Education has given rise to greater equality. Do you agree?

Late president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela once said, Education is the most
powerful weapon which you can use to shape the world. Indeed, education is a
wonderful tool that has the ability to change mindsets, and shift perceptions.
Fairer treatment between genders and races can be achieved through basic
education, equal levels of skills, learning from the past and better understanding
even though manipulation of the system may give rise to conflicting results.

The education system can be used by the government to brainwash their people,
and ingrain a certain mindset in them. The education ministry can decide on the
study regime in schools, and thereby determine what is taught to their people,
shaping their outlooks on certain issues depending on the information they are
taught. For example, anti-Semitism was very heavily emphasized on in schools in
Germany in the 1930s, and there was a great deal of racial propaganda. Such use
of education would only lead to larger racial disputes in the society, and unequal
treatment. Education would then be the trigger in a widening racial and social
inequality. However, in an increasingly connected world, education is no longer
restricted to the classrooms and textbooks, unlike the past. Students are able to
attain their own share of information through the Internet and vast resources,
and it is almost impossible to hide facts from students, unlike the past. In todays
world, it would be impossible for Hitler to brainwash his people in believing that
the Jews were harmful to their race just because they had a different belief as
they should be able to find out that Jews are from many parts of the world, and
they pose no harm to others. Classroom-based education may have been able to
cause disputes and unequal treatment between people in the past, but with other
forms of education such as the Internet and books, it is now harder and less
possible for education to give rise to greater inequality.

Through education, there would be greater gender equality as everyone would
know what they deserve and be able to fight for their rights. With basic
education, one should know that they should receive equal treatment regardless
of their gender. For example, Malala Yousafzai is an education and women
activist, who stood up for herself and insisted on pursuing her education as
politician despite the Talibans interference and she had her rights to education
despite being a female. This shows that through education, it would be
increasingly possible to fight for equality for ourselves, and eventually others
just like Malala, and thereby greater equality for all.
Education also creates equal chances for both males and females, where same
levels of knowledge and skills would open up equal numbers of doors for them.
For example, certain occupations is no longer restricted to certain genders such
as nurses or engineers as now all are welcome in studying any course they like,
with no gender divide. Equal opportunities are given, and it is now dependent on
merit instead of gender, unlike the past. Hence, a larger percentage of educated
people signify a rise in gender equality.

Gender inequality can be diminished through education and learning from past
experiences. A part of education is learning from our mistakes, and not
committing them again. From history, many riots and unhappiness were caused
by racial disputes and unjust treatment. For example, in Singapore, the 1960s
riots were caused by unequal treatments by the Malaysia government to the
Singapore Chinese, and this caused racial tensions between the ethnic races in
the country, which led to social unrest and displeasure. Learning from the past,
Singapore plays a very large emphasis on equality among all her ethnic so as to
ensure peace and cohesion in her society. Similarly, all countries would aim to
have social stability and hence the best for themselves. By learning from past
mistakes, not only their own but others as well, there would be a greater rise in
racial equality.
Having better understanding of cultures would also be give rise to greater racial
equality. By understanding different races and their practices, people are better
able to understand their point of view, and how their different cultures may
work. This would enable governments to come up with policies that would
favour them as much as it advantages other races, after understanding their
culture better. Take for instance, it is mandatory for Singapores Group
Representation Constituency (GRC) to have a member of the minority ethnic
group, so that the decisions passed would be fair and unbiased to all races. This
enables all races to be treated equally with high levels of understanding by
different ethnic groups through education. Hence, it is able to give rise to greater
equality.

Education is hence the Launchpad to equality, and is undoubtedly a weapon that
can shape the world to be more fair and just. It is pivotal that we use the
education in the right ways, to positively influence peoples mindsets, and ensure
that everyone would have equal treatments despite their gender or race.