Education - The equaliser

- Proteeti Sinha

The Oxford Dictionary defines education as “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.” But getting an education means more than just learning what is in our textbooks – we become mature individuals, with unique perspectives on life around us. We learn to contribute in meaningful ways to society. We develop a strong sense of what is right and wrong, we learn about tolerance and peace and security. In a world which has so much uncertainty, a good education ensures that we will be able to look out for ourselves and others.

The world today faces many challenges – poverty, famine, wars, the looming threat of nuclear disaster – but I would say that the most pressing challenge is that of inequality. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer: the world is getting fractured along the lines of economic strata.

I believe that education is the stepping stone to a better future.

To a future where a little girl studying in a remote village in India will get the same level of education as someone like me, who lives in a big metropolis.

To a future where the gender pay gap is all but invisible.

To a future where women are treated equal to men, where the number of female executives and heads of state are equal to the number of their male counterparts.

To a future where a third world country in the continent of Africa is no longer called “third-world,” instead it is burning bright with the light of newly gained freedom in the form of knowledge.

While there may be flaws with our current education system – we cannot deny that the positives far outweigh the negatives. First and foremost, education is imparted by a teacher. Our teachers teach us much more than our curriculum, they teach us to be good human beings, to care about other people, to be truthful and to be honest to ourselves. They teach us to be compassionate and respectful, to be ethical at all times, and to never ever compromise on our morals.

Education is the greatest equalizer there is. If provided with the same educational opportunities, differentiation between socioeconomic strata would cease to exist. Education provides us with the freedom to have our own individual thought processes, to challenge our institutions, and demand more equality. A lot of the wars that are being fought today are age old – take the Middle East for example. There is no easy solution, no right way. But with comprehensive understanding on both sides of the issue, a lot of headway can be made.

The transformation of the world into a “global village” through the internet comes with many benefits, but also many harsh realities that we need to confront head-on.

The advent of “fake news” in the place of real fact is causing a big information divide in the world today. Conspiracy theorists pounce on every opportunity to further their twisted agenda. The ever-widening scope of the internet and the boom of technology has ensured that information reaches all corners of the globe. But, the question remains: how much of that information is accurate?

People who have a higher level of education are more likely to be able to separate fact from fiction. However, the dark corners of the web ensnare many unsuspecting and gullible people, who, without a proper education, do not know that they are being fooled. The solution to a lot of discord and conflict in these times is simply proving your points with real data from reputed sources. This data can be found if you have access to a good education, thus leading to equality in this era which is dominated by the likes of social networking sites.

However, we do have many benefits of an open and free internet, which is used by the old and young alike to increase their knowledge of their areas of interest. At times, the internet is a brilliant method of combining various interest areas to create something truly revolutionary and interdisciplinary.

Massive online open courses (or MOOCs) are gaining popularity. There are YouTube tutorials and various certifications that can be done on the internet, making e-learning a viable and cost -effective method of study. This can be done from the comfort of your home, and is also portable, and can be done while commuting. Access to the internet is largely free from socio-economic divide as there is now a cellphone in most households in even the most rural parts of the world. The internet is akin to the world’s largest library, where information of any and all kinds can be found with just a click of the button. Information is being more freely disseminated. In India, the Right to Information Act has brought about greater transparency.

Thus, while the internet has a dark side, it is also a haven for knowledge and is incredibly useful in long distance learning at affordable prices and convenient times.

The world of academia is being revolutionized by social media, the boom of the internet and large companies which are producing educational material online. Education is also a great tool in the eradication of notions like superstitions which are in direct contravention to the principles of modern science and technology. Many of these superstitions and beliefs act as a hindrance to the economic growth and prosperity of people of that region. A good education teaches us that the harder we work, the luckier we get. Our effort and endurance determine how well we do at a particular task, not an unknown supernatural force.

I believe that once every child gets access to a quality education, only then will we be moving forward in the direction of true equality. I believe that it is our social and moral responsibility to do as much as we can to help underprivileged children secure education that will help them to become financially independent and reduce the growing inequality. For the last seven years, I have been raising funds for an Indian NGO called Aseema which works with the education of underprivileged kids. As a national level gold medalist in swimming, I have been swimming and running marathons from 2012 to 2018 to raise funds. In the last two years, I have raised almost 2,00,000 INR (nearly 2200 GBP). These funds were used to sponsor the education of children, as well as additional costs such as uniforms, textbooks, stationery and so on.

Education is a powerful tool – it spreads happiness, joy, prosperity and light. It dispels ignorance and illiteracy and hate and greed. But most of all, it is a primary tool which is absolutely necessary for the rise of equality.