Education shapes life. Education can make or break futures. We have heard countless quotes about the importance of education along the way. Education gives people a chance to not just form but preach their opinions. In a world like ours, everyone needs to have a valid opinion base. And education provides that to people by educating them about all sides so they to make the right decision. Everyone deserves education. And yet some parts around the world, unfortunately, don’t have access to it. For awareness about such areas and means to reach them, UNESCO has proclaimed 24th January as the International Day of Education.
Countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and ending the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth, and adults behind without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for everyone.
771 million individuals worldwide are illiterate, while 244 million children and teenagers are not in school. It is unacceptable that their right to an education is being infringed upon. The moment has come to reform schooling.
International Day of Education 2023
The theme for the fifth International Day of Education, which will be observed on January 24, 2023, is “to invest in people, emphasize education.”
“Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities, and the climate crisis.” –UNESCO on International Day of Education
Throughout history, ever since the formation of modern civilizations, education has been a vital part of it. Education history has milestones of its own. Education has always shaped individuals and movements. It made people look at existing surroundings and events from a different point of view and pushed solutions- new and better.
Looking back at history, if it wasn’t for some special moments on the education history timeline, the world won’t be the way we see it today.
- Foundation of Common Schools- 1770
In the 19th century, a Common school was a public school in the United States. Common schools were established in New England as community-funded educational resources for all local youngsters. A strong supporter of the common school and public education, Horace Mann (1796–1859) started a rebirth of the common school system whose ramifications were felt throughout America in the 19th century.
- Takshashila/Taxila University
Takshashila, also known as Taxila, was a renowned center of learning that taught Buddhism and was also a place of worship in the past. It was renowned for its higher education, which included instruction in 18 silpas, law, medicine, sociology, astronomy, and ancient scriptures.
Despite their long and grueling travel, students from Kashi, Kosala, and Magadha, as well as other nations, came to the university. UNESCO designated Takshashila, an ancient Indian city presently located in northwest Pakistan, as a world heritage site and archeological site in 1980. Takshashila was a well-known center of learning.
- Rabindranath Tagore Starts Schools Combining Western And Indian Philosophies- 1901
The four guiding concepts of Tagore’s educational philosophy are naturalism, humanism, internationalism, and idealism. These very same ideas are the foundation of both Visva Bharathi and Shantiniketan.
He also said that an educational institution should not be “a dead cage in which living minds are fed with food that’s artificially prepared. Handwork and arts are the spontaneous overflow of our deeper nature and spiritual significance”.
- Measurement Movement- 1905
Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon served as the impetus for the Measurement Movement. This movement entails calculating each person’s brain’s level of intellect. The measurement movement developed what is now known as the IQ test. A student’s IQ can help decide whether they are ahead of their age group or whether they need to be enrolled in a unique program for extra assistance.
- The Wisconsin Idea- 1912
This word was coined in 1912, when Charles McCarthy, a major champion of extension education, wrote a book entitled precisely “The Wisconsin Idea.” The “Wisconsin Idea” is more concrete than just an idea. It is a method, a philosophy in action, a guiding vision, a break with the past’s epistemology, and an attitude of unity all at once.
- Post-WWII Education And Cold War Motivation- 1945
By the end of World War II, the country had come to appreciate the value and significance of a solid education. The goal of education at the primary and secondary levels at the period was to prepare pupils for life after high school by offering a curriculum that was centered on the development of “life skills.”
The goal was to create people who “thought, communicated effectively, and were adept at making intelligent decisions and differentiating among values.”
- Introduction of Standardized Test- 1959
Everett Lindquist originally made the ACT (American College Testing) available in 1959. In addition to an optional writing portion, the ACT had four primary sections with multiple-choice questions to assess English, arithmetic, reading, and science.
- Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA)- 1975
Children with disabilities are entitled to a free, suitable public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The kids in the program are given particular services and teaching thanks to this law.
Thinking “what can I do as a mere citizen” is not the mindset to have. As educated and independent citizens, we have that power in our hands to impact lives. If at least one life gets access to education, we are successful as fellow humans.
