The Right To Equal Education For All Essay

The Right to Equal Education for All

According to Francis Bacon, “Knowledge is power.” Across the world, not all children have equal access to the education enabling that power. Because different countries have opposing viewpoints, all education systems are not the same. Many cultures discriminate against women or the disabled attending school, or they provide poor quality education. This paper explores what it means to provide “equal” education, disparities limiting education, and improvements some countries are making in the schools.

Equal Quality Education

How do we measure a country’s educational success? By literacy rates? Enrollment rates? What exactly is primary education? What is the goal of education? All of these questions

Parents of children in poor, rural areas of developing countries often view education to be “useless” (Trani, J. et al, 2012). They see their children going away to school each day when they could instead be working for the family’s gain: going to school does not put food on the table. For example, Niger, West Africa, is an extremely poor country where 40% of children are malnourished. Facing the realities of no food, no health care, and no money, Niger has a weak teaching force that cannot keep up with the educational needs of the country (Greany, K, 2008). Poverty, affecting especially those living in rural parts of developing countries, is a leading cause of the lack of education in some countries. However, L.K. Mcmillan notes that poverty may reduce a child’s ability to attend school, but education reduces the level of poverty (2010). The cycle could possibly end with a higher enrollment rate.

Gender

Gender discrimination is another reason not all education is equal. This type of discrimination is prominent in Africa and Asia. For example, Niger, West Africa, has not ratified the African Women’s Protocol, putting women in a low position of power (Greany, K, 2008). A common viewpoint there is that girls are meant to be housewives, and the only reason they should attend primary school is to make them better mothers. Many girls in West Africa cannot attend school, and

American school systems are following civil rights laws to provide equal education to all students, regardless of race, gender, or disability (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). In Niger, West Africa, the Niger Education Support Program has been established to increase the quality of education and the number of citizens in attendance. Also, a rights-based approach in Africa is under wat to provide equal education to women and change the cultural view on the role of the woman (Greany, K, 2008). Worldwide, the Human Rights-Based Approach focuses on poverty reduction and raising the quality of education (Mcmillan, L.K., 2010). With these improvements, it’s important not only that the rules are made, but that policymakers and governments work to enforce those rules (Greany, K,