The Power of Education: The Story of Malala

           Malala Yousafzai has been breaking out in the education field in the past couple of years. Malala is a seventeen-year-old girl who believes in the power of education for all, and personally I believe she is a great example of social reconstruction and social justice in and out of the classroom. For those who may not know the story of Malala Yousafzai, I'll give you a short synopsis of how she become a huge influence for education. Malala was born on July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan. During this time and even currently, the Taliban is against the education of women and have issued the attack of multiple girl schools in Pakistan. Because of the restrictions placed on Pakistani citizens by the Taliban,  young girls have an extremely hard time receiving an education. Malala attended a school that her father had founded, where she learned and had a sense that not only boys but girls as well should have the right to an education. In 2009 she had started writing an anonymous blog for BBC expressing her views on education and life under the threat of the Taliban, and shortly after she was featured in a New York Times documentary. With her growing influence in the public, the Taliban had decided to organize her assassination. On October 9, 2012, a gunman who was a part of the Taliban entered the school bus she was on and shot Malala, leaving her in critical condition. She was released from hospital care about 4 months later and continued her journey of trying to provide education for girls with an even stronger force. In October 2014 she had become the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Price, at the young age of 17.

 ABC News. (2013, July 12). Girl shot in the head by taliban, speaks at un: Malala Yousafzai united nations speech.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRh_30C8l6Y

            By breaking through the barriers that were placed on her society by the Taliban, she has created major opportunities for many young girls and boys in third world countries who may not have access to formal education. This is exactly how Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014) describe social reconstruction, as a change in society by pushing limits that help create a positive change. Through technology and the use of bloggging she was able to get her “new story” heard. This is what Freire (1970) described as a transformative model where Malala is able to connect her personal story of living under that Taliban’s strict rules and guidelines to help motivate people to help her in bringing change to the Pakistani culture. Malala is just the type of role model that is necessary to show children that anything can be possible when it comes to education. She is excellent proof of the limitless opportunities that can arise from education, and for standing up for what you believe in. 

             She is a great example of a growth mindset that Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014) talk about where students accept challenges put in front of them, they take every opportunity to learn and they continue to succeed. Malala had many challenges put in front of her, from not being able to attend school because of her gender to being shot for speaking out about her right to education. All of these situations could have made her stop her pursuit for education but instead she persevered for not only her own education but education for girls everywhere. In the video above Malala was invited to speak that the United Nations in 2013, she says "If we want to achieve our goal let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge, and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness."(Malala Yousafzai speaking at United Nations, 2013)

            Technology has created a huge impact in schools within the 21^st century; it has helped young people share their ideas of views of the world. Alike, technology played a huge role in Malala’s story, to spread her story and to create awareness so the social injustice. She was able to do this through her BBC anonymous blog of her own personal stories of the Taliban affecting her school and family. She was able to use technology to not only benefit her own learning but also benefit the learning of all who do not have access to technology or even education. She has now created her own Malala Fund website where she is able to share her story, create awareness, and gather funds to further help young women and children get and education.

References

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Towards a new story of curriculum, instruction and assessment. In Interweaving      curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st-century learner (pp. 1-27). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford. 

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder.