As a trainee teacher, reflecting on the role and place of education has impacted greatly on me during my time at University. Throughout Sixth Form, I remember becoming increasingly aware of how lucky I was to have had such a privileged upbringing. I believe that this sparked my interest in sharing my knowledge with others in the classroom; and offering others the same types of opportunities that I have been so fortunate to receive.
A person I admire greatly is Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate, who – against all odds – has continued fighting for her and others girls’ right to an education. She so bravely and eloquently speaks up about the importance of education, and I hope that the children I will go on to teach will see this passion and be able to share in it.
Last year, I was lucky enough to be involved in the Schools Plus initiative, run by Winchester Hub, which helps young people to achieve their academic potential by matching them with university student tutors. As a tutor, I had the opportunity to see first hand how our short sessions once a week actually made a difference to the children’s confidence and ability, as well as their enjoyment of their studies. This led me to want to be involved in co-ordinating Schools Plus and standing up for other children who might not have had the best start in life. This role has impacted and enhanced my belief that all children have the right to a fair education and this should not be determined by their background.
My time in school has developed my philosophy of valuing each child as an individual, as well as part of a community. When I teach I aim to give children as many learning opportunities and experiences as possible in order to engage, motivate and prepare them for future life. This is why the #UpforSchool petition has really made me think about how we need to create a stir and buzz around education, as it should be a right for all in theory as well as in practice.
People around the world should be able to expect that their young people will be given the opportunity to learn whatever their background may be. I hope the campaign has the capacity to make our world leaders listen to the wishes of citizens and in the meantime, I hope to continue to motivate and challenge children so that they can make important decisions in the future with regards their own life and the lives of others.
Sign the #UpForSchool petition to put pressure on governments to remove barriers to educational access.