The Power and Importance of Quality Education

72 million children around the world have not received proper education. If all children had access to secondary school education child marriages could be ended, and the risk of war could decrease by 3%. It could avoid 200,000 disaster-related deaths in the next 20 years, and 420 million people could be lifted out of poverty.

From World Economic Forum by Doug Linstedt

Out of the 17 UN Global Goals quality education is definitely one of the most important ones. The effects of widespread quality education include minimizing poverty, substance use, hunger, and encouraging equality and tolerance for others (diminishing discrimination). Education also means decreasing violence due to opposing opinions and possibly improving mental health and problem-solving skills for thousands.

What is QUALITY Education?

There are many different forms of education, depending on how you define it. Quality education is education that ensures students with equal opportunities with equity amongst students provided by teachers that will help them reach their full potential. This means that discrimination between students due to gender, background, ethnicity, economic status, and association will be put to an end. The goal is for all students to get through at least secondary school.

  From Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

Discrimination Through Education

Several factors create and reinforce unequal education. These include family income, accessibility to quality education, communication barriers, and not receiving any additional help for slower-paced students.

Some other websites mention gender, ethnicity/race, health, and identity. Parents also have a big impact on students and their learning. Unemployed, illiterate, and ill parents tend to increase the spread of non-educated children.

Some numbers for this question are that girls make up 54% of the uneducated population. 72 million children around the world still need to receive proper education. The most affected area is Sub-Saharan Africa with 32 million children in elementary school age that will not be able to access education.

Effects of Improved Education on Individuals and Society

"Education enables upward socioeconomic mobility and is key to escaping poverty. Education helps reduce inequalities and reach gender equality and is crucial for fostering tolerance and more peaceful societies" (un.org).

"A child under the age of five is twice as likely to survive if his or her mother can read and write" (UN, 2011)

Educated children have better confidence, well-being, and abilities to solve everyday problems. Secondary education for all could end child marriages, decrease the risk of war by 3%, avoid 200,000 disadter-related deaths in the nest 20 years, and lift 420 million people out of poverty.

From Adobe Stock

66% of students with bad grades (Ds and Fs) have used drugs such as marijuana. This means that quality education would decrease substance use and addiction.

Most Important Part of Education

Primary education (or elementary school) is usually found to be the most important stage of education. This is mostly because the subjects that are taught in elementary school serve as the basis. Though not everybody agrees with which age students should focus on education and which stage it should be, many agree that everybody should get at least 5 years of education. Of course, everything depends on the personality, style of learning, previous experience, and influence form friends and family on the student.

From EDsmart

Is There a Teacher Shortage? If So, Why?

Yes, indeed there is a teacher shortage in the US. There are several reasons for this but the main reason is

and remains to be because of low pay and burnout. California is known to be the worst state in the United

States. Not that the teacher shortage was bad before the pandemic but the COVID-19 pandemic definitely

made the situation much worse for education. 

“Studies place the current teacher shortage at 55,000 vacant positions and an additional 270,000 teaching posts currently filled by underqualified teachers.” - Teachers of Tomorrow

Conclusion

Education should be a priority for all of us. We must ensure it is provided to all and learn to be thankful for the opportunities we take for granted. There as so many ways we can help the uneducated and stop this injustice in our society.

From Adobe Stock

"The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education." - John Legend

References:

• UN Global Goal #4
• Penn Foster
• Humanium
  
• UN
  
• Action Education
  
• CDC
  
• Gray Group International
  
• California Department of Education
  
• School of Education, American University
  
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC News)
  
• Teachers of Tomorrow
  
• Brookings