By Virtue of Living, One Shall Learn by Kaitlyn

By Virtue of Living, One Shall Learn by Kaitlyn - January 2021 Scholarship Essay

The progression of the human race has been facilitated immensely by our subtle and sophisticated way of interacting with the world. We draw conclusions from our experiences, and we create generalizations based on our observations. Knowledge and the potential to wield it is a rare tool - a weapon that will not draw blood, a curiosity that sets humans apart from the multitudes of species on Earth. Every human is entitled to their own nature by virtue of living, so why deny them what is naturally theirs? It is a responsibility, an obligation, if a government is to govern, to provide opportunities for education to the best of its ability. Every citizen of every country, regardless of age or origin, is endowed with the right to learn and the right to be educated.
In December 1948, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was intended as a universal regulation regarding the individual rights of citizens of any country in the world. It set a general standard for how people are meant to be justly treated in every aspect of their lives. Among a ban of slavery, prohibitions of arbitrary punishments, and regulations requiring religious freedom, lies Article 26. “Everyone has the right to education.” It is simple, to the point. There is no ambiguity, no room for debate in that sentence. It clearly defines the rights of an individual to get an education, and it also defines the government’s responsibility to create such an opportunity. It is not something that can be taken away and justified as a punishment. It cannot be taken away and justified in any manner.
However, rights are not indelible. Being defined as a right does not protect it. Rights most definitely can be taken away - the very definition of a tyrannical or incompetent government. The lack of priority directed towards education is a lack of investment in the future, and it signifies a government that will not last long. If education is declared a privilege, rather than a right, it is considered expendable, something the future can go without. If education is declared a privilege, it can be justifiably taken away as punishment for lawful insurrections, protests, and strikes. This defines a short-term government with no regard for its future but guarantees complete control and oppression in the present. Education is our prime defense against corruption; dismantling a despotic regime cannot begin until those oppressed learn that the destruction of their individual rights is of no consequence to their government.
The day education is internationally considered an expendable privilege or a prerogative exclusive to select demographics is the day the world submits to tyrannical rulers. It will never reach that point. Humans are entitled to the knowledge they derive from their surroundings and to the knowledge collected over centuries by others. It has been proven time and again that people, when denied education, will go to great lengths to defy that. Education is an undeniable right and is essential for the welfare of all people, regardless of economic station, race, nationality, or gender; it is essential for the future of the world.