Most of the time when we talk about Education, we think about school.We
often view school in a traditional, formal sense. Many people believe
that true learning can only take place in a formal classroom setting.
Others feel education occurs in many different forms and environments.
There may not be a definitive answer to the question of, ‘What is
Education?’ However, we can start thinking about the purpose of
education. Is it to educate youth to be responsible citizens? Is it to
develop individuals, as well as society, in order to ensure a society’s
economic success? Or is the purpose of education to simply focus on
developing individual talents and intelligence? Perhaps it is the
balance of all three that defines education? While our answers may
differ, we can perhaps agree that education is a basic human right. When
that right is granted growth and development, the society as a whole is
more likely to improve in areas such as health, nutrition, general
income and living standards and population fertility rates.
The information in this section will prompt you to think about some very
important issues surrounding the topic of education. As global citizens
of the world it is our responsibility to critically think about these
issues and attempt to come up with solutions to the problems plaguing
education. In 1990 UNESCO launched EFA, the movement to provide quality
education for all children, youth, and adults by the year 2015.
Seventeen years later much progress still needs to be made if we are to
achieve the goal for 2015. The unfortunate reality is that for many
countries, larger issues precede improving the quality of education. How
can we achieve the goals of EFA when numerous countries around the
world are faced with challenges that seem far too impossible to
overcome?
The answer lies in attempting to bridge some of the gaps that prevent
developing nations to compete with developed nations. One example is
that of providing greater access to technology and narrowing the ever
widening digital divide. In many ways the most basic access to
technology can serve as a valuable educational tool. Individuals who are
not afforded this access are at a disadvantage when trying to grasp
opportunities to make life better for themselves, their families, and
their community.
Another issue that poses a barrier to widespread development is that of
literacy. There still remains a rather larger percentage of illiterate
youth and adults in many nations around the world. Economic difficulty
and lack of education get in the way of decreasing illiteracy rates. As
you will learn in the following sections, literacy is no longer simply
limited to reading and writing.
There are many different capacities in which an individual living in the
twenty-first century can be literate. Helping to strengthen skills in
other areas, can still help to make progress on sustaining the
development of a nation, as well as achieve gender equality. The gender
gap in education points to the fact that females are still not afforded
the same opportunities as males. In many parts of the world cultures see
no value in educating females. Two of the eight Millennium Development
Goals, achieving universal primary education and promoting gender
equality, seek to close the gaps that exist in the education around the
world. If we can make some advancement on achieving these goals, we can
further the progress on the remaining six. Education is the foundation
for the success of any given society. Numerous studies have shown the
correlation between education and lower birth rates, lower infant
mortality rates and fewer maternal deaths. Furthermore, a more educated
population will also result in higher personal incomes as we all expand
access to financial opportunities.
In summary therefore, education does not only encourage personal
development, it also offers the general growth of an entire community
providing a place for people to interact, socialize, and unify their
societies.
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