I believe that
education is one of the most important, if not the most important, concepts of
the contemporary world. Education is one of the most valuable possessions that
one could hold, and in this light it is therefore one of the most basic human
rights and well as being a fundamental part of all cultures and societies to
various degrees. It is also important to note that not all education systems
are the same around the world. Whilst in most cultures an education requires
children to complete a least a primary school education (as is also required by
the UN’s declaration of human rights), it will also include a more holistic
teaching where people (usually from childhood) can learn how to be inquisitive,
independent and a valued contributor into their own societies. I would like to
discuss in this essay about the various forms of education, it’s effect on
different cultures and societies, why it is important to me, and how it could
relate to my major, conflict resolution.
Education can take
on many different forms, depending on your country, culture, religion, values
and upbringing to name a few. However, the four main concepts that I will look
at will be historical influences, my personal culture, my identity and the
human rights perspective on education. Historically speaking, education as
existed in some form or another since birth of the modern man. However, if I
look into the education system of New Zealand as an example, there have been an
infinite number of changes that have occurred in even the last 50 years. I
believe this can be attributed to the technological advances. This means that
education has gone from sitting at desks to interactive laptops and tablets,
which have allowed students to continuously learn either in or out of the
classroom.
There are strong
human rights policies and initiatives in many countries involving education,
one of them being the UN declaration of human rights. Aside from this however,
many other countries such as New Zealand and Australia have policies also,
which do not let you leave school until 16 years old. This is because you have
the right to receive an education so you are able to make informed decisions
about your future, as well ensuring that you will be an valuable person in
society through the skills and knowledge that school will also teach you. I
believe that my personal culture and my identity with education are very
interlinked. Both encourage a high quality of learning, and for the purpose of
not only learning facts but to be inquisitive of the world around me, as well
as encouraging to be an active citizen of my society. However my identity is
that I am Christian and went to a Christian school, therefore my added values
to education included some moral teachings that relate to Christianity. As well
as this, I am a university student to further my education, which, in my
culture is not deemed necessary to be successful.
I believe that
education is one of the best factors to determine the health and reflection of
a country or society. A well-educated society will ensure high employability,
lower crime rates, better government services (such as schools and hospitals)
to name a few. One of the most important factors of an education system is the
need for it to be inclusive for everyone. Social and cultural differences play
a huge part in ensuring that everyone receives the same standard of education.
In New Zealand, any learning difficulties at primary school are assisted
through extra mentorship or one-on-one time. At NCEA level, students may choose
non “academic” subjects, rather teaching subjects that are skills or social
based in order to be set up for a job after their schooling ends. With many
Maori people, as well as Pacifica people living in New Zealand it’s important
that schools can be inclusive of these cultural differences. In this case there
are culturally rich subjects that can be taken (such as Te Reo Maori) or
different cultural perspectives that have been incorporated into subjects like
Tourism or Media Studies (NZQA, n.d).
It is my personal
belief and part of my values that everyone has the right to an education,
regardless of factors such as gender, ethnicity or age and that everyone
deserves to have a learning experience that is appropriate to their needs and
culture. These rights can be observed through several UN declarations. However,
it is also my belief that educations after secondary school, such as university
qualifications are a privilege that should be earned. Therefore one of the
responsibilities of a university student is to be involved with the local
community. One journal article suggests that tertiary students must be active
citizens of the community due to their potential future leadership roles, as
well as giving students a more rounded education through these participations
(Billings, M S & Terkla, D G, 2014). I suggest two options to encourage
students to do this, firstly make a certain number of community hours mandatory
before graduation (just like the IB system) and secondly, universities need to
make active connections with community projects to encourage an effective
participation.
My main discipline
that I am studying is Conflict Resolution, and this major examines how conflict
is caused, whether on a personal, family, community or political level. It then
looks at the possible ways we could negate this. Education has definitely been
a point of conflict, in a discipline such as Conflict Resolution; we look at
questions such as who is able to receive an education? How long should it be
mandatory? Are people who have disabilities or learning difficulties receiving
the same quality education than those who don’t need help? These are the
questions that someone who would do Sociology would ask as well. One
historically influential moment in education was the set up of the Residential
Schools for American Indians, by colonizers, in the United States and Canada.
Unfortunately this was used to “assimilate” the Native Americans into a
Eurocentric ideal. This education movement was a huge cause of conflict as the
abuse that occurred in these schools still leaves scars within the indigenous people
of America today. These days, North America and other countries with indigenous
peoples are looking at policies to be far more inclusive and respectful of
indigenous cultures (Churchill, 2004). Other disciplines such as psychology
would instead of looking at the effects of education from a societal point of
view, would rather look at it in the view of the individual.
In conclusion,
education and our education systems are an absolute essential part of not only
our culture but also everyone’s culture and society, regardless of our
different beliefs. Without education, there would be no way our society could
develop into a better future. This is not only for the collection of knowledge,
but education creates better, empathic and thought provoking individuals.
Education will continue to develop, as it is an ever-changing sphere,
especially with the release of new technology. It is therefore our duty as
citizens to ensure that everyone gets the most assessable and quality education
possible.
Word count: 1,190
References
Billings, M S
& Terkla, D G. (2014). The Impact on Campus Culture on Students’ Civic
Activities, Values and Beliefs. New
Directions for Institution Research, 162. doi:10.1002/ir.20076
Churchill, W. (2004). Kill the Indian, Save the Man. San
Francisco, CA: City Lights Books.
NZQA (n.d.) Maori Program Development Support.
Retrieved 7 June, 2016, from http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/maori/field-maori-programme-development-support/
