First off, I need to explain what I see as a “threat” so that my position can be better understood. For the purpose of this blog, I see a threat to global peace and security as something that involves a) a severe encroachment on the freedoms of individuals, b) an impacting of the functioning of a country, and c) has no ‘easy fix’. One issue (aside from terrorism) that meets all three of these criteria is education. Across the globe, the education system is failing children.
Education is a basic human right, and in so many countries—including our own, children are being deprived of that right. One of my favorite books is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. He has devoted the majority of his life to building schools in rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan for children without a place to learn. Although he began his mission long before September 11th, Mortenson’s work has become increasingly focused upon combating terrorism through education. By educating the young men of these Middle Eastern nations in schools not established and funded by terrorist organizations, they acquire a non-biased and worldly education, preparing them for a life outside the fighting. The fact that a school costs merely $12,000 on average to build and buy supplies for in these rural areas is lost on many, and if governments only devoted more funding and energy to unraveling the education crisis in the world today, perhaps we would have more successful men graduate from school instead of becoming suicide bombers.
In addition to the vitality of the education of boys, the enrichment of girl’s education should be focused on as well. In Three Cups of Tea, Mortenson explicitly states the vitality of women’s education. Especially in countries where women do not have equal rights to men, education is an issue that needs to be addressed. By educating a girl, you help empower a village. Other young girls will take advantage and pursue further knowledge. One example given in Three Cups of Tea is of a young girl who was the first to complete high school in her village, went on to get her degree from college, and returned to her village to become a midwife, nearly eliminating single-handedly the huge number of maternal deaths previously occurring with each birth. Studies show the correlations between girl’s education and maternal health, lower infant mortality rates, the further education of the woman’s family, and higher wage rates for the woman. Education benefits everyone, including the securing of higher paying jobs, being healthier, and having more civic participation.
While education in developing/third-world countries is far more difficult to secure, and is further behind, the educational system in many developed and powerful nations is also lacking. For example, the United States. While students educated in private schools or public schools in utopian suburbs may receive the education they need and deserve, those in inner city or poverty-stricken areas do not. These schools are understaffed, underfunded, and undervalued. The students are seen as only numbers, and of lesser worth to many, simply because of their background and/or behaviors. A prime example of how the public schools are failing is demonstrated by the No Child Left Behind act of 2001. NCLB, while containing a worthy objective, did not benefit the public schooling system of the US. On the contrary, it worsened it. Now, teachers are encouraged to “teach to the test” in order to achieve high scores for their students and be rewarded. So not only are inner city and impoverished school districts lacking teachers, support, and supplies, many of the teachers they do employ are taking a passive stance in educating the students.
Again and again, political leaders (Obama) bring up the education system, and say we need to rework it. Again and again, the youth are called upon to make good grades, stay focused, and stay in school. But again and again, nothing significant comes of it. Most countries have issues they deem far more pressing and grave than education, but this is simply an evasive tactic. Education ties in to so many other issues countries are facing, and if governments look at education as the root of many problems and legitimately make a concentrated effort to repair the system, a good education can function as a building block for the illumination of other problems.
Education meets the requirements of a ‘threat’ because by denying children the education they deserve, their rights—a high paying job, confidence, and an escape from poverty— are effectively taken away. With a dearth of educated individuals, a country will become stagnant, and cannot thrive. However, when a country’s population is well-educated, even with basic education, businesses generally prosper and multiply, the quality of life improves, and the country gains a more positive assessment in the eyes of the international community. The Educational system will not be easy to improve, but serious modifications are crucial for the world to solve this prominent threat.
Danya, I was so happy when I saw you chose education as your topic. Education reform around the world and locally is a huge passion of mine. I thought your blog was very well written. Mortenson is a great author and I really liked how you tied in his book to your blog post.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to add the impact education is having as a local threat here in D.C. Recently Michelle Rhee the DC Chancellor of Public Schools resigned from her position due to the election of Mayor-elect Gray. The loss of Rhee will leave a drastic impact to the D.C public school system. During Rhee’s time in office she removed the D.C public school system by closing down underperforming schools, revitalizing special education, revamping teacher evaluations, pushing for performance pay, firing educators who aren’t up to standard, supporting the expansion of charter schools, fundraising large sums of private donor money, and saw students’ test scores rise. She’s also drew a national spotlight to D.C.’s long struggle with education and become a leading figure in the broader school reform movement, which counts President Obama among its supporters.
An article in the Washington Post said that Rhee commented that she wakes up every morning with a "knot in my stomach," and that she is "angry," though "angry in a good way." She is angry at a system of education that puts "the interests of adults" over the "interests of children," i.e., a system that values job protection for teachers over their effectiveness in the classroom.
With the loss of Rhee I view it as great threat to the education system of D.C. If other countries were able to apply the tough, but impacting, techniques that Rhee established in the D.C public schools each countries education system could be drastically more fair, stronger, and available to everyone.