Introduction
It is generally accepted that the amount of education and the quality of education one has directly affect the quality of life one can have. Educated people are in a better position to influence the course of their own lives as well as of their communities; the educated are healthier and less vulnerable, and have a better chance of improving the quality of their lives, not just from one generation to the next, but even within their own lifetime.
We today live in a complex world that has been forged out of the efforts of countless men and women, out of conflict, convergence and synthesis between millions of varied forces in all parts of the world and in all periods of our history. This is a world that contains innumerable political and economic systems, numerous languages and cultures, and an infinite number of opinions, perspectives, and value systems.
And the world continues to get more complex, and changes more and more every day. An important implication of this fact is that every year, millions of children go out into this increasingly complex world to live as well as they can, even when they have no training for this world.
The serious deprivation causes not just millions of unhappy lives, but also has economic and political costs for the society as a whole.
Also, education today needs to be not just a simple curriculum, but an opportunity to gain exposure to the world and its complexities. That, after all, is the essential minimum goal of education: to equip children with the skills of reading, writing, and understanding the basics of all sciences and disciplines, and, most importantly, with the ability to learn, so that they can cope with the demands life makes on them and also have a life that can cope with their demands.
The education system in place in most parts of the world is unable to meet these requirements even partially, and we are faced with the prospect of millions of unsatisfactory lives. We believe this deprivation has serious consequences and must be ended as soon as possible. |