A recent discussion regarding the women of Islam brings about an issue that seldom receives the proper attention, and that is whether or not education is a natural human right. Those who are concerned about having a fair and universal educational system suggests that not enough has been done by first world nations to secure these institutions for impoverished people on a global scale.
Until recently, the miseducation of people in impoverished nations and the lack of schools that are being made available to all citizens was not a popular conversation topic. Now, with the steady rise in globalization, the necessity for a quality education is becoming an increasingly important issue. Just as well, the demand by women and other unaddressed groups in developing nations beckons a clear intent from their governments to provide education to all.
Many countries continue to lack effective educational systems that offer resources to all citizens regardless of income, gender, or social status. Evidently, the number of women in Islam attending formal classes to become successful scholars is gradually increasing, but this was not always the case; it has taken centuries of cultural changes and perseverance to reach this point.
This is not simply a matter of oppressing the education of one or more groups of people because making a quality education accessible to all citizens of a state is still a debated issue. With each government being independent, with its own laws and customs, the argument that governments should be responsible in properly educating its citizens can quickly turn into a subjective squabble.
The fact is that each culture has a different attitude towards educating certain members of its society and to what extent, for various reasons. With this in mind, it is difficult to claim education as a natural human right because the purpose and affects of receiving an education holds a distinctive value in every culture.
One may argue that it is a right to all because we have the capacity to learn and that the suppression of knowledge limits the potential of an individual to succeed in life. Conversely, the pursuit of an education may distract from traditional activities relating to religion, family, and community practices.
Economic and culture related changes often result in a new attitudes towards who receives an education, and by restricting access to select groups a nation may be limiting its ability to grow economically, compete in global trade and production, and contribute innovative ideas regarding industry and technology. These are a few examples of why education is not only important in social terms, but in terms of observable national activities.
Regardless, more groups around the world are demanding transparency; they want more learning resources to become accessible to the public. Perhaps it should be the choice of the people to receive an education, and governments should merely make it available, but the universal access to effective educational resources as a natural human right may continue to be a heated and well-balanced debate.
