This article entails the importance of politics and education as well as key reasons why it is essential to improve their symbiotic relationship.
Why Political Awareness Should Be Enhanced in Schools
Most people tend to wonder why it is essential to enhance political awareness in schools. Should you find yourself in a scenario where a debacle ensues regarding the relationship between politics and education, don't hesitate to use Barack Obama as the perfect example. The former U.S. President is revered as among the greatest leaders of the modern age, and his exemplary leadership style remains one of the most spectacular occurrences that many choose to learn from. How he got the most envied leadership position in the United States should, therefore, suffice as the best illustration to debunk the need to integrate more sessions that bring politics and education together.
The Rise and Rise of Obama
When Obama joined Columbia University, it was his dream to become a political scientist and possibly, a future leader. Detailed extensively in a 1995 memoir Obama published titled Dreams of my Father, presumably after honing his writing skills, he stated that he had an interest in politics at a young age and decided to pursue his passion by studying political science at Columbia University.
Obama later graduated and joined Harvard as a law student. It was in this university where he took politics seriously, becoming its first black president. This scenario indicates that Obama's future did not comprise of mere occurrences; were it not for the symbiotic relationship between education and politics, he would probably not have realized his dream to be America's first black president.
The Uniting Bond Between Education and Politics
As aforementioned, there is a uniting bond between education and politics. The primary role of education is to educate through improving a student's reading, comprehension and understanding. Picture a world governed by uneducated leaders. That doesn't sound plausible, does it? It is essential to note that being book smart may not reflect much regarding effective leadership, but it does help nonetheless as one of the several occurrences that are needed to create a great leader. Education broadens one's line of thought and enhances collective intellect in general. Obama may have had leadership skills passed down to him from his father, but education shaped him into the respected leader he still is to date.
Additionally, exposure to politics at younger ages is widely encouraged as it creates a sense of responsibility to those vying for leadership positions as well as those being led. For instance, being a school president instills a sense of leadership, clarifying one's vision through practical experience that can be illustrated through essay writer services, just like our current and former president. Sure, being a president in school doesn't mean that one automatically becomes a good leader; there are several occurrences that result in one being a complete leader. Through practice and honing one's skills in the process, a positive future will definitely lay ahead. Additionally, those involved in these political occurrences at tender ages get to learn how administrative systems work and that they, too, have a voice that can be heard through collective intellect as well.
However, we must be careful introducing more politics in schools, the education system is well known to be leftward leaning, universities more so but a bias favouring left wing parties was more than prevalent in the latest general election. We must ensure that when teaching politics to our future leaders and politicians that we hold somewhat of a neutral stance, obviously we cannot eliminate bias and stance but we can encourage a balanced political education rather than the views of the Labour Party or the Lib Dems or the second referendum crew or the Marxist Society. Our children should be made aware of both extremes of the political spectrum from Marxism to Fascism as well as everything in between and it should be paramount that children should be able to make their own minds up without the information gaps and the narrative that Mrs Thatcher was 'an evil woman' and that students should 'vote Jezza'.
Plato claimed that education and politics had a strong bond, but the relationship would work best if the government flowed from education and not vice versa. Literacy, in general, is quite essential as, without it, critical administrative occurrences would prove to be an uphill task such as financial and political literacy. Education provides the needed platform to provide the public with productive learning phases that equip people with the skills required to govern their respective states. However, politics may have a lot to share with education, such as the redefining of liberal democracies. The teaching of political ideologies in schools proves to be essential as students get to learn how different leadership tactics can be implemented, and through this, they get to learn what works best for the public.
Political science and law suffice as the best courses that cleverly link the bond between politics and education. Including politics in learning institutions either through effective leadership systems or through courses assists in shaping future leaders while also educating the public on how administrative processes happen. Every journey begins with a single step. In such cases, having political occurrences in schools help students to prepare for their future careers. It should be stipulated that politics don't just occur at state and national levels, but also in the corporate world too. Students exposed to such environments stand a better chance of becoming policy advisors as well as avid researchers for both government and corporate agencies. Politics and education, therefore, show the value of their symbiotic relationship since they both redefine each other.
Summary of Main Points
Politics and education are two areas that rely on the same disciplines that are centered on learning. The fact that every teacher was once a student, every leader was once an apprentice. One thing, however, remains constant; knowledge is paramount. Obama is known to have sought advice from professors in schools and would later challenge his fellow students in an 'iron sharpens iron' fashion. These occurrences should be the needed illustration to restate that politics and education will always have a symbiotic bond.