School: Topfaith International Secondary School, Akwa Ibom
15 Years. Female
Benjamin Franklin once said that Education breaks the bond of ignorance and the yoke of poverty. This statement is true beyond doubt, and in the present age stands undisputed. The importance of education in our fast developing planet cannot and should not be overemphasized.
Education has the power to change people, families, communities, villages, states, countries, continents and the world at large. Proper education brings freedom from penury, leads to world class development and uncommon transformation. The definitions have an unmistakable and conspicuous link. Education can simply be defined as the training of one’s mind, body and soul. It is the process of acquiring in-depth knowledge not just in one field or aspects but in all those available to mankind.
Education brings freedom from penury. Every year, in different countries around the world, thousands of people die from starvation, disease and even thirst. It is simply sickening to know that people in impoverished countries such as South Sudan still die in spades as a result of disease like malaria, dut to lack of resources and technical know-how to rid themselves of this dreadful disease. Poverty in every sense of the word breeds death and destruction. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a place or person does not possess monetary value when he or she is poor. It simply means that he or she does not have what it takes to excel financially, academically, psychologically, and otherwise. The only solution humanly possible to the complete extinction of poverty is education. When a person has a high and remarkable intelligence quotient, the products of such will be glaring. In a place where there is a great number or even a handful of such people, poverty alleviation is sure and development is sure to be seen.
Education brings freedom from vices, poor social activities such as stealing, pick-pocketing, quarrelling, fighting and others are practices that should, as hard as it may seem, be eliminated from any settlement. Education differs from training. Education is a lot more advanced and more complex. One can train an animal and get it to recognise orders such as sit, jump, wag, your tail, and a lot more. Whereas, it is rare and almost impossible to hear of a highly educated animal that can read and write. That, although fascinating would be highly ridiculous and remains a sheer waste of time, which is exactly the reason why human beings are different, in the sense thst education and knowledge imparted on a person can never remain null, except the educated one deems it fit to make it so. Animals are usually noisy and wreck havoc wherever they go (especially the untrained ones), perhaps the reason for the expression ‘Living like cat and dog’. Vices such as fighting, bickering, rancour, and hatred are presented perfectly in these animals and these are the very same ones that are slowly and stealthily creeping into our once and still beautiful world. The presence of education in any form has the unparalleled capacity to sweep away all forms of vices. If a person is educated, whether formally or informally, such a person no matter the level of poverty would al least know that engaging in such anti-social activities is degrading and with determination and that mindset would completely shun them. That means reduced crime rate and disorderliness, which brings about advancement in all aspects.
Education lengthens lifespan and reduces mortality. Death has been in existence from the creation of the world and although the days and ways vary from religion to religion. The undisputable fact is that death is real and unfathomable. With education, whether formal or informal, mankind has been able to keep mortality rate in check. Medicine and healing have been derived from various sources over the ages from various types of plants and herbs to locally produced drugs and from those to chemical and high technology pills. Now we have life support machines, oxygen tanks, blood banks and a whole lot. The world, our world is waxing stronger technologically and will no doubt attain a level of advancement that no one has ever imagined. This is a product of education.
In a nutshell, education can change not only the people in the world but the world itself. It builds, heals, protects, develops and creates people who will in turn offer the same advantages to our planet Earth. Its advantages are countless and its acquisition therefore should never be toyed with. Education is important beyond words and an investment in it always fields the best interest. It makes us who are, and we make the world what it is; a beautiful place. Education is one of the strongest weapons that mankind has ever wielded. Education truly is the path to freedom and the future.