Education has always been a crucial part of society for the past centuries. Some believe that our education is a privilege. Some believe that our education is a right. Some believe that our education is an obligation. The only obligation we might have towards education is to treat it as a privilege as well as a right, but certainly not an obligation to have an education. Education has been the basis for the success we see in our parents, our teachers, and more importantly, ourselves.

Over time, people have considered and concluded that education is a privilege. Education is a privilege because not many people can afford an education, and we should be grateful that we have this opportunity that many do not have. I personally have seen that education is a privilege here at Benedictine University. This school is composed of people who aspire not to attain the idea of individuality, but rather to aspire to become one with their students. That is just one aspect of this school that makes the idea of education being a privilege more evident. Many schools do not offer such attention and caring. Many schools do not have the resources that Benedictine University attains. There are certainly people that are unable to even attend a community college because of financial difficulties. Such a disadvantage should make students, such as myself, realize what a valuable and powerful thing education can be, and it has. In some parts of society, families struggle to even put clothing on their children. Education to them is nothing but a mere image and fantasy. There are many reasons more than I have showed you to prove that education is a privilege. However, if I were to list them, the list would go on and on, almost never stopping.

But education just isn’t a privilege, is it? Definitely not, education, in a sense, is just as equally a right. This is true because you cannot be denied an education based on your nationality, skin color, hair color, or any physical features, even being handicapped. It is the right of the individual to seek an education, as long as the individual is fully capable financially and mentally. Let say ‘Melissa,’ a fictional fourteen-year-old African-American girl, wants to attend Hinsdale Central. A fairly good school, if I do say so myself, for a student to attend preceding college, as I have. Let’s say Hinsdale Central refuses to let Melissa attend their school for various reasons, such as her skin color. It’s Melissa’s constitutional right to contest this decision by the fact that the school denied her admittance based on her skin color, which is discrimination. However, the school does not have to admit Melissa, even though she is completely qualified. The individual does not have the right to an education, but rather has the right to seek and education. The individual can only have a right to an education if the school offering the education refuses them based on physical features.

What about obligations, is an education one of them? Education can be an obligation in a personal way, but education is certainly not an obligation to receive in the general aspect. If a person feels obligated about their education, they are most likely not going to be motivated. Motivation comes from the parents, the teachers, and the inner-self, not from obligations. Something as small as a simple compliment from a teacher can do a world of wonders for a student’s motivation. If the student feels obligated by anyone or anything, the performance of the student may pay the consequences as a result. When a student is obligated and unmotivated, they are then even harder to get to and teach. This happens because the student may feel as if what is being taught has no importance or any benefits. When the student is motivated and doesn’t feel obligated, his performance clearly displays such an attitude. They are more willing to learn and understand subjects that are being presented to them. By thinking that education is an obligation can have a definite negative effect on the student’s motivation and attitude.

As you can see, education is not an obligation. It is, in essence, a right as well as a privilege. These remain evident because you cannot be denied an education based on your physical features, and your education is something that many do not have; therefore it is also a privilege. Education has been the backbone for the success of our parents, our teachers, and will be the backbone for us, the students; the future of this country.

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