The Value of Education by holly

The Value of Education by holly - July 2022 Scholarship Essay

Education is central to the lives of so many children and young adults, and it prepares them for their lives and professions after school and for adulthood. Due in part to the pandemic, education has recently been on the decline, and seems much less important to both students and teachers. In the next ten years, I hope to see a change in the value we place on education, as students, teachers, and as a society.

Students no longer seem to understand or care about the importance and significance of education. Students shirk responsibility and receive little to no consequences, so they never learn to regret their choices. Education needs to change the way it approaches misbehaving or indifferent students, in order to better convey to students the importance of the education they are belittling.

Due to the difficult and challenging nature of teaching during the pandemic, many teachers seem much less invested in what they are teaching. With little pay for strenuous and taxing work, less people turn to teaching as a profession. A teacher is paid immeasurably in the connections they form with their students and the rewarding feeling of knowing how they have impacted a child’s life. Even so, these rewards can be more difficult to obtain with online or hybrid learning, and for someone who has never experienced these feelings, teaching seems dull or unrewarding. Over the next ten years, I hope to see a change in the way education and society’s view on teaching. Higher pay for teachers and more respect and esteem for teaching as a profession will draw more individuals to this field. Engaged and excited teachers will engage and excite students, and create a happier and more effective learning environment.

In many towns such as my own, even the school district seems to place more emphasis on sports and even extracurriculars rather than education. Districts brag about their sports programs and facilities, robotics labs, and arts programs, and profusely fund these areas, and in response the quality of the education they provide seems to get lost in the shuffle. In the next ten years, I hope to see an increase in the value society places on education. If we value education more, regard for teaching as a profession will increase, attracting teachers, perhaps increasing their pay, and changing how students view their education. If society values education more, students will also value their education more, leading to them paying more attention and putting their best effort forth.

Over the past few years, the value of education seems to have depreciated. Over the next decade, my hope is that this will change, and students, teachers, and society as a whole will realize the significance of education and appreciate its true worth. Education is priceless in its benefits to an individual and to their future, and I hope that this becomes more widely recognized and respected.