By Faria Bhat
The pivotal role of education in the dismantlement of the structural oppressive forces behind social injustices and inequity in our community is irrefutable. One must not forget about the role of education as we observed World Social Justice Day, which bears the huge potential of barriers eradication and attainment of empathy and equality, the most important ideas of our lives.
Education: The Great Equaliser
Education is more than just theory; it is a powerful tool that transcends boundaries and drives societal progress. It is an investment that has the power to create an equal society, providing opportunities for people from all walks of life, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or social standing.
Gender Disparities
Education comes to stand as the strongest of the tools that are used to dismantle the existing gender-based inequalities. When this tool makes the same opportunities and resources available to both boys and girls, they can fight the old tendency of stereotypes and biases. It creates equal opportunities for all and facilitates the growth of a society where people are judged for their abilities and goals rather than being imprisoned by outdated gender norms.
Nevertheless, the gender gap still exists in education, opposing the goal of social justice.
UNESCO has declared that there are 122 million girls who remain out of school across the globe today. (1) This gender discrimination fuels social inequalities in general.
To overcome this gap, the supply of education resources must be improved, and efforts should be intensified to remove cultural barriers that restrict girls from education.
Empowering Marginalised Communities
In the face of social injustices and past mistreatment, education becomes a powerful tool, enlightening marginalised individuals and providing 80M them with the means to escape the cycle of poverty, oppression, and inequality.
It helps them to demand their rights, participate in the democratic process, and add value to the nation’s socio-economic growth.
Education and Economic Mobility
Furthermore, education builds up a person and becomes a source of income for the person. Filling in the education gap helps combat the problem of income inequality. It levels the playing field where success is based on abilities, not social or economic backgrounds.
Barrier Against Ignorance
Furthermore, education serves as a crucial defence against ignorance and the propagation of false information, which can lead to social injustices if not counteracted. Well-informed individuals possess better resources to combat discriminatory attitudes, advocate for policy reforms, and work towards the establishment of a fair and equitable society.
The Role of Technology in Education
In today’s tech-driven world, technology plays a crucial role in providing educational solutions for learners from underprivileged communities. Leveraging e-resources, e-learning platforms, and new educational technologies can help bridge the distance gap and offer excellent educational opportunities in rural and poor regions.
However, it is essential for governments and societies to allocate funds towards technological infrastructure to ensure that electronic learning resources are accessible to students from diverse social and economic backgrounds. By investing in technological infrastructure, we can create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all.
Global Collaboration for Educational Equality
Education equity comes through people’s combined action and cooperation on a world scale. Global coordination and collaboration among governments, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector are vital prerequisites for achieving an inclusive policy framework with no child left behind. Projects such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 promote that all primary and secondary schoolchildren must get a free completion of their education by 2030. (2) It is also aimed to provide equal access to educational opportunities of a vocational kind, to keep away gender and wealth bias and to approach universalisation of higher education of a quality kind.
Conclusion
Today, on World Social Justice Day, we must keep in mind that the commitment towards ending poverty, inequality, and social injustice by educating the uneducated is not just an issue anymore but a priority with no alternative. When we pour resources into education, we not only produce healthy citizenship but also build justice. “Justice is a positive aspect of society and plays an essential role in our social lives.” Here is a chance for us to make this world a better place where all will live peacefully and freely, so we should take it and use education to build a world of higher inclusion and fairness.
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