Our World's Reality

Nearly half of the world's population--more than three billion people--live off of less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty and live off of less than $1.25 per day. According to UNICEF, 16,000 children die every day due to poverty. Although these statistics may be hard to comprehend, it is the harsh reality of our world today. These situations of extreme poverty have a detrimental effect on the way a society operates, and that includes the society's education system.  According to the Global Partnership for Education, education is ''one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future, and is critical to reducing poverty and inequality.'' Not all countries are in a situation of poverty, however. In China, there is a real hunger for education, which helps to explain the development that can be seen in their nation. Nearly every Chinese person under the age of 25 sees education as a key issue. More importantly, a strong, education populace will ultimately overpower an illegitimate regime. An educated majority means greater participation towards positive democratic change. Contrastingly, an uneducated majority gives dictators and autocrats a more secure position in their government system, which is reason enough to fight for education as a basic human right. 

Knowledge truly is power. There is simply no development without education. Thankfully, the world community has long since realized this fact and has made conscious decisions to implement greater educational systems in our world to increase the success of the global society as a whole.