While the school year becomes more hectic, our minds often get carried away with how much work we have to do. Some of us wish our breaks were longer as the time just flies. This is relatable among many people, however, with all the tests aside, I will admit that I sometimes take education for granted. Education, while teaching important material, also informs people of useful skills gained while learning material. We are also more aware of the issues many face in the world we live in allowing us to be more creative in the solutions to help fix those issues. Education is something that is never-ending as we learn something new every day, whether it be academic or non-academic. Now, without further ado, let me explain some reasons on why more education can help low-income populations.
Encouraging education may lift many out of poverty:
There are over 250 million children worldwide that do not have access to education causing many to be illiterate and not having the ability to do math at a minimum level. This is all due to one main reason: Poverty. You may have heard this before, but a more educated population has the capability to lift people out of poverty. In economic terms education can fall under human capital which is the experience and skills gained allowing to have more productivity and growth in a society. Investing in human capital can allow individuals to get a good education and learn important skills later landing them a better job. This is because the individual is more productive, resulting in a higher income. With a higher income it could help families who are struggling and help give them a better quality of life. This is why education should not be sacrificed within families that struggle financially as it is something that can help later on.
Education can boost a countries GDP:
Similar to the last point, when a population is more educated, there is more economic stability allowing for the economy to grow. An example of this is in the country of Vietnam, which once had a low education rate among its citizens. It changed this in the 90s where it is now heavily invested in the education system and then had the second fastest growing GDP next to China. There is also a 95% literacy rate which shows how invested the system in Vietnam is. Some research done by an organization called Education Next also suggested that, “across the 50 countries, each additional year of average schooling in a country increased the average 40-year growth rate in GDP by about 0.37 percentage points.” When the GDP of a country grows, it shows that the economy is healthy.
Education can improve health:
In many low-income countries one big issue is malnourishment among kids from ages 1-5. At least one-eight of those children are born malnourished. This is often due to poor nutrition which is connected to poverty and the lack of knowledge around proper nutritional diets for children. A study performed in thirteen different countries showed that an increase in education by 8.7% allowed for more food security and reduced rates of HIV and AIDS. When mothers are more educated they are also more aware of the risks and dangers in pregnancy allowing for safer birth which would also decrease mortality rates. According to a book I read in the past summer, younger children have better survival chances if both parents have education. Just think about it, education can keep so many individuals safe and healthy!
How can we help?
I know this can often be difficult especially since many of us are teens; however, I strongly believe that every little thing can help in the overall improvements of issues we see. To help others learn how to read one solution is donating books. This can be local or international but can make a big difference in someone’s life as reading is essential.
We also cannot ignore COVID-19 which has caused some individuals to have no access to learning during this time within our country and outside the country. Here is a good website to donate books locally:
https://calgaryreads.com/give/donate-books/
If you are looking to donate some books internationally, here is a good website you can use:
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/iro/iroactivities/intlbookdonations
If you have some old books lying around the house that you do not read anymore, I strongly encourage you to donate them as they can help someone else!
Overall, education is something we see as little but can have huge impacts on society later on. It prepares us and helps us learn how to lead later on in life. It helps us not only understand the world, but also it teaches us more about people and can help one’s understanding of diversity. Investing in education is something that can make people better off. I still believe there is a lot of work that needs to be done in education globally as there are still many that need help! With COVID-19 this also has not gotten any easier as some kids do not have access to technology or cannot afford school. Without a doubt, I value education way more and I believe that this issue can improve if we give it more attention!