Disturbing News Story and Education

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/12/afghanistan.acid.attack/index.html

I was beyond disturbed when I read this story. As a university student, especially among those who were studying to be educators, the question 'Is education a right or a privilege' was one frequently discussed. I felt that people from the U.S. saw education as a 'right' because of the public education system whereas people from other countries saw education as a privilege. Even in the States with the massive public education system, access to a certain level of education is still a privilege. Don't people buy homes in certain expensive neighborhoods to have access to those neighborhoods' schools? I know that as a parent I do everything I can to help my kids have access to the best education attainable.

Frankly, I feel that access to education should be a right, but it is not. I don't know if some folks realize what it takes to get access to education in many countries. Let alone, do folks know what it takes to get access to an education that prepares students to enter university? All the schools I see in the region where I live are surrounded by walls. Are they surrounded by walls to keep students in or to keep certain folks out? At some schools, to gain access to the campus you have to have parking permit stickers. Yes, this helps keeps kids safe, but it also highlights the world in which we find ourselves.

Education is one of the keys to peace. Please, do not take access to education for granted.