# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?
Education hones one academically as well as teaches us values. The values that we are taught, as well as skills such as critical thinking allow us to think for ourselves and determine right from wrong. Such skills come into play when instances where discrimination is displayed occurs. With education, we are able to believe in stronger values and make more clear decisions between right and wrong. However, personal values can also develop differently despite people receiving the same type of education or being in the same education system. In the case of discrimination, education teaches us that discrimination is wrong and that we should take action in order to stop instances where possible. We also learn that everyone is equal regardless of race, also known as equality, and learn to treat every individual in the same way in order to have a society where there is no discrimination. Although it is possible to minimise discrimination, it is more difficult to get rid of prejudicial thoughts that have been instilled in us. Therefore, education has a role in teaching people to think critically of prejudicial thoughts, not to perpetuate discrimination and to thus level the playing field for people in a world where discrimination is inevitable.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Education, by theory, is supposed to level the playing field - since everyone receives the same standard education, everyone receives the same amount of help in school. However, that is sadly not the case today. Standard education itself has now been commercialized, the very plan thought to give equal opportunities to all now has a price tag to it, a price tag not everyone can afford. In Singapore, the government subsidizes majority of our school fees, and education is compulsory. In other countries, education is denied to people because of their gender, their socio-economic status. That is how the poverty cycle works. The poor are unable to afford formal education, in turn denying them a decent-paying job in society due to their lack of education and the consequential lack of credentials. Children who are born into these poor families face the same discrimination as their parents, and the cycle repeats itself, until and unless someone along the line makes a breakthrough. Discrimination in the recipients of education defeats the purpose of education leveling the playing field for people, since people need to be of a certain playing field to even be considered 'worthy' of formal education.

# data[].attributes.body
Education helps to level the playing field, due to its abilities to empower people in various ways. Education provides a gateway for many people to improve their lives, especially to break out of the poverty cycle, or discrimination in their respective societies. Educations not only teaches valuable knowledge, it also equips people with useful skills that they can apply in various areas. Some of these skills could include soft skills like communication, creativity, even Emotional Quotient and much more. These skills help people to foster and ignite change, when they are applied to various situations and used to make a difference or improvement for the better. When coupled with the technical or factual knowledge learnt, these people begin to be seen as more knowledgeable and capable than others, who are illiterate and have not received formal education. The first obvious goal of many people, when they go through education, is to get a degree and get a good job. In countries like Singapore, getting a good job may not drastically affect our lives, but for many people, especially in poorer countries, getting a good job with higher pay could be a matter of life and death, when it comes to providing for their family in the long run.  Education gives many people who are not as privileged, a chance to compete with others of more privileged backgrounds and gives them a chance to be on the same level, with the same potential to succeed , thus leveling the playing field through helping the less privileged to break out of their current circumstances.

# data[].attributes.headline
Where/What is the role of education in levelling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems inevitable?

# data[].attributes.subject
Where/What is the role of education in levelling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems inevitable?

# data[].attributes.body
Education plays a big role in empowering one to break away from the poverty cycle

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

The role of education in levelling the playing field for people comes in the form of ensuring that every individual receives the same amount and quality of education worldwide, regardless of their socioeconomic status. The current world is filled with endless discrimination and it all comes down to people of different backgrounds and status receiving different treatments from society. This causes them to be stuck in the endless cycle of being poverished as compared to those born with a silver spoon in their mouth, which would most likely be the case for their future generations. For example, someone born into a rich family would be able to afford the highest quality of education as their parents would be able to give them tuitions and extra enrichment classes if they find themselves not coping with school work well. However, someone born into a poor family would be put exactly in the opposite situation. The parents of the child would not be able to afford him/her any tuitions or enrichment classes should they be struggling with their studies and when they grow a little older, they might still have to work part- time while studying to feed their family. This is just but a classic example of how the different socioeconomic classes continuously lead their lives for generation to come. Hence with everyone being able to access the same top notch education, without different groups of students not being able to afford extra classes, can the poor breakaway from being impoverished and the rich from becoming richer.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in levelling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems inevitble?

Education plays one of the biggest roles, if not the biggest role, in levelling the playing field. People of colour have always been disadvantaged, as compared to white people or even people of a lighter skin colour. Not only are these people at the brunt of unkind comments, they have lesser pay, through system of racism. When an entire system discriminates against them, these people have no escape from their low wages. This also promotes a cycle of poverty. Whe people of colour have lesser pay, they are forces to take away crucial opportunities from their children, such as education. And this is what prevents them from escaping from their cycle of poverty- education.

Not only would education allow a child to receive better, higher-paying jobs, it would allow the child to help out others who are in similar situations as him/her. This allows an escape from the cycle of poverty.

