Introduction
Having good health, well-being, and an education is essential to living a happy
and prosperous life. Good health allows people to enjoy the joys of life, such as
traveling the world and raising a family. Having an education ensures that a person is
capable of understanding the world around them, as well it helps them become a
productive member of society. Society needs educated people in order for it to function
properly, but it cannot do so if its members have poor health.
Health and Wellbeing
Having accessible and affordable healthcare is necessary for any society to
function. Due to the high cost, going to the doctor’s office is a dreadful task for many
people. The price of medical care is so high in the United States, that in 2019,10.5% of
the population has admitted to delaying treatment, or not seeking treatment at all due to
the high price, despite 88% of the population being insured.
Adequate impact investments in healthcare are necessary to achieve the UN’s
third Sustainable Development Goal, Good Health and Wellbeing.
Education
Having accessible education for all children and people is very important
because education is what builds the foundation for people to achieve greatness. When
children are exposed to accessible and quality education, it gives a higher chance for
the next genius to innovate. When education is not accessible or of a high enough
quality, we miss out on what the children of the next generation could achieve. Without
education, the human race cannot evolve to the next stage of humanity, but rather
devolve. This is the United Nations 4th Sustainable Development goal, Quality
Education for all. In the video made by “The Global Goals” youtube channel, they have
many different celebrities collaged together saying that when given a quality education it
provides the knowledge and skills for a fulfilling life. I believe that to bring education to
all we would first need to start in countries and areas where there is no education and
create advertisements to make education a priority in places where education may not
be one. Countries in Africa and the middle east have the lowest literacy rate of around
28%, meaning 72% of the population cannot read or write. This is a huge issue that
does not have room to exist in the future of humanity.
Are Sustainable Development Goal’s Connected to Society’s Helth, Wellbeing, and Education?
Before delving into numbers and statistics, a theoretical proposal may allow for a
more convincing perspective. We are living in a world where greed and excessive
consumption have resulted in great economic disparity among the elite class and the
middle-working to poor class. Using ideologies and business practices from the past
where world issues such as great poverty, climate change, automation, etc., never
riddled the economy and people as it does today, it would be wrong to use these
practices in the assumption that they account for all these modern-day variables. As a
result, it is clear that old policies and standards must be reformed in order to
encompass a wider, more relevant array of world problems in our society today.
One argument that’s quite intriguing when discussing foreign aid and relief to
developing nations amidst crises and tragedy is, “Why should we spend so much money
to aid foreign countries while we have homelessness, poverty, and so many residing
issues within our own nation?”. While it is a common argument which I believe is not
necessarily true, as it is very possible and feasible to aid foreign countries while
addressing national issues, it’s interesting given that this sentiment is non-existent when
discussing economics. If similar commentary was applied to Sustainable Growth
worldwide, then it would be clear that while it is important to address SGD’s across
borders and the world, nations must also address the education and well-being of their
citizens. Not only are SDG’s and education important, but they are connected as
progress in both would create a cycle that benefits each other. It is clear that our current
education practices, especially in reference to economic theory and business, fail to
implement Sustainable Growth and Development ideologies. As a result, we continue a
cycle of introducing young graduates into industries specialized in finance, business,
and economics without equipping them with the proper knowledge and education of
their industry. When decision-makers within an industry are not aware of the
consequences that their initiatives can bring, they are more likely to make decisions that
would negatively impact the environment as a result of traditional principles they were
taught which ignores sustainability. Thus, it is extremely important to prioritize education
as a means of fostering a generation of people who understand the global issues being
faced today. In addition, while education must be prioritized, educational success is
contingent upon the overall health and well-being of society. Without good health, strong
education becomes difficult as deteriorating health and well-being make attaining
higher education much more difficult. It is clear that there are stronger degrees of
education and literacy among communities that are healthier, and while there are other
variables within this, there is a clear connection. While education is a must, so is
health care and policies that promote good health keep communities well. These two
are extremely connected and progress in parallel, and when made as a point of focus,
create a society better equipped and prepared to address Sustainable Development
Goal’s nationally and globally
Education goes so much beyond just getting a job and making your parents
happy. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful tools out there. Every person should have
access to a good education. For a modern society, education is of utmost importance.
There are so many influences coming from all directions, and education can help us
decipher what we should take as true, and what we should take with a grain of salt.
Education can mold people into functional members of society with the right kinds of
values. However, the United States is underfunding its K-12 public schools by nearly
$150 billion annually, robbing more than 30 million school children of the resources they
need to succeed in the classroom, according to a new study released by The Century
Foundation (TCF). Without these resources, students can be very limited and face many
difficulties learning and understanding school.
The study, Closing America’s Education Funding Gaps, is based on a
comprehensive national cost model developed by leading school finance expert Bruce
Baker. The model estimates the investment needed in every school district in the
country, this includes more than 13,000 in total and in all 50 states to bring students up
to national average outcomes. The majority of school districts in the country face a
“funding gap,” meaning that lifting students up to average outcomes requires greater
public investment.
Innovation Solutions
Miranda Meents in her publishing to the University of British Columbia beautifully
states, “Education can stimulate economic growth less directly, by increasing
innovation, productivity, and human capital. And education also has a history of
fostering positive social change, by encouraging things like political participation, social
equality, and environmental sustainability.” Amidst global crises’ and clear studies
indicating inevitable destruction of our Earth if we continue our current practices, it is
clear that immediate change and reform is needed. Among reforms, education must be
prioritized globally to change the outlook and foresight of individuals in society. Across
New York City, the country, and globally, funding of schools is a major issue. While
teachers are spread thin and overcrowding in schools is linked directly to
underachieving schools, it is clear that there is an issue being avoided here by
governments and institutions with power. Per American studies, “The Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities reports that 34 states channel less funding into education on a
per-student basis than they did prior to the recession years.” In addition, between 2008
and 2016 nearly 300,000 teachers were cut from the American workforce. Clearly, the
government is failing education as a priority. In the graphic below, it is clear that funds
are not being dispersed in a way that is sustainable. Policy changes must be addressed
and underfunded communities, states, and countries need to be funded for access to
greater education. Schools need to be built at an increasing rate while acknowledging
the importance of educators and their role in educating new generations and aiding in
creating a sustainable world.
In addition to policy reform addressing education, it is more important now than
ever to implement universal health care not only in the United States but in countries as
they continue to develop. Universal health care protects communities and is
undoubtedly for the well-being of civilization. It is an unfortunate reality that health care
has become a business that profits off from illness, and the Covid global pandemic
quickly exposed the holes in our American Health Care system which further
exemplifies the need for universal health care and hospitals with the means of aiding
communities in the case of further global tragedies. It is time to make history and current
events as a means of addressing broken policies, standards, and institutions. By doing
this, we are aiming towards a more holistic way of governing and practice which not
only protects and helps individuals in society but allows for individuals in society to
come together with their increased education and progress in health to make better
impacts in our currently adverse world. The Earth needs our help and is begging us to
become self-aware, now governments must take the necessary actions to bring
humanity closer to these initiatives and sustainability.
Sources
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/cost-affect-access-care/#ite
m-costaccesstocare
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/psi/blog/12/miranda-meents
https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/5-ways-policy-makers-can-improve-the-quali
ty-of-education
https://tcf.org/content/about-tcf/tcf-study-finds-u-s-schools-underfunded-nearly-15
0-billion-annually/