Education and Its Hazy Future

By: Divija Agarwal

Edited by: Fayza Rizkita Kania

Our world is going through significant changes in a number of different ways – many of which directly impact people’s accessibility to education, as well as its quality. For some, education is a privilege, which calls for attention towards the future of education and how much liberty people of later years and generations will have with their schooling.

Globally, the state of education has had many changes in its course – some that are anticipated, and some completely unexpected. From the introduction of online schooling to the rapid increase use of technology in many countries, but also, the banning of education in others

Education isn’t just limited to maths and science in a school, it extends to passions that people have, civic and community education, and learning through the media, just to name a few. Formal schooling is an avenue for such an expansive range of learning styles.

In discussing the future of schooling, it’s important to review what it looks like currently. Presently, statistics are able to tell us that education of all levels – primary, secondary, and higher education – call for reforms in their accessibility. Globally, more than 72 million primary-school aged children are not in school, and close to 800 million adults are illiterate, according to Humanium. With Covid-19 taking away in-person learning for most areas of the world, human connection has become more crucial, and the role of teachers is more significant than ever. Based on IQs, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore are objectively considered the ‘smartest countries’ as of now; however, according to research, public education could be considered to be the best in the US or the UK. Some nations such as Denmark, Finland and Iceland offer education for free or a low cost, increasing accessibility for those who would not be able to afford high fee. On the other hand, USA, Australia, and Japan are examples of nations that have extremely high university costs which brings up the issue of student loans, or students choosing alternative pathways because of the fees.

Educating people is undeniably vital to the progression of our future – it can provide a better quality of life for both vulnerable and privileged populations alike, reduce crime, and add to social life. It’s empowering, with the ability to form and improve critical thinking and communication skills. Different forms of education serve to supplement all different types of thinking, learning and development.

So, what factors that currently affect how readily available education is to people? The list is extensive, but some major factors relate to gender, governmental budget for public education and thus the cost of education in the country, poverty, or finance of individuals and of their respective nation, and more newly, the prevalence of Covid-19 in the country.

Similar to most things in today’s world, the cost of schools has risen – in America, inflation caused college tuition prices drive higher in the past few months and years. This meant that borrowing was also made more expensive, adding to the already prevalent issue of student loans and debt in America. In some ways, often financially, good quality education can appear to be a privilege available only for those who can afford it. Affordability is a huge factor in how accessible education is to people, and it has the potential of turning students even from specific degrees that may be more costly, or fields that might not be able to pay off their loans. For example, in Australia, university fees were overhauled, making STEM degrees less expensive, and arts degrees more expensive, altering each fields’ accessibility in interests of prioritising what’s ‘important’ in today’s economy. This power lies in the hands of country’s leaders – and who’s to say which degrees or pathways will be prioritised in the future? This can cause uncertainty and act as a strong disincentive for future generations of students. However, many nations do still offer education at low costs, some even freely available for international students too, which is important in providing accessibility and lower-cost options.

While the short-term effects – online schooling and increased use of devices – of the Coronavirus pandemic are evident to most students in the world, it’s important to note that these changes are likely to last long-term, too. Nearly 147 million children missed more than half of their in-person schooling between 2020 and 2022, and UNICEF warns that this change also creates the risk of vulnerable communities and students dropping out of education altogether. Waves of Covid-19 are still ongoing, posing the idea that this decline of in-person education, and perhaps education overall is still very viable in the future. While the use of technology in the education sector has been increasing steadily for a while now, recent years have definitely caused a surge in device usage, and it’s likely to remain important for education long-term too, in interest of convenience and practicality. While overall Covid-19 has been difficult for students, teachers, and parents alike, use of technology also has the potential to bring upon exciting developments and creative growth and incorporations into schooling systems; something to look forward to.

Globally, will education become more accessible or less accessible in the future, particularly for developing countries and minority groups? Due to the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan, in December 2022, women were banned from attending universities in the nation, announced by the Taliban’s minister for higher education. According to officials “women students had ignored Islamic instructions -- including on what to wear or being accompanied by a male relative when travelling,” were the reasons for the education ban.

While we may not see a correlation between the cause and effect put in place, and there being media coverage on the issue, the ban still remains in place – and there is little that the people of other countries can do to change this, let alone the women who are going through it. A key question arises in light of such events – do any or all vulnerable groups really have power over their education, and what do such abuses of power mean for educations accessibility in the future? 

What does a lack of education mean for people and countries in the future? The future of education could bring many positive changes, but there are certainly causes for concern which are important to consider. With Covid-19 still prevalent in our world, rising costs, and rights surrounding education for certain groups being unjustly meddled with, there certainly is a concern for how easily people are able to access education and its quality in the future – despite it being so important in today’s day and age, and something that all people should be able to have the opportunity to experience.

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