How Much Do You Value Your Education?
It is so easy to take education for granted in this country. We are free to select the college or university of our choice, the programme of our choice, and sometimes, even the class schedule of our choice. When I think of all of the freedom I have in this country, I can’t help but feel grateful. The problem, however, is that I do not think of it nearly enough.
It is not until I hear of stories from other countries in which gaining an education is a struggle for some that I realise just how lucky I really am to be living in Canada. I just recently read an article about a school in Afghanistan which educates young people that may be shutting its doors for good. The reason why I really began to ponder the value of my freedom in this country is due to the fact that the women enrolled in the school face more struggles than I can even imagine…just to receive an education.
The Afghan-Canadian Community Centre is in need of more than $500,000 by the end of the month in order for its doors to remain open. This is a school in which young women have had to avoid Taliban threats and overcome intense fear, just to simply attend and receive the education that they so rightly deserve. The school offers all sorts of useful programmes, such as computer skills, English language training, and even business skills. But, if the school is unable to raise the necessary funds, they will be forced to lay off teachers and cut programmes; even that won’t save the school. Without the support from other individuals or institutions, it will only be a matter of time before the school closes. And yet, Ottawa is contemplating pulling the plug on the school…even though most women, quite literally, risk their lives to attend the institution in order to gain an education.
I think that after reading stories such as these, it makes me appreciate the opportunities that have been offered to me so freely by living in this country. I learn to value my education even more than I did before. Yet, it saddens me that the very country who offers these educational opportunities to me so freely is also contemplating whether or not to kick in the funds to keep The Afghan-Canadian Community Centre open in order to allow others to be so freely educated.
It’s just a bit of a juxtaposition, don’t you think?
Filed under: Education | 3 Comments
Tags: Afghanistan, business, Canada, classes, College, computer skills, Education, English, English language training, ESL, funds, Ottawa, school, Taliban, The Afghan-Canadian Community Centre, University, women
PCC Advantage
I am a university graduate, and I now work for a private college. I began writing this blog as a means to inform people about issues pertaining to higher education, both publicly and privately funded.
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PCC Advantage 
Amen. The key to a bright future is through the education of the youth. As a teacher myself, I worry about budget cuts and growing class sizes, but my worries pale in comparison to what others go through around the world simply to attend school and seek out an education.
Thank you this helped a lot.
Thank you for the comment!
Yes, it’s amazing how we can get caught up in the Western world’s view of educational worries, so to speak, and not even realise what others may have to endure to simply learn things that we take for granted. I in no way mean to trivialise our worries, just simply to put it into perspective. 🙂
What grade do you teach?