Education is Key

Education has been, and will always be the key to one's success. Knowledge is power; hence, the more you know, the more you are capable of achieving. This explains why the majority of the world puts so much emphasis on schooling and learning. Parents work long hours so that they are able to send their kids to school to learn things and develop skills that may very well lead to their success and well-being in the future. In today's society, one would indeed be at a disadvantage without a good education.

Because of the vast importance and significance of education, it is made available to the general public for little or no cost, via government funding. Everyone has a right to learn and develop his/her talents. Citizens and residents pay taxes and a lot of this money is used to help fund public education in countries such as United States. I'm sure we are all very aware that governments may at times be corrupt and make decisions in their own best interest, driven by selfishness. The government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the people. In other words, any government is supposed to put its country and citizens first, but this is not always the case. The fact that governments are corrupt is evident in countries such as Haiti and Nicaragua, where the citizens suffer because of the government's selfishness.

Here in America, education is taken seriously. However, in recent times, standards have fallen and persons have grown increasingly lazy. The "No Child Left Behind" act implemented by George Bush, the former president, seeks to ensure that every child achieves a certain standard of excellence. It is a decent program, but it has its many flaws. I believe that George Bush had good intentions when he established the program, but perhaps more thought and planning should have been put into it. The "No Child Left Behind" policy seems like a way to make it "fair" for all and to prevent and discourage children from failing in school. It gives children a false impression, that they are doing well, when they really are not. The public schools lower standards according to the demographics and make succeeding easier than it really should be. Although students may be reaching the national standard, when they compete internationally, they sometimes fall short.

The "No Child Left Behind" policy seems to be prevalent in only the public schools. In a video on the Inspired Musings blog by Natasha Olivera, a teacher in the public school system was fed up with the education system and voiced her opinion by listing all the flaws of the policy. One of the major flaws she listed included the fact that schools whose students do not achieve the national standard receive less funding than schools who do make the grade. It obviously makes sense for students who are failing to receive more help to get them to the point where they should be, hence, no one left behind.

Education is the key to anyone's success, simply because what you know determines where you go. The public education system has its flaws and these need to be addressed as soon as possible. It is important for students to receive the best education possible, with no strings attached and no setbacks.


Jarrod Knowles