In 2010, the United Nations declared October 15th as World Students’ Day in honour of the former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on the same day in 1931. The day aims to acknowledge the efforts of Kalam towards education and students.
This year, the theme for World Students’ Day is, “Learning for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace”, which aims to reaffirm the role of education as a fundamental right of every person across the world.
Kalam, who studied science and physics, dedicated his life to teaching and inspiring students to become the best version of themselves through his insightful lectures. He was also referred to as the ‘Missile Man of India’ for spearheading the development of the most significant Indian missiles and the country’s civilian space programs.
In South Sudan, World Students’ Day yesterday coincided with the announcement of the results of the certificate of secondary education, which demonstrated the ministry’s commitment to affirming the role of education as a fundamental right for every child.
Education is a right but not a privilege, so every child including an adult has the right to go to school and access the classroom. Unfortunately, the recent conflict in the country and other factors including COVID-19 had forced the majority of the children out of schools.
Children in conflict zones around the world often come under direct attack of various forms of violence such as sexual assaults, forceful recruitment into the military and forced labour. These acts deny them the right to education.
Therefore, as the country celebrates World Students’ Day, it is always important to ensure that all those children who are out of school are granted the right to go back to the classrooms, and, that calls for vacating any school building that might still be under the custody of the military so that the children can have access to them.
Having access to education and making good use of the knowledge after the studies are the two major things the government needs to focus on to have a peaceful society for the next generation.
We learned that Mr. Kalam, after his studies, also dedicated his life to teaching and inspiring students to become the best version of themselves through his insightful lectures. In the same way, we are also remained to use the knowledge and skills we acquire from school to transform the society that we are living in.
Kalam had used his knowledge of physics to spearhead the development of the most significant Indian missiles and the country’s civilian space programs. While we celebrate World Students’ Day, we are challenged to make good use of our knowledge to transform ourselves and our country.
Unfortunately, in our country, most people who went to schools and acquired knowledge are causing more troubles in the communities than a village man who never stepped in the classroom. They use their knowledge to confuse people at the grassroots that have caused untold deaths and sufferings on the lives of innocent women and children.
Hence, for us to have a peaceful South Sudan, it is very important to start making good use of the knowledge we acquire from the schools to transform the lives in the communities but for the destruction of the communities. Sometimes South Sudan becomes a victim of mockery because we failed to make good use of our knowledge and make ourselves best known for conflict.