The Fundamental Role of Education in Human Life
For most people living in developed countries, education in one form or another is an affordable way to prepare themselves for life and start a career. Many people can even choose the best education options for their children. Of course, basic training in reading, writing, and numeracy is a necessary minimum for everyone. In his essay, Jonathan Kozol argues that completely uneducated people cannot manage their lives, integrate into society, provide security, and have no “freedom to select” (Kozol 119).
However, is it enough to give a child a primary education to become a full member of a democratic society? Perhaps it is not only a matter of knowledge and erudition, but it cannot be denied that a person’s mental freedom begins when he can make decisions, choose his path, and think critically. All this is possible only when he has access to quality education and a good variety of literature.
The role of education in our lives is enormous, and we often realize its importance long after we have graduated from school or university. Of course, some children are attached to books and literature from early childhood; they crave knowledge and try to get it from all available sources. Sherman Alexe reflects on how reading saved him when he was a little boy on an Indian reservation in his essay (Alexe 131).
However, he fully realized the significance of his passion only as an adult. He became a teacher and educator, bringing freedom and the light of knowledge to other children. His perception of literature as an entity that can save lives is quite emotional, but in general, reflects the intensity of the influence of books and knowledge on human life.
On the other hand, education and literature may come into an individual’s life much later. For example, the life of Malcolm X was not easy from childhood; he knew injustice and racial discrimination as a teenager. He was separated from the resources that could help him reach his potential and become free and mature. However, once in prison, he paradoxically loses external freedom and gains internal space with access to knowledge and books (X). Of course, in an ideal world, every child should have the opportunity to use various educational resources and support from society from childhood.
How Knowledge and Literacy Shape Identity and Worldview
The power of knowledge and literature lies precisely in the fact that they will change the life of anyone who wants to touch them, and age is not a significant hindrance here. There must be two factors: resources for development are available, and a person is motivated to master them. For this, building a competent state policy in the education field is necessary, as well as not ignoring the existing problems and doing only the essential minimum.
The ability to read labels and road signs is a critical skill. However, a person becomes completely free and independent only when he can take any book, read it, critically evaluate this information, and make conclusions and judgments. This is how literature and education change us from within, and then we change the world around us, making it better.
Freedom Through Education: A Personal Argument
As Diane Ravitch wrote, “The central purpose of education is to prepare everyone to assume the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy” (Ravitch 109). Along with knowledge, opportunities come into our lives, and so does responsibility for the future of ourselves and our country. Perhaps the ideal of education is unattainable, and some people will always be cut off from these opportunities. However, it is essential to maintain the status of education and access to knowledge as fundamental human rights. The more people who receive a quality education and achieve mental freedom, the more likely humanity will live in free and developed democratic societies and uphold the proper moral and cultural ideals.
Works Cited
Alexe, Sherman. “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me.” The Most Wonderful Books: Writers on Discovering the Pleasures of Reading, Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, MN, 1997.
Kozol, Jonathan. “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society.” Illiterate America, Plume, Published by the Penguin Group, Penguin Books USA, 1986, pp. 114–123.
Ravitch, Diane. “The Essentials of a Good Education.” Learning Power, 2014, pp. 105–112.
X., Malcolm, et al. “Learning to Read.” The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Grove Press, New York (N.Y.), 1965.