the most useful and important industries all across the world. Not just that, education stands fundamental to modern development and creativity. When it comes to development of new technologies or creative innovations, or even societal reforms, it all depends upon the education in a specific society or community.
Coming back to what education actually is, it is not just a basic industry. It is also a fundamental field which is elemental to the growth and development of various other industries. A more imminent question here is whether education is simply a choice or a pillar of our background. Education is not just a matter of simple bookish knowledge and learning what is scripted into books and documents. In fact, education is a far more vast and versatile topic.
Education is the transmission of knowledge from one person to another. Along with knowledge, education comprises the transmission of values, habits and culture. Education can be anything ranging from something that helps you adapt to the norms of the society or helps you overcome a challenge that you face in your daily life. For a field as vast and versatile as education, anyone can have their own views on whether education is actually a right or a privilege.
Now that we have discussed the basis and definition of education, let us now talk about the importance of education. It is essential for us to understand the importance of education to know whether it is actually a right or a privilege.
The Importance Of Education
When it comes to the importance of education, the most essential thing to mention is the fact that education is fundamental for a good living and good living condition in today’s time. In the society that we live in today’s time, it is essential for an individual to have formal education. This is mainly because of the fact that the society of modern times is designed in such a way that to earn a good living and to afford good living conditions, the easiest way is to pass through education.
Coming to the topic of passing through education, it is not just about formal education. For earning a living, passing through college or school is as effective as a farmer teaching his child how to farm. Both are forms of education in a certain way and both help an individual earn a living in the modern society. Secondly, the modern societal structure is in such a way that a person who has education has the peace of mind that they can secure a good living for themselves.
Not just for earning a living, education is important for the fact that a person’s easiest route of socialization is through education. One must have the becessary learnings or education to adapt to the norms and ways of modern society and to sustain in a community. Along with that, the fact that an individual is educated, in some way or the other, brings a sense of self-confidence as well. It helps one earn respect and be found worthy in today’s world. There’s also a sense of admiration for a person who is well-educated and the society places such a person on a special pedestal owing to their knowledge and experience in one or more fields.
Education also offers the opportunity to learn different kinds of subjects which can be eseential for the sustenance and survival of a person. From something like learning how to cook to the skill of making logical decisions through proper analaysis and research, all of it comes under the arena of education.
Why Education Is A Right And Not Just A Privilege?
When we say underprivileged, it often implies people who are not just financially unstable, but people who have not got the right education. It works as a “vicious cycle” where a person who does not have access to proper education continues to remain underprivileged and even deprived. This is why the majority of people consider education to be a basic human right than a privilege.
Education as a basic human right implies that any one in this society must be able to pass through formal education no matter his nationality, religion or sex, or any other demographic factor. This basic r8ght should not and acannot be taken away from anyone for any reason. In the USA, it basically means that as per legal regulations, and as per the government, education is a right. But more often than not, even when education is officially declared to be a right, it is indeed a privilege. This has been proven to be true because a lot of Americans do not have access to formal education.
Ending Note
For a society that is equal and just, education must always be a basic human right and not just a privilege for the people who are able to access and afford it. As a nation that is developed and at the zenith of the world, it is essential to treat education as a right and not just a privilege.
