Monday, December 15, 2014
Education is often viewed as school in a traditional, formal sense. many people believe that true learning can only take place in formal classroom setting. Others feel education occurs in many different forms and environments. They may not be a definitive answer to the question of "What is education?". However, we can start thinking about the purpose of education. Is it to educate youth to be responsible citizens? Is it to develope individuals, as well as society, in order to ensure a society's economic success? or is it to simplify focus on developing individual talents and intellegence? perhaps it is the balance of all three that defines education? while our answers may differ, we can perhaps agree that education is the basic human right. When that right is granted growth and development, the society as a whole population fertility rates.
As global citizens it is our responsibility to critically think about the issues and attempt to come up with solutions to the problems plaguing education. In 1990, UNESCO launched EFA, the movement to provide quality education for all children, youth, and adults by the years of 2015. The unfortunate reality is that for many countries, larger issues come before improving the quality of education. How can we achieve teh goals of EFA when the numerous countries around the world are faced with challanges that seems far too impossible to overcome? The answer lies in attempting to bridge some of the gaps greater access to technology and narrowing the ever widening digital divide. In many ways, the most basic access to technology can serve as a valuable educational tool. Individuals who are not afforded this access are at disadvantage when trying to grasp opportunities to make life better for themselves, their families, and their community.
