The Value of Education by Kierstin

The Value of Education by Kierstin - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

Standing up before a school-wide audience, I would give a speech about the value of education. The true value and meaning of education is often bogged down and forgotten in the obsession over grades, SAT and ACT scores, competing to get into the best schools and choosing a major that will enable one to get a high paying job. There is nothing inherently wrong with these desires, but they do not embody the real purpose of education. I am a high school student myself, so I know how easy it is to forget this in the midst of tests, projects, and especially the college application process. Even so, students shouldn’t let these things become so important that they lose sight of the point of education. As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, education is “the knowledge and development resulting from an educational process” (Merriam-Webster, 1b). The two key words in this definition are ‘knowledge’ and ‘development’ and I would use these words as the basis of my speech.
Knowledge is “the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association” (Merriam-Webster, 1a). The idea that education gives people knowledge seems obvious, but it is a fact that is often overlooked by students. Most people attend school for about 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, from September to June. Throughout this time, it is all too easy to get overwhelmed with hard material and start to worry about grades and GPA. When students prioritize these things, they start to view learning new things only as the next step to passing an exam, which can in turn prevent students from synthesizing the information they are learning with the world around them. Students should not retain information simply to pass the next test, but because it is important and useful information that helps us to understand the world around us and the worlds of those who lived before us. The knowledge that is imparted to students in school is the same knowledge that they will use in the future to get jobs, help others, and make a meaningful contribution to their communities and to society as a whole.
Development is defined as “A specified state of growth or advancement” (Oxford Dictionary, 1.1). Education, specifically the school environment, is also beneficial for character development. School is where students learn to work together towards a common goal through group projects and clubs. Teachers become role models, daily displaying values and behavior that the students will eventually emulate as they grow. Students attain universal critical thinking skills that will help them become responsible and thoughtful individuals once on their own. They will learn overtime how to balance their responsibilities and spend their time wisely, between homework and studying, eating and sleeping, and relaxing and spending time with friends and family. When students focus only on grades and performance, it is hard to see the point to all the stress and work. Having the right perspective on education will make the trouble worthwhile and allow students to get more out of their education in the long term. The first few years of schooling, from pre-school to 3rd grade, are perhaps the most pivotal years when children learn to read and write. Without this basic knowledge, they would not be able to interact with the world around them. Reading is the best way to educate oneself as it allows an individual to go places they’ve never gone and have experiences vicariously through the lives of brilliant people who lived millions of years before.
Education is truly a luxury that is often taken for granted to the point where it is devalued, especially when one considers that there are countries in the world where education is either not a right or it is banned. In my freshman year of high school, I read the book I am Malala, written by Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani girl who had a narrow escape from death after being shot on her way to school for promoting education. I found it to be very thought-provoking. I have the privilege of going to school every day without the fear of being attacked or killed for it. Many people often complain about having to get up early and learn things that they deem useless, having hard teachers in a certain subject, or about taking classes that don’t interest them. However, students should be grateful for their education and the fact that they can partake in it freely and wholeheartedly if they so choose. Education allows society to defend itself against harmful ideas and help those around them in a meaningful way. In a quote by Malala Yousafzai, she says “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.” There isn’t anything worthwhile that can be done in ignorance. It is only when people are educated that they can fight for themselves and use their knowledge to do help others. Doctors and nurses use their knowledge to save lives. Architects and engineers use their knowledge to build houses and buildings. Historians and English professors use their knowledge to help others to understand where they came from and the ideologies and discoveries that created the world in existence today. Knowledge never goes to waste and character development lasts for a lifetime. This is why the power of education is the most valuable tool a society can wield.