Op-Ed: The Value of Education

We grow up and go to school, taking school for granted day-by-day, not realizing the opportunity that’s right in front of us. As we mature through our teen years, we just cruise by high school taking standardized tests, doing homework assignments, and procrastinating through school life. Then meet the eligibility requirements to graduate. Seems like a very boring process, doesn’t it.

But have you ever stopped to think that there are people in this world, who wished to be in your position? People who are actually willing to take tedious/annoying tests and spend several hours on homework a day as it signifies better education.

The answer is yes.

There are kids all over this planet that need and want the educational opportunities the United States provides. According to a 2010 report done by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 775 million people are illiterate, including adults.

Reading is a basic ability we use on a daily basis, but there are still people who don’t perform it simply because they don’t know how to. The report also states that roughly 10% of the whole human population is in need of an education opportunity. Crazy right?

Another example, are kids throughout the Middle East, who aren’t even close to a position of learning. Because they are in the middle of a tumultuous war; education is out of the picture. Leaving their educational opportunities very limited and close to nothing.

Same goes for a majority of young women in Afghanistan, who don’t even get the right to an education because they are deemed unworthy by governments, who are very blatantly sexist and use religiously biased morals to impact their legislation, preferring them to be housewives instead of lawyers or doctors.

All these examples showcase one very evident trend, and that’s that they are all in need of educational opportunities similar to those that the United States and other countries offer. We here in the US see school as a job, as a task that needs to be completed, which is totally fine. But, I’d advise you not to take it for granted,. As I explained, there are kids in need of the education you have. So at the very least take it seriously and understand that you’re lucky to have this chance at an education.

I’d also like to mention that our educational system isn’t the best and is in need of a lot of renovation. Maybe, we do take too many standardized tests, and possibly we do get too much homework. But, understand that it’s all experimental, education is always changing, just try your best and use the chance that you do have. Education shouldn’t be taken for granted, realize that these are opportunities that shouldn’t be toyed with and that there are millions of people wishing to go to school everyday whether, you like to go to school or not.