However, in status quo, the people with the least amount of education are probably the most disadvantaged. There is no system that allows for parents to send their childrem to school, when they need their children to run businesses, or help out at home. Educating those who are discriminated in society sounds great on paper, but is actually incredicbly difficult to implement.

# data[].attributes.body
What/where is the role of education in levelling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Education is necessary to educate the world’s youths about discrimination and how to avoid discriminating others despite their skin colour and their race. Through education, there would be a higher awareness of the importance to reduce discrimination to give everybody equal opportunities and rights. Education allows the students to learn necessary skills and proper values that will enable them to easily integrate into society and find a stable job. Despite education’s efforts to raise awareness of discrimination and to teach the youths the wrongs of discriminating others, however, it is contradictory as education is discrimination itself. Education is only limited to the priveledge few, including those with proper access to a well-funded school, those in average income family and those in a particular skin colour. Other youths and children who are unable to pay for school fees or unable to receive education because of their skin tone and race fail to be able to learn necessary skills and would have to fend for themselves. Everyone should be given the opportunity to receive education regardless of their skin tone, household income and background. Education should be open to everyone from every country to educate others on discrimination, so as to level the playing field for people and ensure that everyone gets an equal opportunity to succeed in life without much discrimination.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Education plays a big role in deciphering our standards of living in the future believe or not. We often say things like "My certificate does not validate who I am as a person" that given, it is true that our academic achievements do not validate who we are as a person however, it is the most convenient way to find out the competency of a potential employee. Obviously, in our money-minded and complex society, employers more often than not go to the most convenient way of employing, by looking at their certificates of achievement to know if they are suited to work in that particular profession rather than personally scouting employees which can be a tedious process. As a result, people without certain attainment in academics tend to lose out in the competition for a job even if they are talented in that profession.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Education plays an opposing role in leveling the playing field for people. In reality, it widens the gap between people of different backgrounds by limiting opportunities for success to some, hence perpetuating discrimination. Students, who are financially tight, suffer while trying to attain the same standard of education as others. This is because a certificate of receiving tertiary level education serves as a marker for success. When going for job interviews, whether or not your resume looks "good" and includes a list of impressive degrees plays a rather significant factor in deciding whether you will get the job. Although the rich, who had been able to afford to attain those degrees, gains an upper hand from this strict assessment, those from poorer families are at a disadvantage since they may not even had the chance to attain them. Education is something that is either handed down to on a silver platter or something that requires sweat and tears in order to attain it.

However, we must not disregard that education does empower the less privileged in some cases. In some countries, subsidised fees are offered to students who come from less privileged families. This gives rights to all children to grow, learn and become full members of society. However, despite government efforts, rising numbers of private education institutions equipped with better teachers still continue to dominate our world, making it increasingly difficult to end discrimination. Hence education does not serve a helpful role in ensuring equality. This can be seen clearly in opportunities of educations given during the Apartheid period. The Whites were allowed to attend school while the Blacks were banned from it. This widened the gap between the two social classes since one possessed academic superiority over the other. Thus education does not play a significant role in allowing people to have the same starting point in their race for success.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?
In each country, education provided for the children across the country would be same, and the children are being treated equally, being provided with the same materials to learn and study and all of them are getting the same quality of education. In Singapore, for example, all children are required to go to school. In addition, school fees in Singapore are heavily subsidised for our people so as to make sure everyone has the opportunity to attend school. However, even though
children mostly start out with the same opportunities, discrimination is inevitable as students would take examinations and subsequently be streamed according to their academic ability. Those who do not end up in certain schools/courses would be discriminated against those who are considered to be academically
stronger. Students would undoubtedly be judged according to their quality of education. Ultimately, even though education would initially help to level the playing field for people, as time goes by, discrimination
would occur, as we live in a world where discrimination against others is inevitable.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Indeed, to a certain extent, education does help to level the playing field in a world where prejudice and discrimination is inexorable. In Singapore, according to the Compulsory Education Act (Cap 15), when a child fails to attend school regularly as a pupil at a national primary school or a designated school, and he/she is not home-schooled (where exemption is granted), the parent/guardian of the child may be guilty of an offence. This also means that it is compulsory for children to study in school as supported by the government, since the school fees are heavily subsidised, and this in a sense helps to bridge the gap between the poor, average and  more well-to-do families. Children from all kinds of families, regardless of their background, financial status or race, are given a chance to receive education so that they have an opportunity to excel after they finish school. Nonetheless, there are many loopholes and one of them includes, a children receiving better and higher quality education if his/her family is more well-to-do, and this aids them in starting off at a higher rung of the social ladder. In this case, is education really helping to build a platform for everyone to learn and obtain knowledge at the same rate if they all start off at different start points?

