The story of America is perhaps defined by the immigrant journey; the search for opportunity and freedom. With dreams rooted in success and prosperity, America is more than the land of the free and the home of the brave; it is the measuring stick of morality, a nation that has given every person a fair chance no matter where they came from.

Countless immigrants, young and full of optimism, have possessed the full-fledged belief that their children could succeed in America. By hard work, sheer will and investment in education many have created new lives for themselves. Example after example of this phenomenon has certainly demonstrated the following: Education creates opportunity.

That said, too many people are being denied education around the globe. For example, the populous nation of Pakistan is mired in educational turmoil. According to UNICEF, the total adult literacy rate is an alarming 56 percent .The youth literacy rate is 79 percent for males and 61 percent for females. Adding to the damage, more than 100 schools have been destroyed in just the Mohmand tribal region due to extremist militants in opposition of co-education, specifically of education for girls. Undoubtedly, the poor education system has contributed to the societal strife ever-present in Pakistan.

However, Pakistan is far from the only place that endures educational hardships. This immoral campaign to stifle public education is happening everywhere. For example, in many places, children, by necessity, must work to help support their families. The International Labour Organization found that one in every four children in sub-Saharan Africa had to work to support their families. The estimates also showed that one in every five children in Asia had to work as well.

To deal with this global problem, we can and must begin turning to technology.

In a world that’s becoming increasingly globalized, our channels of communication have expanded exponentially. Whether it’s the daily usage of social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook or the ability to interact visually over Skype, rapid technological innovations can, should and are beginning to be used to increase and spread educational opportunities. 

The benefits of implementing new technologies are evident when considering Rwanda. The country’s Ministry of Education understands the critical importance of furthering education, especially in regards to technology. Though the country’s adult literacy rate averaged around 71 percent between 2005 and 2010, the primary school participation rate of males and females surpassed 150 percent. Dr. Vincent Biruta, the Minister of Education, called for researchers and the younger generation last fall to incorporate technology in educational reform. 

Utilizing advanced technology, Rwanda has begun to increase the capacity of technological and distance learning in villages. This is vital to shrinking the teacher to pupil ratio, which currently stands at a scary rate of 58 to 1. And if education continues to be the staple of the government’s agenda, we might see Rwanda’s rate of those living with HIV and AIDS taper off over time from its current 170,000 people who live with the virus. Though 44.9 percent of the country lives in poverty, one can see why increased funding to the country is being allocated for the improvement of education — it will lead to good fortune everywhere else. 

Education should be the greatest priority for every country. With technology’s assistance, we have entered an age where we can truly connect not on a local scale, or even national scale — but a worldwide scale. Increasingly, educated societies will pave the way for the development of flourishing economies, aid in the alleviation of poverty and improve the quality of life available to much of humanity.

The story of every country is, and will always be, unique. Innovative education has been and continues to be part of America’s story, and it continues to make its way to every corner of every country. So it seems this new chapter of mankind’s global story is being rewritten, 140 characters at a time.

Imran is a sophomore in DGS. He can be reached at [email protected].