Education Issues

“Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army,” this is a direct quote from an American politician Edward Everett. Mr. Everett was an educator and was also the president of Harvard University from 1846 through 1849. The process of gaining knowledge, which is commonly referred to as education, is basically what makes the world go round today. Education is one of the most valued activities in foreign countries today and many people have invested a lot of resources in education more than any other project. We would not be the country that we are today if it were not for the advancements in education that helped us grow and mature in many ways. Education has been greatly affected by cheating and validation of academic integrity. Cheating is an act that is considered an epidemic in many institutions of learning today. Cheating is brought forth by fear of failure. In any academic work, the greatest and most serious mistakes that student commit is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating where a student fails to conduct a research as part of their academic requirements and they lift information from sources that are academically unfit. The problem has been “uncovered” by the technological advancements where the students can get access to information through the internet. The problem of cheating can be solved at lower levels by the use of Crossed Circuit Television (CCTV) in the examination halls. In advanced levels where plagiarism is rampant, the act is fought by use of plagiarism checkers for any work presented by students. Instilling confidence in students is an important control measure to prevent this act so hopefully one day cheating can be eliminated. Another issue that is affecting education today is the school violence. The vice can be exhibited between the students themselves or with their teachers. Violence between the students is brought by superiority f some students who consider themselves veterans thereby requiring others to succumb to their orders. Violence with teachers is brought by misunderstandings where the students and teachers fail to embrace dialogue to seek for a solution. There are a very large percentage of violent cases in schools which are reported frequently. It has formed a major concern and many forums have been held to seek for a solution. To eliminate this vice, all the students should be made to attend classes with uniform to reflect equality. Again the uniform will help identify the students engaging in violence or behaving suggestively in a violent manner. Teachers and parents should be charged with the responsibility of disciplining the students. Suspension and expulsion is a good way to restrict students in nonviolent activist fearing that their education may be interfered with.

An issue that is proving defiant to the pressures formulated to eliminate it is the quality and the standard of education. In many countries, the government and the legislation have tried in vain to establish the correct standards. In this case, the threshold for standard education is acquiring education from authorized institutions with qualified trainers. The ability to acquire certificates illegitimately has compounded the problem and more people continue to be still falling victims. The provision of poor standards of education has resulted to half-baked graduates who cannot perform their duties behind possessing very smart certificates. This is a vice that can be eliminated by the government involvement in serious scrutiny of the institutions that have failed to attain the standards. The production of poor students is a threat to the country’s prosperity and succession. Registration of all learning institutions and consequent issue of certificate can eliminate the vice. The rural schools are also considered an issue in education. This is more so in American where the urban schools are gaining more popularity as compared to the rural ones. The rural schools are getting abandoned and even the services and the teaching in the institutions is losing preference. The government in America today in partnership with private institutions is working hard to improve rural communities and the education system thereon. This is in a bid to attract more people and avoid congestion in urban schools. There is also established National Rural Education Association which has been formed to facilitate the institution of learning and recognize the areas of improvement required to attain the level of urban schools. The issue of rural school is difficult and seems to be persistent. The reason is that there is no one time the rural areas will attain the standards of urban areas and the services and amenities are different. One of the most serious issues also affecting education is the homosexuality behavior in the intuitions of learning. The issue remains a problem because the educators are becoming shy of talking about homosexuality. The problem is compounded by silence which leaves many students in darkness about. This has brought the need by the public schools to teach about sexual orientation.
According to statistics, 28 % of students engaging in homosexuality commit suicide annually. The resultant issue remains on how to get access to safe environment for gay and lesbians in schools. The problem can be solved by making no assumptions about sexuality and teaching about it equality with other subjects. The confidence can also be instilled in students affected by homosexuality and discrimination should not take place so that comfort ability can be enhanced.
These are just but a few issues which are affecting education and still many others still remains to be discussed. For education to bear fruits and attain its purpose, all anomalies should be eliminated. ‘Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind by an open one’ (Malcolm Forbes).