Who should pay for the Costs of Educating and Bringing up Children?
Who should pay for the costs of educating children? Is education a privilege for all? Well, it’s a bitter truth but answer is no. Education is a human right. Education as a human right means the right to educate is legally guaranteed to everyone without any discrimination. It also means the state has the obligation to protect and fulfill the right to education. Education does not only mean to gain knowledge. Educating children is a purposeful activity that focuses on certain aims such as transmitting knowledge, character building and fostering useful skills. There is a difference between educating a child and bringing up a child. Don’t confuse bring up with educate. When you bring up children, you look after them throughout their childhood. Because when a child is born, he/she is totally dependent on parents. When children are educated, they are taught different subjects initially at school, then at college and university. We can never deny importance of educating children. It can empower the child to use critical thinking and develop good learning habits. This results in academic success. In the long run, the child experiences economic and social benefits and becomes a useful citizen for society. Because educated and well-aware people can differentiate between good and bad, they eventually contribute to make their society a better place by serving it. Does everyone get a fair opportunity to get proper education and a nice brought up? Does everyone can afford it? Who should pay for children?
Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the subject of their own rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the rights that must be realized for children to develop to their full potential. Education is a basic human right that works to bring men and women out of poverty, and ensure sustainable environment. But worldwide 244 million children and youth are still out of school for social, economic and cultural reasons. Education is the most sustainable investment. The right to quality education is already firmly rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international legal instruments, the majority of which are the result of efforts of UNESCO and the United Nations. To unleash the full transformational power of education and meet international standards of progress, everyone must have access to it.
‘’Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among….racial or religious groups…>> (Article 26)’’
Children start life as totally independent beings. They must rely on adults for nurture and guidance they need to grow towards independence. Family is the first institution that a child is introduced to. A child spends most of the time from his early years of life among the parents who act as primary source of learning. The overall personality development and performance of children depends on the training they get from their parents. So, Parents are responsible for the education and upbringing of their children.
‘’It is the duty of parents to maintain their child decently…; to protect them according to the dictates of prudence; and to educate them according to the suggestions of a judicious and zealous regard for their usefulness, their respectability and happiness’’
-James Wilson, Lectures on Law, 1791
Parents are ultimately responsible for ensuring the proper education and upbringing of their children. This means no matter who else is involved, parents are to be the architects of their children’s preparation for adulthood. But there comes a problem! Do all parents afford to give proper education and brought up to their children? The answer is no. Children must rely on parents for nurture and guidance, but when parents cannot meet children’s needs, it is up to the state as the primary duty bearer to find an alternative in the best interests of the child. The actions or inactions of government impact children more strongly than any other group in the society. Therefore, it is essential for the government to invest in education since it yields progressive externalities. The government can subsidize education in several forms. School fees can be lowered for low-income parents and students so that anyone can afford proper education regardless of their financial status. Education fights with the poverty in society. Educated and well-trained youth is the asset of nation. Therefore, as the country fulfills the needs of its citizens, government will be significantly investing in its future status and economy. Any nation that has got a higher percentage of educated members means that the country is rich. So, to eliminate poverty from society, government has to eradicate illiteracy. Government should provide quality education.
While in low income countries, it is nearly impossible for government to provide quality education to each citizen. Young children’s experiences in the first five years of life are critical for their well-being and it provides the foundation for lifelong learning. Inequalities in early childhood development (ECD) begin early and tend to persist over time. Children who participate in quality early childhood education (ECE) are more likely to continue schooling and are less likely to dropout. In low-income countries, only about 20 percent of children are enrolled in pre-primary education as compared to eighty percent in high-income countries. In this context, it is timely to consider what is needed to increase political attention and resources for ECE. In Pakistan, ECE (early childhood education) has historically referred to the ‘’katchi’’ class, a grade prior to the formal schooling for 3-5 years old that evolved in the 1990s. In 2019, about 97 percent of public schools in Punjab had katchi classes or other forms of ECE.
To conclude we can say that it is the responsibility of parents as well as state to educate children. Political leadership, legal and policy frameworks should take steps to promote education and provide a nice brought up to their citizens.
