An Appreciation for Education

All around the world, from Argentina to Kenya, many children dream of receiving an education. Here in America, many students of all ages take it for granted.

Sophia Selin, Columnist

Education is greatly taken for granted in most Western cultures; many school-aged kids are not aware of what a privilege an education is. The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) states that only 58 percent of secondary school-aged kids actually attend secondary school. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of education is “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university”

There is a documentary called “On The Way To School;” in this 2015 documentary, several cameramen follow four children aged 11-13 on their journey to school. The reason that I am mentioning this documentary is because these children travel up to four hours to reach their school. While the kids in this documentary are fortunate enough to go to school, their parents and grandparents were not.  

Not only is school a great experience, but it also determines very much whether you will have a successful career later in life. When I hear kids complaining about how much they “hate” school, it irritates and disgusts me.

People of all ages attending elementary school, middle school, high school, or even college need to start to appreciate what they have. It is such a privilege and it is so important to remember that.