On a hot day at the peak of summer four young children are hunched over gasping for breath as they work in the fields all day everyday with dust and sweat stinging their eyes. They look up and see children their age in brightly colored clothes spotting the road on their way to school. The children stop and look in awe and jealousy. But they quickly get back to work pushing their dreams aside.

This is a reality for too many children in poor, poverty stricken countries. But every child should have the right to an education no matter what they come from. Education provides so many things for a child and the community. If you educate a child you can educate the world.

My first reason why education should be more accessible for children in third-world countries, is that school gets children out of the fields in harsh working conditions and reduces the amount of child labor in the world. According to the UN Convention for the rights of a child, “All children have the right to free and good quality primary education.” Today it is estimated that around 125 million children are stuck in child labor and don’t have the gift of an education.

It is clear that girls face greater challenges and many girls are expected to stay home in the fields and pay for the boys to get an education. For girls make up two thirds of the population of illiterate children. Many challenges face children and families relating school such as hidden fees, teacher abuse, transportation to and from school and in some cases bribery.

These problems need to be addressed making education more accessible. Many people and activists are working so very hard to provide an education for all children. One of the most famous and impactful is Malala Yousafzai. She lives in Pakistan and has reached many people with her fight for accessible education.

My second reason why education should be more attainable for children in third world countries is that when the public educates children and women it has a lasting effect and can greatly impact the community. In places like South and West Asia and the Sub-Saharan Africa education is in great need. But when children are educated the community can gain so much. It was shown that two out of every three children not attending school were girls. That’s three people that can’t help to change the community for future generations.

A study done by the UN showed that women’s education lead to greater social and economic development in poor countries. Further research shows that between 1970 and 1995 women’s education lead to a 44% percent reduction in children malnutrition in developing countries. Other benefits include children marrying at an older age, raising healthy children, protecting themselves against disease, have smaller families helping the poverty rates, and well educated women are more likely to send their own daughters to school continuing the education cycle.

Anothy J. D’Angelo once said “Develop a passion for learning. If you do you will never cease to grow.” It is because of this that an education for children is so important. Because of the many benefits including a reduction in child labor and deaths due to child labor, and the impact one person or one educated group can have on a community. While it may seem like a distant dream that education can be reached to children in third-world countries, with every step we take to change we are one step closer to getting there.

 

 

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