Education is Power

Education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life (dictionary. com). Power is the ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something (dictionary. com). In my own words education is knowledge that you will need in your future for a better life, and power is the influence you have over others, whether helping them to do good or bad.I believe that education is the key to power because without the knowledge needed to learn how to control the power that you have then how would you be able to influence people’s lives? Education for a person does not only benefit the person but also the people around them. Whether it be their parents, spouses, children, or siblings, I believe one person’s education can rub off on the people that they are around. The power that a person has to influence others is truly a great one, especially if that power is used for good, and those you usually have this power, most of the time, aren’t even aware that they possess it.Education is power because it gives people the ability to change their lives and the lives of others. Statistics show that around the world children who are born the educated mothers are less likely to be stinted or malnourished. Each additional year of maternal education also reduces the child mortality rate be two percent (dosomething. org). This goes back to the example of a parent’s education influencing a child’s life. In some countries around the world if a child’s mother is educated then that child has a better chance of survival at life.Another statistic suggests that literacy rates in South America and Europe are among the highest with 90- 100 percent literacy. The African continent however, has areas with less than 50 percent literacy among children under the age of 18. Oprah Winfrey once said â€Å"Edu cation is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom. † I think Oprah is one of the top supporters for education especially the education of women. This shows through the creation of her school in Africa.Young women in Africa need educational opportunities to prolong their lives. The more education that they acquire, the farther they can get in their lives. I think Oprah would agree with the fact that education is power because of the opportunities that she has laid out to help young children get to the places they would like to be in their lives. In the end I believe that education is one of the most powerful instruments that any man or woman can have to help reduce inequality and start a process of economic growth for themselves and for their country.