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?
Everyone should have an equal opportunity to receive education no matter the income of the household. Education allows the holder to more easily integrate and find a position in society as nowdays, society values those who have knowledge. Education should serve as an opportunity to educate people on matters other than basic subjects such as by making people more aware of the different cultures, societies and practices that can be seen in today's world. By giving everyone access to education, we are leveling the playing field by allowing all a chance to not only survive but be successful further along the road. By allowing everyone to have an opportunity to be educated we are allowing poorer households to have a chance to escape the poverty cycle and achieve goals that before education, only families with high incomes could reach.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Discrimination can lead to the unfair distribution and quality of education provided to different groups. Some people are not given the same resources or treatment as others, especially those from marginalized groups such as people of color in a majority white country such as America.

The role of education in leveling the playing field is to provide everyone with the same quality of education and schooling. Through this, everyone will be given equal opportunity to achieve something in this world. Not only those from high-income or prestigious families will have access to high-quality resources and education, and people's ability to achieve will be based on their own hard work and merit rather than how much their parents earn. There will be less segregation due to education levels, and a person's success won't just be based on luck or connections, but rather their own hard work. People born into rich families won't necessarily have a head start compared to those born to poorer families, and both will have equal opportunities for achievement and success.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

To some extent, education does provide one to redeem himself from society's stereotypes of him. It earns him more respect as society would deem him and his skills as more necessary for the economy of the world.

However, education has changed the dynamics of the social structure of the world. The less wealthy, for instance, from rural villages, work and study hard to receive a better education. However, just to end up being a middle class worker because those born in a middle class family climb even higher up the social ladder and steal the "high class" positions. They get far more educated and wealthier. Education has instilled a sense in Man that he has to always advance in society and that deproving is absolutely unacceptable.
The inevitability of unequal education around the world has segregated Man. Education has elevated the playing field, making it even harder for one to climb up the social ladder, although it appears to do the opposite. Even education is a form of discrimination as it bands people according to their intellectual ability in specific and narrow-scoped examinations. Although education does claim to diminish discrimination, it unconsciously promotes another form of discrimination.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Financial status still plays a big role in one's education. In a world where discrimination seems inevitable, it is no surprise that education tend to be more readily accessible to those who are more well-off. Funny how the role of education in leveling the playing field of people is believed to provide unbiased education by giving an extra advantage or opportunities to those who would normally be at a disadvantage, which in this case are those who are poverty-stricken, but yet it cannot be denied that unfair distribution and quality of education still persists.

Though the Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that every child has the right to a free basic education, so that poverty and lack of money should not be a barrier to schooling, for many of the poorest families, school remains too expensive and children are forced to stay at home doing chores or work themselves. Families remain locked in a cycle of poverty that goes on for generations. In many countries in Africa, while education is theoretically free, in practice ‘informal fees’ see parents forced to pay for ‘compulsory items’ like uniforms, books, pens, extra lessons, exam fees or funds to support the school buildings. In other places, the lack of functioning public (government) schools means that parents have no choice but to send their children to private schools that, even if they are ‘low fee’, are unaffordable for the poorest families who risk making themselves destitute in their efforts to get their children better lives through education.

While education may be viewed as a solution in leveling the playing for people, in contrast, education itself widens the gap between the different groups of people out there in terms of financial status.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

In a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable, education plays a vital role in leveling the playing field for people. Education is commonly viewed as a validation of one's status and worth. A person who has the opportunity to receive education is viewed as someone more intelligent and honorable, and a person with higher grades will often be seen as more respectable than another person who has not done as well in his exams. This seemed to showcase that education is actually making the segregation between different classes of people worst. However, it can also be seen that education had leveled the playing field for people. Education is getting more accessible by all types of people, and everyone is often provided with the same materials and opportunities to prepare them for the work life, regardless of their grades. As such, everyone has the opportunity to succeed and build their own statuses regardless of their differences.

