To be educated is probably the most important stepping stone to a successful life. It allows us to have meaningful conversations with others on important issues and allows us to form our own points of view. This fundamental human right is also a tool for governments to control their population. One example of this going on right now is Republican attempt in the United States to make the Common Core federal school curriculum “more patriotic”, in other words teaching students a conservative view on History and English, two vital subjects in a child’s education.
We over the past few years have learnt of the extreme oppression of women in terms of education in Taliban-controlled parts of Pakistan, and of the particular story of Malala Yousufzai, a 17 year old activist and blogger who was shot in the head by Taliban extremists two years ago. The bravery shown by Malala is pursuit of education for women in Pakistan was remarkable, in that it showed others around the world that even the most vulnerable, weakest members of society could change society in a radical way. Malala’s bravery has led to her being awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, a fantastic award for an activist who with real action showed the world the sexist oppression of women in the education field. We need more people like her to be able to show the world that oppression, poverty and imperialism are things that are needed to be changed.
Another thing that we have seen of recent, here in Australia has been the attempts by the Abbott Government to change our higher education system to fit with an American model, meaning deregulation of fees, more student debt and a lower standard of education. I don’t know how the Abbott government, came to the idea that this would be a good idea, because the facts don’t add up, for example according to Uncensored Magazine the fees per year at Harvard University are now $35,000 and after two years of university, 45% of American students showed no significant gains in learning. These are the facts of the road Pyne and his henchmen are taking us down and these demonstrate the sheer lack of logic behind this government’s neoliberal agenda. Every great nation needs their children to be educated and thinking about the world’s problems, and by dumbing down our education system the Abbott Government is systematically denying children and young adults the chance to make their world a brighter place. We must condemn this Americanisation of universities for what it really is: a chance to deregulate and privatise another priceless public resource to help right-wing fascists to maintain their grip on power. We need to, as socialists take the lead of Malala and fight till the bitter end to stop the destructive changes to our society being made by Tony Abbott, Christopher Pyne and the Liberals.
The Paddy File 