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ducation is a powerful tool of enlightenment and empowerment, especially for the poor and vulnerable members of society. The power of education lies in its ability to unlock widespread development across a country and leads to betterment in the lives of the educated. But the question of whether education can really save lives is not just a philosophical one but has very practical answers. Let’s take a look at how education can save lives in a real sense. 

Protecting Children’s Rights and Lives

Education, through teachers, can have a positive effect on students facing abuse of various kinds. Children might have been told that abuse is normal but teachers can help them realize avenues of protection and guide them with redressal options that are available to them. Students are also taught about the equality of the sexes during education, which is another means of how education can save lives, as this promotes better equitable treatment towards others regardless of sex.  

In Cases of Emergencies

  • Schools and classrooms can act as a shelter in the aftermath of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or flood. Due to their size and central location, schools and institutes can also be used as distribution points for food and other emergency services. 

  • Classes can be held to host education drives regarding infectious diseases and thus help prevent further spread. Another way how education can save lives is that children who continue their education are less likely to suffer exploitation, violence or kidnapping.

  • Lastly, school life can help kids build resilience after a disaster or conflict situation, acting as a stable and safe routine for returning to normalcy
 

Sanitation and Health

  • Schools impart vital hygiene and health practices to children, which can prevent a lot of chronic or other diseases. From regular drinking-water safety and bathing to proper food preparation and even basic ideas on how diseases can be spread from one person to another, children (and in some communities parents as well) are armed with simple but powerful tools to keep their health sound. 

  • How education can save lives of the future generations as well can be seen in the fact that mothers who had at least a primary level education, are less likely to have malnourished children. Additionally, the education of girls and young women will have the outcome that their children are more likely to get immunized (i.e. vaccinated) and are also more likely to attend school. 

Regular Meals

In many schools around the globe, lunch and other meals provided by the school (either free or at a very low cost) might be the only nutritious meal the student receives in the day. With initiatives such as “School Meals” from the World Food Programme, children can have some food security despite macro issues that the area might be going through (wars, unrest, etc.). Providing a place where even the most vulnerable students are able to have a regular meal is another facet of how education can save lives. Students who attend school and complete their education are less likely to be incarcerated and more likely to have concern for the environment and for each other. 

Better Healthcare 

More education leads to more surgeons, doctors, nurses and other medical professions in an area or country. Better healthcare infrastructure leads to better treatment of diseases, more lives being saved overall as well as lower rates of preventable diseases. Thus, the growth in the healthcare sector shows how education can save lives

Learn at Sharda University

Having access to higher quality of education thus answers the question as to how education can save lives. Sharda University is a multi-discipline university situated in Greater Noida, near Delhi, the capital of India. Sharda University has a large campus with some of the best learning facilities as well as many extra-curricular activities for students to indulge in.    

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