Education is Power

Power. What do you think of when you think of power? Perhaps the government. Perhaps a leader, a CEO, a headteacher or maybe something or someone completely different. There is no one set definition of power yet it is something that many wish to achieve. Why? Why waste time on achieving a concept? Because with power comes the ability to make change, to impact something you disagree with, to gain the attention and respect needed to achieve your goals. There are many routes to gaining power but the most successful, the original route is education. Education ensures that those who are unaware, learn. That those who do not wish to listen, do. It is an influential device that pushes people to achieve whatever they wish. 

The world we live in faces many threats. We face many threats. It is a planet of imperfections. All man-made. And it will stay that way if we do not teach the people of the future and present what must be done to improve the planet. Global warming is just one of these many threats. The pollution and disgusting way humans have treated the world over the centuries, particularly recently, is immoral and unjust. We know this. This was made clear to us long ago and now we are facing the repercussions. And we are afraid. Yet still what are we doing? What drastic changes are being made to improve the conditions? The answer is not enough. Why are we failing? Because there are those out there who believe it is not their concern. Because there are those out there unwilling to admit that mistakes have been made and we are now paying for it. Because there are those out there who do not care. Because they are uneducated on this situation. If for generations we had been taught through the education system the intricate details of the crisis and the role we play in solving it, would people still be unwilling to change? Would they be able to deny what had been made true through education? The only way that people will learn is if they are taught. 

Education has the power to change minds and hearts, no matter what age those receiving it are. If we began teaching children, whilst they were still young, about climate change, the difference that could be made would be astounding. Children are impressionable, they are easily influenced. Thus providing them with the facts and a will to make a difference will enable them to do so when they are grown. The new generations must carry the torch of those fighting climate change now. This battle is not small nor is it short. It is one we will be fighting for decades to come. We need future generations to be aware of the truth and the best way to ensure that every single person has the information that they need is through the wide-reaching resource that is education. 

People are ignorant. They are unaware of the consequences of their every action. This is not because they lack the knowledge but because they are unwilling to listen to those who speak up. They have not been taught, they have not learnt the truth of the situation so they believe the lies they have been fed. If we want to eradicate this ignorance to ensure that a change can be made then the education system must be utilised. People must grow and learn with the knowledge that they need to make informed decisions and to better our world. We cannot face this battle if we are not equipped with the strategy and the tactics to do so. All of that comes down to our knowledge. To our education. 

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Why learn the geography of a world that is losing its environment? Why learn the history of a dying planet and a dying race? The education system is wide-reaching and encompassing. It teaches what people need to know to survive and to live well. We learn these subjects to enrich our minds, to prepare us for any battle we might face. To ensure that we are ready to be productive and cooperative members of society. Yet we leave out the preparations for one of the most crucial wars we will ever have to wage. Generations must be prepared, the only way to do this is through education. Why not utilise the most important source of power we have to make a difference? If we do not eradicate ignorance, if we do not teach those who will not learn, if we do not try to educate the world of the truth then we are fighting for a dying cause. Knowledge is power. Without it, we are fighting a losing battle.