Education is the birth-right of every citizen, just like the right to have proper health care, just like the right to vote. It is another question whether the government can provide it or not. But without education, we can't expect the people to contribute positively to society.
Education teaches self-reliance, it teaches civic ethics and tolerance and it opens up minds. Many issues related to gender and ethnic discrimination can be alleviated by spreading education.
Our society is filled with all kinds of inequalities based on class and gender.
Now, when education is not freely accessible to all people, the people on the receiving end of this inequality equation, ie the poor and women, tend to get excluded from education.
The poor have a difficult time making then ends meet; it would be futile to expect them to pay for a 'privilege' like education.
The women's role in society is considered to be limited to her house, and it is understood that she doesn't need education to learn household chores. So that translates into the argument why pay for something that wouldn't be worth it for women.
It is the duty of the government to be cognisant of these subtle processes that reinforce the discrimination.
Free education is one of way of combating these hurdles. The Punjab provincial government has taken a very positive step by making basic elementary/secondary education free for all. It is imperative that education be on top of the Punjab government's priority list. Sindh government should make free education its first priority."
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