# data[].attributes.body
What/where is the role of education on leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Education can level the playing field for people by being equally given to all. Like Singapore, it is believed that everyone is worthy of education and it can accessed by all, regardless of race, religion or age. By allowing everyone to have an equal chance at being educated, everyone will be able to gain the same set of skills and values instilled. And it is always assumed that an equal chance at education would equate to an equal chance of success for all.
However, this is not the reality and in fact, we are all not given equal access rock education. In fact how well a person does in studies can sometimes represent a family’s income bracket. It is a fact that if a family of higher income can afford more tuition classes, the child is more likely to score well compared to a child who is unable to afford help.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?
Education should not only be restricted to people who are of a higher status, in terms of wealth or race or religion. However, in this world where discrimination seems to be unavoidable, education does not really play a role in leveling the playing field. Instead, it seems to be limited only to those who can afford it or those of a higher status than others. The children of low-income families do not receive as much access to education as compared to those of higher-income families. Apart from wealth, access to education is also limited for those who are being discriminated for their race, religion or even their gender. For example, there are quite a few countries where it is difficult for girls to go to school, such as Afghanistan, where boys are more likely to go to school as compared to girls.
However, it cannot be denied that education has also provided a level playing field in some cases. Education has equipped children/youths with knowledge and skills to prepare them for their future and work life. In countries such as Singapore, education is being granted even to those of a lower status. Also, it does not matter whether the child is of a different race or religion or if the child is a male or female, he or she can still attend school. All the children who attend schools have equal opportunities to succeed and get "good jobs" in this case, because they are all allowed to go to school.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Education plays a very important part in our lives, ingraining the values and attitudes in which we should uphold. Education should serve as a platform to teach us how appreciate the different cultures, religions, races, and promote equality. Yet in the current world, the segregation of the higher-income students and those living in poverty is still very much prevalent. We should work towards creating more opportunities for a proper education for lower-income youths, especially in a society where education and academic achievements are viewed as the key factors in securing a bright future for ourselves. We should aim to bridge the gap between the low and high income families through education and break this cycle of poverty.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

Education can not only help a person become more intelligent in the form of knowledge, but it also helps to shape a person’s character. With the right education, one can be taught about the right values and attitudes to have, like respecting everyone and looking beyond difference. Education is essential to change society norms. Discrimination is often caused by a specific mindset or value people hold that might not be true. But with education, it can correct this wrong mindset people have and instill the right values and behavior into the society.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in levelling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?
In its current state, education plays a very antithetical and paradoxical role in levelling the playing field. First and foremost, with its unaccessible nature in developing countries or for countries who oppress certain races, for the poorest of citizens, the people who especially need it the most, are systematically ignored, discriminated and pushed aside. In such a society as the one Master Harold & the Boys is set in, case in point: the Apartheid, the poor, whom are more likely to be Blacks due to past oppression and slavery, either completely miss the chance to get an education or had one that is at the primary level. In this case, education fails to serve its purpose, which is to impart knowledge to as wide an audience as possible to give everyone a chance.

However, the paradox is that education is required to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, the Blacks and the Whites. Although one might argue that education further submerges society into its present divides and worsen discrimination, the fact of the matter is that there is no other solution that exists that would be as efficient and effective. It is counterintuitive to pretend as though society has not made large strides in ensuring that every single person receives formal education beyond primary school, no matter your race, language or any other factor. This progress has proven to us that with time and patience, it is possible to educate and reach even more people than thought possible and perhaps, it could be the very thing that ensures discrimination has an ending.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

In society, education's main purpose is to teach people knowledge, and it is supposedly an opportunity to allow everyone to grow. However, I feel that in the discriminatory society during the Apartheid era, to be granted a better education solely because of their race, is a show of privilege and entitlement of the Whites. Whites were given a much higher standard of education than the Blacks. This gap in the education levels between the two races will only push the Blacks down due to inadequate facilities, and the Whites will continue advancing. With a higher standard of education, the Whites would then get higher paying jobs, lead better lives and so on, while the Blacks would still struggle in poverty.

However, although education can set even more barriers amongst segregated communities, it can also help to soften the blow of discrimination. Take the example of Nelson Mandela, who, due to the terrible socio-economic conditions of the Blacks in his country, was motivated to fight for equality and put an end to the Apartheid era. He took advantage of the education he was offered and studied law, and managed to fight for equality.

# data[].attributes.body
Where/what is the role of education in leveling the playing field for people, in a world where discrimination seems to be inevitable?

As something that perpetuates discrimination in itself, education seems very much to be completely the opposite of a tool that can be utilized to level the playing field for people being discriminated against. Education serves as a sort of affirmation of the social status of someone living in a discriminatory society. As a widely recognized symbol of achievement, it is the basis for which the educated exploit this opportunity to esteem themselves as on higher grounds as compared to the less educated. Education is a label of privilege - if one was blessed enough to be given such an opportunity, it is to be assumed that they are more deserving of it, and deserve more advantages than others. Education is a margin that society sets for itself, drawing the line and setting an unspoken expectation that to be an educated individual should be everyone's goal to achieve.

However, one must look at the wider picture, and come to realize that it is these very traits of education that can help salvage the situation as well. Many already have the perception that educated persons are more deserving of respect; therefore it would be foolish not to use such a well known fact to one's advantage. For someone already being discriminated against, to receive education is like giving them a foot up on the ranking of the social ladder, redeeming their reputation and stripping away a portion of the previously existing stigma.