Why prioritising education?

Why should education be prioritised? Nelson Mandela in his book A Long Walk to Freedom mentioned that education was necessary to realise the importance of education in liberating his people, he also mentioned the tremendous negative impacts that suffered his nation because of unequal access to education. He also writes that education is the 'great engine of development' which is undeniable. It is through education 'a daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, and the child of a farm worker can become the President of a great nation'.
One of the best examples is the present Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Atiur Rahman who was once unable to purchase an admission test form (around 150 BDT) for a cadet college of Bangladesh. But today, he is the decision maker for many crucial matter with regard to the national economy of Bangladesh. He is working for the emancipation of millions of poverty stricken people in Bangladesh. In fact, it is education which made him possible working for the millions of poor people. That is why education is synonymous with change.
Let me share my example, how education changed my life.  Today I could not be more than a day labourer. Being born in an illiterate, poverty stricken family in one of the remotest villages in Bangladesh, life has taught me there is no alternative to education for the emancipation of poverty, hunger, and illiteracy. And consequently, despite being an extremely poor orphan since early childhood having no food, no cloths, no shelter, no healthcare and no guardian at all, no impediment was able to stop my high desire for education.
To pursue that, sometimes I had to work as a day labourer, as a rickshaw puller and mostly as a house tutor to bear my educational and other expenses. Through hard struggle and dedication, I completed honour's and master's degree in International Relations from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2011 and 2012 respectively. After that by means of SAARC Silver Jubilee Scholarship, I was able to pursue my second master's in the same discipline from the South Asian University, New Delhi in 2014.
Since access to education was a dream to me, my only dream and passion was to be an academic so that I could contribute in reaching light of education to millions through my teaching and writing. Finally my dream came true through joining as a founding faculty member in International Relations Department at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh in November 2014.
Now, I can reach out the light of education to many. In fact, it is education which brought me in today's position. Actually, education is something which can change anything, any society, nation and country and our world. Hence, Nelson Mandela defines education as 'the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world'. In addition, 'Education gives people the power to reflect, make reasoned choices, and improve their lives'-what Nobel laureate Amartya Sen describes as human capabilities. Hence, there is no alternative to access to quality education.
Despite knowing the utility of education, it is quite ironic that millions of children are out of school worldwide. There is a growing gap regarding access to education in North and South. Unfortunately, many poor nations are unable to provide even basic education for their children. For instance, 'A 5-year-old in Finland and a 5-year-old in the United Kingdom can each expect to attain about 20 years of education, whereas their counterparts in Cambodia, Mali, and Mozambique can expect to complete no more than five or six years of school. Out of every 100 girls who enroll in primary school in Mali, only 30 actually finish, compared to 100 percent of girls in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovenia' (Ruth Kagia 2006:192).
In an increasingly interconnected world, helping these nations get light of education should be the moral responsibility for the international community for their own interests as access to quality education will certainly be imperative for world peace and stability.
It is also pertinent to note that the number one MDG goal is to end extreme poverty and hunger. But 'global poverty cannot be reduced unless the knowledge and skill gaps across and within countries are narrowed dramatically'. Hence, it is time for the world community to give a thought to the accessibility of quality education for a peaceful, prosperous world.
Finally, if I look at Bangladesh, enough appreciation goes to the current government for the tremendous improvement in the education sector despite having questions over quality. Another achievement is that Bangladesh is the only country in South Asia, after Sri Lanka, that has achieved gender parity in education.
Needless to say from Prime Minister to a day labourer, each and everybody knows that it is only education which can bring changes. It is undeniable that education is the pre-condition for any kind of development, peace and prosperity of the entire human kind. And hence, although enough appreciation goes to the present education ministry for the immense improvement in the education sector but many more things need to be done like new schools (pre-school, primary and secondary) establishment in deprived areas, ensuring adequate safety net measures to sustain full completion of education for a prosperous, well-educated, enlightened Bangladesh. I dream that one day there will be no more illiterate person in the world, and hence no more poverty and hunger. Can't we make that world?
The writer is lecturer at Department of
International Relations, University of Rajshahi, [email protected].