A Key to a Successful life?  Education

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you will feed him for a life time”. There are many interpretations of this quote, I will refer to it in terms of a formal education. That is attending a quality K-12 academic program and some form of higher education, whether it’s receiving a degree from a two-year college, four- degree and above or receiving a certification in a technical field.

The purpose of a formal education is to insure that abled bodied citizens are educated to become self-sufficient. I am not against welfare and charities who help the poor. There is a need to provide temporary assistance to individuals and families who fall upon hard times. Welfare does not lift people out of poverty, it makes them dependent on the System. Dependency breeds frustration, apathy, laziness and it undermines the strength of families and our nation.  

There are many in our country, politicians and citizens alike, who focus on the disparities that exist between the have/ the have nots, among blacks, whites and Hispanics. We must continue to seek solutions, not just focus on the problems. One solution is to insure that all children receive a quality education. An educated person’s mind is equipped to seek jobs, and careers which will provide decent pay, a better life for the person and a stronger economy. Education needs to be combined with a strong work ethic.  Higher education and a strong work ethic will break the back of poverty.

Every child does not start at the same level of education when entering school, thus the gaps we see in learning.  Educational gaps are due to: Parent’s income, parents and teacher’s expectations of a child’s ability to learn and parent involvement at all levels of a child’s development. But with educators and parents focusing on the individual needs of each child, every child can succeed in school and beyond.

My Story: I am a strong advocate of a formal education for all students. I am blessed to have been born and raised in a family that modeled and emphasized hard work and education. Even though my parents themselves did not complete high school, they guided me in my God-given desire to succeed in school and life. I developed the grit, tenacity to overcome obstacles that life presented and still presents. My grandfather, would say to me at very young age “Jean you are smart, get your education, they can never take that away from you”. At the time I did not question him on who “they” were. Looking back, I can only speculate that with him having grown up and experienced the harsh realities of the segregated South, he saw an equalizing force in the form of education.  

My challenge to you, especially parents of school age children, emphasis the importance of education to your children. Make it a priority that they to attend school, every day. The health of their future and our nation is dependent of this.

To Your Success and Happiness