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Authors, sign in!“Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding line, and no way of knowing how near the harbor was. "Light! Give me light!" was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour.” ~ Helen Keller
In the 1980s, I was Karana, a young girl abandoned on the island of the blue dolphins. I crafted a hut from whale bones and hunted fish. In the 1990s, I watched Mr. Darcy intervene in the budding relationship between his friend and my sister. In 2009, as an American journalist in Paris, I discovered unsettling connections between my husband’s family and a young Jewish girl whose brother perished when the French police ripped her and her family from their home.
I admit these alternate lives were nothing more than luxurious dips in the dream worlds of literature. But I often wonder how different my life would be if I hadn’t had the opportunity to go to school and learn to read. Had I been born in a poor country, not attending school would have done more than deny me the joy of reading; it would have been a detriment to my health and well-being.
Last month, the Education for All Act was introduced in Congress to establish a framework for achieving universal primary education by 2015. This seemingly lofty goal is justified by the measurable contributions of accessible education in fighting hunger and poverty. Results, a national advocacy organization, says that a country’s continuous economic growth can only be achieved by ensuring that at least 40 percent of its adults can read and write.
The benefits of education are particularly pronounced for women and girls. Women with six or more years of education are more likely to seek prenatal and postnatal care and educated female farmers lead to significant declines in a country’s malnutrition. A May 12th NY Times Op-ed suggests that educating women in developing countries could also help us protect our own national security.
The happiness I experience in reading a good book pales next to these incredible benefits of education. But my passion in working towards education for all still grows.
If you haven’t already done so, read up on the Education for All Act, learn why educating all the world’s poor can help us here in the U.S., and then take action. Find your local chapter of Results at www.results.org.
(While most recently in Denver, Anna recently returned to Topeka, KS for her job, and has helped found a global Results chapter in her state’s capital city.)
Published May 15, 2010 by Anna Lambertson |
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Comments (1)
The exeriences youth can have through the story book world are limitless. The parents and teachers of children have a tremendous responsibility. Inspiring youth to visit the history of mankind in story book form has profound influence in the direction their lives will lead.
The animated fairy tale cartoons and aggressive games our children are being fed via TV does not equip them to have a vision of the real world and the opportunities that await them. Exposure to the magic world of animation and color is great, but it needs to be limited.
We had what we called 'geography class' when I was in 4th through 6th grade, in school. Our teacher helped us to become a part of a great variety of cultures and environments. Of course, we had to take tests to see if we could prove we retained a certain number of facts, dates, etc. But the real and lasting value was being able to identify with reality, for those who could shut out their surroundings and become a part of the story. That has been decades ago, but I can still close my eyes and remember being a soldier, hunter, fisherman, farmer, explorer, king, and the list is limitless.
Without question, communication is the most important element of civilization. When man developed the system of scratching history on the cave walls and then proceeded from there to our ability to record words and pictures, like we have today, our ability to enjoy life and meet man's physical and emotional needs was made possible.
The education system is the most important and pressing issue facing our government. A failure in the education system will bring down every other function of our modern society.
Posted by Ken Poland
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May 18, 2010 8:47 AM
Posted on May 18, 2010 08:47