Imagine not being able to read or write. In fact, you wouldn’t be able to read this. The world around you, the signs and advertisements, would all be gibberish to you. When you went to the supermarket you would just go by looks, not by what everything says. You wouldn’t know how much fat there is in the butter, or what the chicken is seasoned with. You would have to depend on the people around you to tell you. As a result, you would be easily influenced by those around you.

Where I live, it is mandatory to be schooled up to 12th grade. This is also true for most developed countries. Around 8:00 am every morning, children wake up and get dressed. They walk, bike, or drive to school. They go to their classes: math, science, physical education, social studies, and language arts. As they move from class to class, they get sweaty, take tests, and chat with friends.

Some days they are nervous, when they are presenting in front of the whole class or are taking an important test. Other days they are happy; they got a good grade, or are doing an interesting lab in science. Some days they cry, because of grades or issues with friends.

Altogether they are developing new skills and experiencing emotions, over time. For example, last year we worked on making presentations. This included talking for two to five minutes without notes. The first time I presented, I was constantly fidgeting my hands and only looked at a part of my class. We ended up presenting multiple times throughout the year, which helped me become more confident.

School teaches you to act, motion, and go through a lot of different things. It teaches you to have a good debate, and not get frustrated if things don’t go your way. It teaches you how to work with all kinds of people, and equips you with coping skills for stress.

Unfortunately, not every kid has a daily experience like this. This can be a result of having to work, not having access to a school, or being denied an education because of where they live. This makes them more easily influenced and controlled.

Without going to school and learning things, life would be very boring. When you are bored, what do you do? I like to sit on the coach with my dog and read a good book. If I didn’t go to school, I wouldn’t be able to do this, because I wouldn’t know how to read. A lot of the activities that I enjoy aren’t possible without going to school to get the skills.

In conclusion, school is a fundamental part of a person’s development. Its purpose is to make you a productive member of society. Schooling should be available everywhere for every child, as declared in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I can’t imagine life without school.