When Education Ceases to Be a Right

Recently, Oprah introduced her new foundation, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. She narrated that she has decided to put up this school for deserving girls because she wanted to educate these youth and give them a better future. At one time in her life, she experienced how it was to be very poor. She knew she wanted a different life, and fate and hardwork led her to be the prominent figure that she is now. She said she feels blessed that she is capable to give others the chance to improve their quality of life and possibly have a better future.

During the interviews with her about this cause, she talked about the hard-breaking truth that in South Africa, children need to pay to get even a public education. If they cannot afford, then they could stay home and help with the chores or often, help to earn a living for their survival.

The girls who were picked for the program are truly blessed. They are very lucky to be given this special privilege. Oprah Winfrey truly deserves to be commended for this project.

The plight of many uneducated children might be unthinkable for many. In the US, the government provides free education. There is enough funding for it. Despite certain issues that hound states about the allocation of money for this, the service is still provided. There are structures and facilities for education. The children have access to it. It is available and free. In many other developing countries, deprivation or denial from education is really present. This is the painful truth.

A research written by Renate Nestvogel states that in this so-called "third world countries", childhood greatly differs from that of children coming from industrialized countries. For those coming from rich and powerful countries, education usually starts even before children are 3 years old. They go to pre-schools so they are prepared well for a structured learning venue.

Around these children who come from financially blessed families are servants who come from the poor segments of society. The parents are servants, so the children are left home to assume responsibilities beyond their age. Usually, the girls are taught to do chores, take care of their siblings and take the role of the mother who is away and working. The young boys, on the other hand, are expected to do errands and even take jobs.

This could be clearly called child exploitation and child labor. What makes the situation more heartbreaking is that because of their economic condition, the parents are the ones who introduce the young children to work and make them turn their backs to a normal childhood. These children should be learning to read and write, understand science and appreciate art and sports. But no, they simply cannot.

In many of these countries, there is free public education available. The children can attend school even if the rooms are crowded, there are limited books and materials, and facilities are deteriorating. But many parents would complain that what would make it difficult for the children to continue is the lack of money for paper, pencils, project materials, shoes and clothes. They would need money for transportation fare and food. The meager daily income of the family would rather go to the food on the table, which often times is not three times a day. There could be a sick child in the family, and there is no insurance to cover this need. So they would have to use the money for medicine.

Are there many Oprahs who can give financial aids? Is the United Nations doing its big share? Are the international organization truly helping?

The right to education is at the heart of UNESCO's (United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization) mission and its constitutional mandate. Their own website admits that despite the commitment of the governments belonging to this international instrument to provide education for all, millions of children around the world are still deprived of this right. Poverty is the major cause.

Truly, this could actually be the one of the greatest morality challenges of our times.