The Price of Education

The Price of Education

Article twenty-six of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.” (Universal) So, why is it that thirty-eight million African children (State) are being denied a primary school education? The answer lies in the government’s actions, or lack thereof, in terms of education. Currently, no African country has a universal primary school education (State) and while many countries have abolished school fees, many children simply cannot afford to go to school. This lack of education contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty many Africans are trapped in, this lack of education is only helping to continue that cycle.

   While many families like to think that their pride is more valuable than an education, experts believe they are wrong. These families cannot afford an education without assistance from the government, assistance which they are not receiving. This government assistance would help to bring many families out of poverty (Poor). In addition to not providing the resources, many families need to send their children to school, government policies are one of the biggest reasons why many children are unable to attend school. Due to the fact that these policies place unnecessary costs for things, such as uniforms and tuition, on families who cannot afford them. The government claims to be unable to cut these fees and provide assistance for these impoverished families at the moment. However, from a long-term perspective, allotting more funds to go to education so that there is a higher percentage of educated citizens would eventually positively benefit the economy and the government (Africa’s).

   Currently, many African governments are taking minimal efforts in order to increase the amount of state-funded education. However, countries like Ethiopia and Nigeria are taking significant measures to manage their finances better in order to ensure increased education rates. Many countries in Africa are corrupt, so while they allocate some of the largest percentages of their budgets toward education in the world, they still end up with some of the lowest education enrollment rates (State). In order to combat this, the Ethiopian and Nigerian governments are working very hard to try and increase the percentage of their educated citizens, but they still need help from outside sources, like major corporations or independent programs dedicated to the spread of education. Support of these programs is essential to impoverished children receiving an education until the government improves its finances (Education).

   While the current education situation in Africa is dire, there is hope for future generations. With pioneering countries like Ethiopia and Nigeria setting examples of ideal African education systems, other African nations will soon follow suit. By doing so the people of Africa will be fulfilling their right to education as mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Universal). Therefore, in order to fulfill this right for all Africans, the government must begin making education increasingly available through financial reforms.

Works Cited

Anonymous. “Africa's Children Struggle for Education.” "USA Today", USA Today, 2007, Accessed June 2017.

Anonymous."Education - Crucial Means to Building Peace in Africa [editorial]." Africa News Service, 4 July 2016. Accessed 8 Mar. 2017.

Anonymous."Free Education - Praiseworthy but Not Feasible [editorial]." Africa News Service, 25 Nov. 2016. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.

Anonymous. “Poor Families Need More Support to Break the Chain of Low Education - StatsSA Study.” "Times LIVE", Times LIVE, March 2017, Accessed March 2017.

Anonymous. “State of Education in Africa Report 2015.” "Box", Accessed March 2017.