John Dewey had once said: Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself. Indeed, it’s that vital. It’s the secret ingredient of a happier and more informed life. Education is the lesson that stays in your heart after a session or a class or a book or a TV show. It may be a life-transforming lesson or a day-to-day tip but it’s important.
Thus education should and needs to be for all. But how do we achieve it?
Make education more accessible
For achieving education for all, it’s vital that more and more children have access to education. The Government of India intended to bring education to all the children through Right to Education Act enacted in the year 2009. The act brought about a sense of urgency throughout the country about compulsory education and awareness about free education to children. The government also runs the Mid-Day Meal Schemes in states such as Maharashtra or Karnataka in order to lure children to school. These two initiatives are the ways how education would be accessible to all the children and all the people. Children’s charities across the country need this kind of approach to be able to take literacy to every nook of the country and have the ambition of education for each child born in India.
Impart education as part of a need
When education is made to look like a basic need, it becomes easier to grasp the complete meaning and impact it has on children’s lives. The Mid-Day Meal Programme is also an example of clubbing a physical need with an intellectual need. It is one of the best ways of giving out a message that education is as vital as food. Food for Education thus becomes a smart initiative that indirectly teaches children about the necessity of considering education as a need. Children’s charities are working in this direction for many years while Akshaya Patra has further given it a more methodical outlook making it efficient in far-off areas that are deprived of education.
Hope stories that inspire others
We all are social beings who like validation from others. It’s important that children’s charities spread hope stories of access to education around the country. More parents must be inspired to send their children to school, more donors be encouraged to sponsor a child. One such example is Chetan, a standard VII student, who is a beneficiary of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Maharashtra. His parents moved to Surat and ever since he has been benefitted by the scheme. Chetan dreams of being an architect.
Influence decision makers in the family
Often parents belonging to weaker sections find it hard to educate all of their children. It becomes an NGO’s responsibility to influence the decision-makers of a family. Through benefits and schemes, education to all children could become a reality. Akshaya Patra knew this on advance when it partnered with the government for the Mid-Day Meal Scheme to be implemented in several states such as West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and so on. Now there are several examples of parents who have sent all their children to school since the problem of food is solved.
Sponsor a child
Another direct way to bring education to all is to sponsor a child. There are many children’s charities that provide this option where donors get to sponsor a child’s mid-day meals. Akshaya Patra is indebted towards such donors who have the heart for this kind of a charity. Sponsor a child today!
Great article