Education is one of the fundamental rights of every citizen in most countries. Education plays a significant role in the overall development of the child. Education and Literacy shape the future of the country.
Unfortunately, millions of children across the world are deprived of their right to education for various reasons. Especially children in under-developed countries have a lower education rate. United Nation’s 4th SDG is to make quality education accessible to all despite all the differences.
Data and Research shows striking inequalities in the literacy rate for women and men. One of the major concerns of this goal is to make education equal to both girls and boys. Girls in developing and under-developed countries drop out of school at a very young age for various reasons.
Over the past centuries, education has taken the form of a ‘forbidden fruit’ to many individuals. Like history tells us, education and knowledge were accessible to those belonging to higher caste or race. In several places, people belonging to lower castes were forbidden access to education for hundreds of years. People with mental and physical disabilities have always been treated differently and denied of the education they deserve.
Now with the world and world-beliefs changing slowly, more and more children are getting educated and spreading the word. Yet, we have millions of people to inspire and educate across the world. To make Quality Education accessible to all, we must do our best to inspire and create awareness about the significance of Education.
We have listed out a few simple ways in which we could help the less fortunate around us get the education they deserve.
Changes don’t happen unless you take charge. Talk to people who have similar interest and the drive to do something good for the community. Gather in underprivileged kids who are willing to learn in and around your locality and teach them. Talk to their parents about your initiative/plan and get them on board. Teach them basics like Numbers and English alphabets. This initiative would make the kids want to learn more and go to schools. Ignite the spark of learning in these kids; they would be grateful to you forever.
If the kids go to schools during the day, you could tutor them and help them with subjects they find difficult in the evenings. Alongside, teach them something new and creative to keep their interest alive. U&I Org is an organization that tutors underprivileged kids across several cities in India. You could join them and help them make a better impact. Organizations such as Teach for India and Make A Difference do a wonderful job of providing quality education to underprivileged children. You can also opt for volunteering in such organizations.
Talk to the Parents
Many kids tend to drop out of school at a very early age. It is usually because of the underlying problems of poverty and unemployment. Talk to parents about the schools and other government facilities. Show them how education could change their kid’s life, the amount of opportunities they would be getting.
Emphasize on the positives of gaining knowledge could be for their kids; give them real-life examples to help them understand better. Inform them about various government schemes and scholarships offered by the government that could be beneficial for their child. Educate the parents about the potential of their kid, wide range of courses he/she could choose from and study. Speak to them about employment of their child and how their financial situation would improve.
Most of the government schools have a limited number of teachers and a large number of students. This makes the teachers overburdened and hence they seldom update their skills. Work with the government and local governing bodies to train teachers. Train the existing teachers about several creative methods to teach students.
Speak to teachers about the problem they are facing. Motivate teachers to teach the kids; it would make all the difference. With the help of NGOs and local government, you could counsel teachers and teach them about innovative methods to make children learn better. Gandhi Fellowship is one such opportunity to explore if you are interested in Train the Teachers program.
Advocate and Spread Awareness
The only way in which we could increase the number of students getting their education is to advocate for them. We have to raise awareness about the importance and significance of education. Speak to parents and communities and tell them, by educating the children, we have a chance to improve their lifestyle and future.
NGO’s like Teach for India offers fellowships to graduate students to teach under-privileged kids countrywide. This initiative helps in proving mentors to kids and helps them getter a better perspective of what they would do in the future. If you are passionate about teaching, research on fellowships like this and sign up. It would be an experience that you and the kids would cherish.
These are a few ways in which we could help the future citizens get the education they deserve. This way, we are not only helping with their education, but also with their entire future. Teaching is a rewarding and noble work; it is a stepping stone to developing the country.