It is easier to become an educated person now than in the past?

It is easier to become an educated person now than in the past?

Education is one of the primary impetus that could shape the future of a country. Some may argue that many people became scientists in the past, even during the world war. Thus, an argument would arise, pointing out the nearly equal opportunities for people to become educated between today and the past. But I hold that such a statement appears unconvincing. As technology and the economy develop, we can see how these developments today provide people with more access to education resources.

In the past, when our grandparents were young, high-tech products such as laptops, smartphones, or iPads were only the daydream. People had to broaden their knowledge base by paper books or traditional classes. These ways, however, are not always accessible for everyone. Bookstores or schools could be rare in some places, which is true today. How about the people in poor rural areas? They may even stay illiterate during their whole life.

But today, technology has developed with incredible speed: smartphones and computers are ordinary. Even the high-speed Internet has been deployed in remote villages. With such technological developments, people no longer rely on paper books or traditional classrooms to study. It is unremarkable that an uneducated worker can learn college courses through the Internet. This way of study, however, is impractical decades ago. Many aged people, who do not have access to school in the past, now learn interesting subjects or practical skills using their smartphones or laptops.

Another factor behind people’s good fortune in learning is economic development. Years ago, studying is probably an unlikely dream for kids in poor rural areas, especially in developing countries. Since the economy continues to progress over decades, governments today can build schools and bookstores to help those kids to gain knowledge. In other words, these kids today are more fortunate in the sense that they could attend school more easily.