Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness by Emily

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness by Emily - January 2021 Scholarship Essay

Education will always be a right and not a privilege. It is immoral to provide children with anything less than a proper education. The United States declaration of independence clearly states that everyone has the right to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,". If someone has not received a proper education and upbringing, they will not get the right to pursuit of happiness. Humans need education to grow and to learn. If someone wants to become a surgeon or a lawyer, they should have the right to pursue it, regardless of financial troubles or anything holding them back. There is no way to properly control a human's background and control other choices, but it is not a reason to withhold a person from a decent education. Education has grown immensely in the past hundred years, yet it is so far from achieving the end goal. The end goal would be the right of education being enforced all over the world. Lack of an education leads to unemployment, unhealthy relationships, inequality, and many other detrimental events that could be avoided with an education. A good education needs to be recognized as a human right, not a privilege. It is more often than not where low-income families cannot afford college or a private education in their hometown. There are great public schools, but what does a county do when there are only terrible public schools around? They either pay for the private education or can't afford to and go to the public school. A normal middle-class family can barely afford a private education, much less a low-income one.
As teacher increase their standing as a teacher, they are often encouraged to leave and go to private schools. This leaves a lack of qualified, decent teachers in low-income schools, or public schools in general. But to inspire and encourage teens starts with a good teacher. A teacher that sees a child's spark, that encourages and helps them accomplish their goals. With no teachers that inspire students, students are not as likely to feel they are capable to grow and do great things in the world. It is why most doctors, lawyers, and other important professions seem to come from a line of privilege and money, not from a desire to want to be something. Education should always be equal to all individuals. It is still surprising when we hear about a low-income person becoming famous or performing a successful surgery, that it has been ingrained in our minds that someone who is less well off, can't make it in the world. As a community, we must fight for equals rights within education, to see the full potential of all people.