By Ashley Berry, Political Science Major

“‘Let us pick up our books and our pens,’ I said. ‘They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.’” Most people know, or should be familiar with, Malala Yousafzai. She is the picture of the importance of education. At the age of fifteen she was shot in the head on a school bus because she and her father stood up for the right to education in Taliban-controlled Pakistan. She defied the odds and survived despite this horrible tragedy. Since that day, her life has changed dramatically and she now is the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

This young girl put her life on the line because she believed in the power of education, and believed that all people deserve an education. Why is it that she was so willing to give her life for her beliefs in education, but in America we diminish the importance of education? The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is an organization that measures adult (ages 16-25) literacy rates in countries around the world. The United States falls below twelve countries including Japan, The Republic of Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Australia. The United States also falls below the PIAAC international average. In a country that calls itself a world superpower, this is unacceptable.

Some of the greatest leaders who have fought for equality and who are universally admired believed in the importance of investment in education. People like Malala, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and many others have spoken about the importance of education. Numerous colleges, universities, governments, and private organizations have released studies on education and the incredible impact it can have on the world. In 2012, the World Bank figured that if Kenya’s illiterate girls were educated the country’s economy would be boosted by $27 billion over the course of their lifetimes.

Education provides numerous benefits that allow students to find their potential and helps them become productive citizens of their country and the world. So why, when the fat needs to be trimmed, are schools always the first target? Why do politicians use education as blackmail leverage? Most importantly, why do students continue to disrespect the very people who are trying to educate us?

Everyone has shared classrooms with ignorant, disrespectful students who are more concerned with their cell phones than with learning. This is frustrating for teachers and students alike. Time and time again, students are rude, disengaged, and make it obvious that they would  rather be elsewhere. Every day after class it’s easy to walk out wondering why these students even bother showing up.

There are people around the world who have given their lives in the pursuit of access to education. There are even more people who can only dream of going to school. Yet we disparage education and take it for granted. We need to start caring more about education than about what the Kardashians are wearing today. If people are willing to give their lives for education the least they can do is put down their damn cell phone and be engaged.