As I walk through the hallways of A-West I commonly hear, ¨I hate school.” Over and over, these three simple words flow into my ears, and take over my mind.  

Now let’s be real, there are days where I just really do not want to be at school. I quickly realized that there is a problem going on in most schools. It is a problem that starts with the fact that we are quick to say we hate school without knowing how privileged we are to have it in the first place.

Countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Haiti and so many more have one unfortunate commonality: education is not a right. According to Unesco.org over 263 million kids cannot go to school because of factors like war, gender, and natural disasters.

One compelling story about not having the right to go to school is about Malala Yousafzai. Her book, ¨I am Malala,” talks about her fighting for her right for education while living in Pakistan. Not only did Malala stand up against the Taliban that was denying her basic right to education, she also survived a shot to the head by a gunman on a school bus. Malala’s story overwhelmingly supports the idea that everyone should have the right to education.

In my 11 years of being in a public school, I have learned that opportunity is one thing I have to be grateful for. Without school, I do not think I could have conquered my social anxiety, learned how to handle stress, and learned who I truly am. By allowing me to step out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and learn new things, school has truly shaped me to be the best I can and try my hardest at everything I do.

I started to ask myself, “Why do kids hate school so much anyway?” Hearing the conversations in the hall, it seems most students dislike school because of factors like waking up early, annoying people, and how boring it is.

To me, educational privilege is an advantage that not everyone gets. The reason I advocate for school is not only because it gives us experience for the real world, but because it provides opportunity for my generation.

So let’s face it, whether you like school or not, it is a privilege to be able to say, “I go to school.¨ We treat something that has immeasurable value like it is unimportant. Regardless, I do know one thing:  I know I am privileged and I know how to be grateful for the opportunities in life that others would die for.