Education: Right or Privilege?

By Kelly Carver. Kelly, 16, is from Easley, USA. Please read her entry and leave your comments below.

I believe education is a right. If it was a privilege, only certain members of society would have the imperative right to a basic or higher education. No gender, race, or nationality should be denied the opportunity to obtain an education. An education is vital to the human race. Without an education, the people of the world would devolve and society will eventually crumble. According to the Compulsory education laws, every child is to receive a public or a state-accredited private school education. This alone implies that receiving an education is a right in the United States. If the ability to obtain basic knowledge for life was a privilege, then it has the potential to be taken from you at any moment. We, humankind, can only grow through knowledge. Malala Yousafzai once said I raise my voice – not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard… we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

Without skilled professional educators, many children would unfortunately not have equal educational opportunities. If parents were held responsible for educating their children on math, reading, science, history, etc., many children would find it difficult to become productive members of modern society. Having schools readily and easily accessible to children is at utmost importance. Most parents are unable to provide their children with quality education. Whether it is due to working long hours to support the family or not being well educated themselves, parents need an educational institution their child can attend so they can obtain the fundamentals for a brighter future. Education does not only help with basic knowledge and skills, but it also helps with expanding the thought process of the human mind. Being able to think rationally and critically is essential for the development of society. If education was only a privilege then only a restricted amount of children would be granted the right to an education. An education helps children flourish into successful adults, therefore, it should be made accessible to everyone regardless of their family’s socio-economic status.

For an extreme example of how the world could turn out to be without proper education, refer to the movie “Idiocracy”. In the mentioned movie the society devolved into uneducated, unproductive members who did nothing except create filth, chaos and increased the number of noncontributing members. No progression towards greater things was made. Without a proper education that is accessible and guaranteed at a young age, there would be many children who would not be able to achieve great things in life. Education is the most precious right that mankind possesses. Having an education is the most important factor that contributes to the world evolving. With more educated people living in the world, the better life will be for themselves and the future of the human race. Instead of having people living in a devolved world like in “Idiocracy”, people could be living in a “Back To The Future” world.

Education is often seen as a privilege, especially a college education. Many individuals cannot afford the high costs of college alone. Many college seeking students need the assistance of family, government, work, etc., in order to better themselves. With the assistance of the government, the right to a further education is brought to a larger selection of children and young adults. We owe it to ourselves to help provide an education to our children. We need to protect the right of education for our children and future generations. It will only help with the progression of society.

Education is a right, but it should be treated as a privilege and not taken for granted. Children and adults should appreciate the educational rights that are provided to them. In the past, many children, women, and men were not granted that right for one reason or another. Education should be held at the highest standards and should always be provided to any child, woman, and man of any race, gender, or nationality. As the puissant Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

10 comments on “Education: Right or Privilege?

  1. Darryl Hales on

    Very thought provoking. Rights versus privileges have been argued on many topics. However, education should never be one of them. The betterment of our society is achieved through one of our most basic rights. The right to learn……

    Reply
  2. Jan Kueber on

    Very well written and thought provoking. I do believe that education is a right but it is a privilege to attend a school. Those who choose to not take it seriously or distract others may have that privilege taken away but the right to an education, via another venue, remains. This essay leads us into a deeper conversation, and is worth the read.

    Reply
  3. Brittney Reilly (Breanna) on

    This was a great and powerful read Kelly Carver. I’m so proud of all the responses to this article Alrewdy. I agree with everyone who has commented about this article. Kelly your points have made it very clear about education and education is important for the human race of our generation and generations to come.

    Reply
  4. Melissa on

    As an educator, I am happy to see Kelly’s view. Everyone has a right to be educated. She is correct, our education system isn’t perfect but without it, our society wouldn’t thrive.

    Reply

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