By Arpita Chowdhury
Have you ever thought about how education can bring about a much-needed change in society? Education is not only restricted to the limited textbooks that we read within an educational curriculum. It’s about moving beyond and getting ready for the global arena.
Every student has to right to attain quality education so as to enable themselves to speak their minds and ensure their voices are heard.
Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education aims to provide students with enough resources and create a space where no one is denied education. While various international and local institutions are working to achieve this goal, we need to look deeper into this issue and identify pertinent factors.
Present Conditions:
Source- Business Havard
As we all are aware that the ongoing pandemic situation has created a huge impact on ensuring stable education for every student. While the entire education system has started adopting the online mechanism, the question of inclusivity comes to the fore.
Nearly 60% of the population does not have access to enough internet bandwidth so as to sustain heavy-duty video lecture sessions. In government schools and colleges, there is a dire lack of adequate infrastructure to accommodate the need for resources for students who may not be in a condition to afford internet, laptops or even mobile phones.
Women Education:
Girls have been hit even harder, according to the latest estimates of UN WOMEN and United Nations Development Program nearly 60 million women will be affected severely.
In remote villages, due to the economic slump, most of the girls are made to drop out of their formal education so that they can earn money or help elders in domestic chores.
This is a serious condition that is required to be countered with.
Skill Training:
In today’s globalized world, the need to acquire 21st-century skills is of utmost importance. With the increasing avenues and increase in demand for market-driven skills, students need to be well versed with the latest skills apart from theoretical understanding because this will enable them to vouch for better opportunities and have better economic upscaling.
We need to install a simulation within the school system where there are enough opportunities for students to pursue skills that are of their interest. Skills like coding, MS office, technical training, management etc. are some of the most wanted skills in young individuals.
My own story of contribution:
Image Me with my NGO students
While teaching English to some of the underprivileged students and simultaneously with Tamana Special school, the urge to contribute my bit to the society developed in me. With the support and encouragement of my family and friends, I embarked upon a journey to start my own NGO, at a young age of Jazbaat Foundation at the young age of 19.
The process was not a cakewalk. Arranging funds, resources and designing the entire mechanism was indeed difficult however I never felt the need to give up. A lot of questions were raised as to “How will a young girl run her own NGO? How will she tackle the problem, She will not receive the support” and many more. No matter what came by I believed in my dream to ensure education for all so that each child is able to achieve their dreams and is able to express themselves fearlessly.
Education should not be a luxury:
Thus, while we are embarking upon a global revolution, we still have a long way to go. To be educated is the fundamental right of every individual. Education should be available to all without any cost as our goal is that of equality.
