Is Education the only Solution to Poverty
Imagine a world in which everyone sleeps with their bellies full. A world where everyone can drink clean water and have a roof over their heads. A world in which the less fortunate are taken care of without having to spread out their hands. This is not a far-fetched reality I am talking about, but a reality we must work together to build. Think about it, every educated person is not rich but has a job and a way out of poverty. Education does not guarantee wealth but opens the doors towards it. Education is indeed the only solution to poverty. Now let’s see what exactly is poverty. World bank defines poverty as surviving on less than $1.90 per day. About 800 million people worldwide live in poverty which makes up 11% of the total world population. Factors associated with poverty are:
- Lack of education
- Inadequate health care facilities
- Climatic conditions
- Socio economic situations
- Lack of safe water and nutritious food
Poverty is a difficult cycle to break and it is often passed on from generation to generation. Education and poverty work in a vicious cycle so the more we improve our education standard the more we will be away from the poverty line. Contrary to this we know that not everyone without education is living under poverty but most of the poor are uneducated. Out of all the factors that are mentioned above, if we take education and work on it, we can modify the rest of the factors. Education is an equalizer as this gives equal opportunities for jobs and other resources and skills that person needs not only to survive but thrive. According to an estimate by UNESCO we can lift 17 million people from poverty if they were taught basic reading skills. Education only can bring the world’s poverty to half of what it is now. If a child knows how to read and write and have arithmetic skills he can get a good job in the future thus he will know the solutions to day to day problems , like how to take care of one’s hygiene, how to make safe drinking water and nutritious food available to them thus preventing himself and his family from poverty and giving them a better quality of life. Education not only provides the skills for jobs but also cohesiveness, better communication and confidence. Educated children have less chance to become victims of violence and abuse. They are more likely to invest in improving their communities when they are adults. The follow-on effects of education quickly multiply as the educated children not only benefit themselves but their families and future generations too. Education is a means of leveling the playing field and equalizing the masses. It is the key solution to poverty.
As George Bush once said: ”Education is the key to opportunity and it is a ticket out of poverty.”
