Education is a precious resource, of this there is no doubt. Many people owe their entire careers to teaching. It is easy to see why it is such a priority among the lives of many. However, there are barriers which prevent education from being more commonplace. We're going to explore 10 of those obstacles here and now, to see what the main challenges are.
Cost
One of the most significant and most obvious barriers to education is the cost. It's become so expensive in some parts of the world to get the learning needed, that many people can not get access to it. Dr Roy Ale, Marketing Executive at Oxford Summer School, says that 'the priority all across the world must be education... it's too precious a tool not to invest in'.
Opportunity
For many young children, there is no chance to get an education even if they wanted it. They are needed elsewhere, whether it be helping their parents to earn money or also working to provide for their families. This situation means there's no chance for them to receive an education.
No Teachers
A significant barrier to education can often be the lack of a trained professional. Just because there's provision for people to learn basic skills, that doesn't mean that there's someone around qualified to teach them.
Classrooms
Often, a considerable barrier to education is when there's no space to teach people. There has to be a space where resources can be stored, and children can go to learn safely. This kind of ideal isn't always possible.
Gender
Despite progressional in many western countries and a firmly established ideal of equality, many third world locations still consider the female to be undeserving of education and may withhold it.
Distance
In many cases, it's just too far to travel for many students to get the education they need. The lack of a school close enough to home can be a significant barrier.
War
In a country which is in the middle of a war or conflict, education tends to become less and less of a priority. This problem does limit the number of people who can get the education that they need.
Overcrowding
In a place where there's hundreds of kids and only one small school, all that happens is not everyone can get educated. Overcrowded schools tend to be a problem.
Hunger
Hunger can be a potent barrier to education. When children go hungry, they can't focus and thus can't learn. It's a major issue for many, and it's easy to see why it should be avoided.
Lack of Incentive
When education is hard to get access to, many people won't try and get it. The motivation isn't strong enough for a considerable portion of kids, and it becomes just as big a barrier as the other obstacles.
All in all, these are 10 of the barriers to education which can prove to be costly. While all children should have access to the education that they want, there can be major obstacles which prevent this from happening.