Just like Greg Mortenson, Kristof and WuDunn highlight education as the greatest weapon to fight against the injustices facing third world countries. Which brings me to my first point-why is education labeled as being so important? Aside from my obvious bias (ie. love) for education, I think it makes perfect sense to have an educational safety net set up for struggling countries. Tragically, the most devastated countries around the world suffer from constant, tumultuous change. There is no one right answer available for all the varying questions cropping up about healthcare, government's duties, citizens' roles, economy, etc. But by promoting education, activists such as Mortenson, Kristof, and WuDunn are advocating the rather simple notion of helping the nation's citizens think for themselves, instead of coercing another more powerful nation's notions onto them.
Helping other countries is an enormously complicated issue that I've gotten a glimpse of by standing on the shoulders of these authors, but it's interesting to see how education is unabashedly praised as the catalyst for change. Which brings to my second point.
On my very first interview with LAUSD 6 years ago, I was handed this:
My interviewer gave me this after asking me why I wanted to teach and I answered, "Because it's something I know I'll do passionately". Perhaps he knew that I would inevitably resort to shut-up-and-do-your-worksheet days at some point; that I would lose my patience, passion, and even hope on the worst ones. So maybe he gave me this card as a physical reminder, a talisman of sorts, to bring forth the initial passion I had for education.
But more powerful than this card in solidifying my faith in education is reading about how education is at its best is enlightening, empowering, or to put it simply-useful. Whether teaching in rural Cambodia or in an urban American school, ALL children can use a critical mind and a strong voice. The power of education is far reaching and universal.
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