According to the Greek philosopher, Plato, “Nothing is more important in human life as education. It is an indispensable necessity for mankind.” Education is the key that levels the playing field of opportunity between the rich and poor, amongst social classes and races. In the Philippines, the lack of education is the primary reason why it cannot move forward towards progress, and has led to social problems such as: scarcity of job opportunities, impoverished family life, and lack of environmental concerns among the marginalized members of our society. The lack of education of Filipinos living in the slum areas in major cities of the country is the void that keeps the gap between the rich and the poor. It is one of the major contributory factors that has caused the Philippines to remain as a third world country, aside from corruption in government.
Another social impact of the lack of education is poverty. Since job opportunities are deficient, the financial status of the family suffers. Such condition leads to poor family planning, malnutrition, and juvenile delinquency. The lack of the basic knowledge on family planning has led to population explosion among the poor families. Statistically, large family size comes from the underprivileged families of the society. This is the result of the myth that the more children they have, the more chances they will have to be free from poverty if one of their children is fortunate enough to find a job that pays well. According to Plato, “No man should bring children into the world, which is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.” Parents must be mindful of their responsibility of sending their children to school in order for them to have a brighter future, and not by means of luck.
Lack of education is one of the major reasons why there is poverty in the country. To level the playing field of opportunities to every Filipino, I suggest that the government provide free and quality education to every child. The K-12 program in our educational system is one of the best initiatives this administration has done. The underprivileged children can now compete with children in exclusive schools, since they now have the same foundation of nursery and kinder education in preparation for a free grade one to seventh grade education given to them by the government. The passing of the RH bill is also a positive move the present government has done to address overpopulation. Relocating informal settlers to a safer community environment is a long term remedy for the issue of over-crowding, flooding and health risks.
As mentioned, education is the only way to level the playing field of opportunities between the rich and the poor. As Plato said, “Every boy and girl must be educated to his/her limit. Education, therefore, should be provided by the state not by parents.” The government’s K-12 program shows its determination to provide every child the right to education. What matters here is the full implementation of the programs that would benefit every child, especially those in the farthest corners of the country. Plato perceived education “as the total development of a man: mind, body, and soul by using every possible means.” Knowing the capabilities and ingenuity of every Filipino, through education, we can help the Philippines become one of the leading countries in Asia in the coming years.
