Introduction
I am going to write about how education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world and what I think about it.
Education is a powerful weapon but only if you can use it for a good use. For example Mahatma Gandhi: he was very educated. He went to a university in London called University College London (UCL), he studied law. He used his education to save his country. He fought against the British but not with guns or bombs but with his education and that’s how he saved his country. Yes education is a powerful weapon that you can use for saving the world or a country or a human being.
But a few questions need to be asked:
1- What is education?
Education is knowing how to read, write and how to speak. Education is also knowing how to be polite. If you are educated then you can work and you can learn even more than you know.
2-Where does education came from?
Education comes from observing things around us and trying to understand them; the people who look after us when we are small like our parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters help us to do this. Education also comes from going to school but we can only go to school if our parents have the means to pay the school or if we live in a country where schools are provided for all. That’s why if you are educated then you can work and do many things.
3- Who gives it to us?
The teachers at school give it to us but we can only succeed if we try to work, if we want to learn if we know what that means.
4- Can everybody get education or is it only limited to some?
No, not everybody can get education because there are countries which are very poor so they do not have the means of having enough schools in their country. That means that the families which live in these countries can’t have access to education. Other countries like France have the means of building schools and employing teachers, so like this children can be educated. Obviously, even in France there are families which don’t have the means to send their children to school but because France is a rich country schools are provided for everyone.
If there are schools then you have a chance to go and get educated.
5- Can everybody possess this weapon which is education?
Yes, all normal born children can possess education because they have all been born into this world with intelligence and so if we look for education, if we ask people around us, read books, observe the world and keep our ears and eyes open to learn, then we will be able to possess this weapon.
Conclusion
I think that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Always get educated, and use it for a good use. What is very unfortunate is that as the years go by, many are not using education for a good purpose but are using education for fighting in the world with material weapons and destroying our world.
Dear Cookie, I agree with you completely that education is a powerful weapon but only if it is put to good use like saving the world, a country or a human being. Do you have any thoughts on how teachers, parents or others can encourage people to put their education to good use instead of fighting with material weapons and destroying our world?
Dear Starlight, I am so glad that you agree with me. Already, if teachers and parents can encourage the children by teaching them in a joyful manner, then there is more chance that they go on the right path. Children understand better what is good when they get good explanations in a simple and interesting way. As for adults, it’s difficult to change their mind so it would be better if material weapons didn’t exist.
Dear Cookie, A world without material weapons – what a lovely thought! And no need to kill each other, as in the Beatles’ song Imagine. Teaching joyfully is an excellent idea! It is sad that many teachers and parents are caught up in their own struggles and so it is difficult for them to feel joy in their hearts and to teach joyfully. I am sure that, at one time, teachers and parents themselves were curious, playful and joyful children. Then they grew up and they became very serious. They learned to pretend that they have all the answers and that they are right about everything and so they can’t change their mind. Changing their mind might make them look silly! Maybe it was education that changed them. Maybe they learned at school and at home that they must sit up straight, accept what they were told, not ask questions and do as they were told to do. To stop this from happening over and over again, maybe education should be a two-way process: teachers and parents should teach children but they should also educate themselves by observing children, understanding children and learning from children how to be curious, playful and joyful once again and not be afraid of looking silly. What do you think?
Dear Starlight, I think you are very right. I think that a lot of adults today have forgotten what it means to be joyful and playful. They don’t often care about children. They make you feel that working at school is a chore and not fun. All they care about is the marks. But for me I am very lucky because my mummy looks at my homework everyday and takes lots of care of me. She never gets upset when I get a bad mark. On the contrary, she looks at my mistakes, and explains me if I haven’t understood, and that’s how I progress.
Dear Cookie, Teachers and parents who focus on marks instead of teaching the way your mummy does, could learn a lot from your mummy. You are blessed to have such a wonderful mummy! I am sure you will learn well from her and one day you will use your education as a powerful weapon to make this world a better place.
Dear Cookie, what you have written is most true. Today we live in a world where people react with anger or with violence because they are ignorant. Ignorance happens when we are not prepared to learn or to understand. This leads people to fear or be judgemental of others. This is not the way of an open-minded, educated person who is prepared to learn from others and to take on board other people’s points of view. Life is an education hence we have the phrase Life Long Learning. Your philosophy to learn and help others to learn i most admirable.
Dear Uptowngirl, thank you for reading my article and putting a post.
