Stressed. Moody. Tired. Hungry. These are the words that sometimes come in mind when I come home from school. Every day seems just like the ones before: full of homework, stressful decisions and not enough sleep. Most of the students would most likely agree with me and even add more to it. However, it’s easier to focus on the negative things about something rather than the positive, like they say. On those last couple months of the year, you will hear most seniors say: “Ah, I can’t wait for graduation day to come!” and after years the same person says: “I’d go back if I could.” The reason behind that statement can be for many things. Unfortunately, in many cases, it wouldn’t be for the classes, homework and long hours you put into it. Yet many people in the world ask for just that.

Hence, I’ve been trying to see school from another perspective and appreciate every single bit of it. I wasn’t sure how to start exactly so right after school I took quick notes of something fascinating I had learned that day: circles having no angles is the same as having infinitely many angles, particles and their charges are the reason why people don’t actually touch anything (in other words, the sensation of touch is simply an illusion). These are amongst the many interesting things I learned in school and to some people these facts might be boring, or they have heard of it before but never really thought about it. Some people my age, however, don’t even know what negatively or positively charged particles even are. I feel that these “facts” should be known by everyone. You never know how fascinating and inspiring it would be for someone to learn about these. They might even end up finding a theorem for math or devote their lives researching and coming up with a cure for that disease everyone was suffering from.

According to new world rankings, they found out that there are 70 million children worldwide that don’t go to school. This is a fact that I didn’t learn in school. I don’t know which of the two saddens me more. I complain almost everyday of how tough and time-consuming school can be yet there are children out there that education is the only thing they are asking for. It’s hard to think that the knowledge I have today, at this age, someone will never have even in a million years. Everyone deserves education. People in those parts of the world where their country can’t afford any education would do almost anything to be in my shoes. I feel more than ashamed to live in a society where everything you know, want, need is granted to you knowing that millions of people have no idea what the internet even is.

I have dreams. Children in Africa have dreams. The only difference is that I’m far more closer to them in some way. When people can’t read or write that a good quality of education offers, they are “destined” to live a poor and unhealthy life. On the other hand, children that attend school are more likely to live a long, healthy and better-nourished life. How is that fair?

A life without education is a life half-lived. Malala Yousafzai said: “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.” Every single person in this planet should have the right for education. It will give us tomorrow’s doctors, nurses, teachers and leaders – but also healthy mothers, responsible fathers and engaged citizens.