Education, a fundamental human right that encompasses knowledge, is yet a right that remains unfulfilled in most parts of the world. Though progress has been made as the world advances with time, many children are still deprived of education. Bridging this divide is hence a growing concern today.
Among the many reasons that hinders equal access to education, poverty remains an unresolved matter. This is a barrier that affects children at large as parents are forced to prioritize survival over schooling while having to engage children in labour for more income. With poverty, arises more challenges such as limitations in educational resources, poor infrastructure and the lack of trained teachers. Moreover, some communities with conventional standards disapprove girls from being educated while confining them in households. Not just gender but certain traditions among ethnic groups have restricted equal access to education.
However, the right to education does not entirely depend on the ability to enrol in a school and maintain attendance. It is also about the outcomes that are received through this education which are evident through the improvement of literacy rates. The quality of education should thereby be ensured as mere schooling does not contribute towards the right to education. With the progression of society, it is not just the elites who benefit from education today. Yet, there are children who have been entirely stripped away from their will to be educated.
Accordingly, the gap between the privileged and the under-privileged should be bridged in terms of education. Tailored initiatives such as implementing community-based programmes that expose children to learning materials and technological integration by introducing the importance of digital literacy to both children and adults are ways of making education more accessible to these impoverished communities. Thus, the contribution of NGOs, governments and local communities are key.
In essence, the right to education is not merely a matter of policy but a collaborative commitment to create literate generations. By dismantling the barriers which restrict equal access to education, the global society is able to pave the way towards universal education. It is a challenging mission, but with unwavering dedication, this gap can be bridged to ensure that education becomes a beacon of hope for all.
Leo Sevni Jayasinghe