Hello there Cookie! The main idea in your essay that education should be put to good use is very important. I wonder if we have unnecessary wars in the world because schools do not teach children how to deal with differences and how to solve conflicts without bullying and physical fighting. How do teachers deal with conflicts at your school?
Hello Celeste, thank you for reading my article.
The problem in my school, and it’s always the same problem, is that they go to the headmistress as a group and get told off once or twice if it happens again, and the third time they are suspended from school for 3 days and if it happens again, they are expelled for good (except I’ve never seen anyone expelled).
But I think that what they should do is explain to the child that they should not do that because of certain reasons, and ask the child why they did that. Then the child would understand better what they have done wrong. What do you think?
Hello Cookie. There is so much interesting information on the internet. I did a search on bullying and found out that bullying happens in schools all over the world. It also happens at work and in politics. I found out that people who bully have an autocratic personality. They tend to be selfish and they want to be in control all the time and dominate other people. It seems that most bullies come from homes where they went through unpleasant situations and got little love during their childhood and this affects their personality. They feel insecure and use negative behaviour to get attention. If they see that teachers and the headmistress do not respond firmly to their bullying, they become bold and their behaviour gets worse. So, it is important to deal firmly with bullies to stop the bad behaviour. If there are no consequences like missing their favourite school activities, or sitting at home bored for a few days or getting expelled, they will continue with bad behaviour. They could go on to do things that will get them into trouble with the police when they are older. If they manage not to get into trouble with the police or if the police and the courts are not firm with them, they will continue their bad behaviour in the workplace. People often think that being tough and dominating are characteristics of a strong leader but this is not so. As children, bullies make other children miserable and afraid. They even make teachers miserable! As bosses, bullies make workers miserable. As leaders, bullies try to dominate people, get into conflicts all the time, threaten others, use physical force and start wars. I agree with you that it is important that schools help bullies from a young age to understand why bullying is wrong and to show them how they can be popular and get positive attention without using bad behaviour, You are very wise to see that if bullies don’t learn this at school, it will be very difficult for them to improve their behaviour. We do not need more bullies in the world. We need more good bosses in the workplace who encourage people to strive for excellence. We need more good leaders in the world who promote peace, freedom, equality and a better life for all citizens of the world.
Dear cookie, i admire ur courage in expressing your thoughts. Like i mentioned in my article children are the leaders of tomorrow so teachers have to get it right by nt only being this elderly cold and unapproachable person, but to if need be become like children for it gives children the freedom to express themselves.welldone once again.
Thank you everyone for all your comments and encouragement! 🙂
Cookie, this piece is superb. Granted that you’re just ten, I think you’ve displayed commendable ingenuity. I love your diction, analysis and clear vision. I could not write a piece half as good as this when I was 10. I hope students of your age in Nigeria would also be empowered to help them utilize their talents. I love your understanding of the source of education as observing things around us and trying to understand them. That’s one of the most comprehensive definitions I’ve come across.
However, it seems you contradicted yourself when you said not every child can get educated and afterwards said every person can possess this powerful tool called education. Can you please make some clarifications?
You may wish to read my entry under the adult category.
what you have written is most true!!^^
exactly
yep, do also think education is the key to many problems that is being faced today..if people can learn and understand each other,then we might change something..:)
why do we need a weapon to change anything???
Thank you very much for all your comments!
I contradicted my self because a child my not have access to education for X reason(s) but if that child has a desire to learn then he will seek it .
Everything is possible,you just need to find the solution!
Without education you are going nowhere,use the chance you have to educate yourself and know that: perserverance bring success
Actually, my dear Cookie! Your submission on the importance and the use of education is a most needed one going by the advocacy on ‘Education for all’. I admire the flow of your diction(s). It really set my adrenalin flowing. Education is really what makes one human-an active one,but it should not teach one the act of violence,corruption,animosity,and so on as captured by your beautiful article. I love it! This is Yusuf from Nigeria.
i really appreciate your post and i wont you to tell as how that can be practice in daily life
Thank you all for these insightful comments.
I am now 17… and when I look back on this article… I say it is even more true today. Soon I will be going to university, and I hope that in my life I will be able to contribute to helping all those less fortunate than myself. “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Cookie
Dear cookie: I am also agree with you because actually Education is most powerful weapon which we can to change the world. But Use for good .and Education is key eliminating gender inequality to reducing poverty..
Great article, thank you