[Letters] It’s everyone’s responsibility

My opinion is that our whole society should participate in improving education. Although we often forget, education plays a fundamental role as the foundation of society. Education is essential in maintaining a society by nurturing responsible citizens. Therefore, instead of leaving education to schools, the whole society should take responsibility so that the values and expectations of that society can be reflected. Better education requires the concern and efforts of the whole society, not just one institution.

From a practical point of view, there are limits to what schools alone can do to solve the problems. Schools often lack financial and human resources to develop programs. Average class size is still big and there are students still in need of subsidies. As teachers already struggle under heavy workloads, it is unrealistic to expect them to provide quality after-school programs. To resolve the issue of a shortage of resources, we need the financial support of private companies and the help of local residents.

Individuals, and by extension the entire community, benefit from the whole society’s participation in education. A variety of school programs help students discover what they want to do and what they are good at. Also, when students see the interest and care of the whole society toward their development, it encourages them to start thinking about what they can do for society.

Finally, sufficient scholarships allow disadvantaged students to focus on their studies. This way, students grow to become knowledgeable and mature citizens, which is the driving force of a healthy society.

In conclusion, education can be expected to improve only when there is society-wide interest and support.

Park Eun-kyoung, sparklet2@hanmail.net