Importance of Education, Essay Example

City of God is the most acclaimed film in Brazil. Based on a book by the same name written by Paulo Lins, this film is a reflection of a true story. It revolves around Rocket who is a poor black young man who is not scared to be an outlaw, but he is not ready to be burdened by the low paying jobs. He grows in a very complicated environment where crime and drugs are the order of the day. From the film, it comes out clear that the odds are against him. Other characters in the movie are people living in a shanty town. In the movie, two boys grow up taking different paths; one becomes a drug dealer while the other joins photography. From their lives, it is clear that education can bring change in an individual. Through education, the boy who grows to be a photographer has managed to avoid getting into drugs and crime. Despite the fact that he grew up in a place where these activities were taking place, he has used his education to differentiate between good and evil.

This film illustrates the dark side of paradise. The shanty in which this movie is set is located behind the five-star hotels and many beach restaurants. There is truly a big difference between the two places. Through education, development has been achieved. The building of restaurants and beachfront five-star hotel is a clear indication of what education has done. There is a great contrast between the shanty that is referred to as the dark side of paradise and the beach. The government has tried the shanty far from tourists. The shanty that is known as “City of God” is meant to be a home for the poor. It was governed by its own rules and was notorious for drugs and crime.

Life in the “City of God” was not easy. People engaged in all sorts of crimes. The poor quality of living standards and lack of space affected the way residents lived in this area. However, through education, life managed to change. With modern education, there was mass change in social behavior. People changed from stealing and engaging in petty crimes. In the society, education will support children at a vital time in their emotional, social, and physical growth. It is the key tool for development (Bruner 23). It has been utilized to address structural disadvantage and inequality. In this film, there is a gap between the people living in the slum and those around restaurants and beaches.

The characters of this movie have faced several challenges of life. Education offers children an opportunity to develop and build up life skills that will help them prosper in life. Even though, they live in the slums, some of the children have managed to shape up their future. We notice the boy who grows in the slum and become a photographer. It is through education that he has managed to pull himself out of the slum and become an admirable person in the society. Education equips children with skills to lead a productive and healthy life, to be resourceful members of the society. Through education, these children can make political and cultural contributions to their societies. Children can make use of education to gain abstract qualities like healthy living, self-confidence, critical thinking skills as well as resilience (Everett 67).

For strong economic development, education is vital. In this movie, people are living in poverty because they lack education. In many societies, education has been used to lay string economic productivity. There is a significant gap between the people living in the slum and those enjoying life around the five-star hotel and on beaches. People have used education as a way of fighting against child labor (Everett 106). In the society, this movie portrays, young children are getting into criminal activities because they are not given a chance to study. The government has secluded this slum from the rest of the state. This has prevented its inhabitants from seeing the light of education. However, characters like Rocket look beyond the slum for a better life, with career, safety and money. He is determined to better his life. He wants to gain education so that one day he becomes the most powerful and respected man in the City of God. On the other hand, there is Lil Ze, who is engaged in criminal activities. He wants to use the gun to gain wealth, but this proves to be the shortcut to his death. At the end of the movie, he is shot dead.

Education is a powerful tool that can transform societies. In this movie, we meet Rocket who is on the run to transform society. From this film, it is evident that learning is a continuous process. It is something passed from one generation to another. Education is what makes societies better than the past generations. Education is truly vital in transforming the lives of individuals. It is what has propelled civilization of most societies.

In conclusion, education is valuable and important since without learning, the world would be a stagnant place. Many people will be poor because there will be no development. The characters who are featured in this movie are working hard to achieve happiness, knowledge, and financial security. The evolution of culture and human being is all attributed to education. Through education, people can get knowledge and communication skills. It is the basis of development. Through education, societies have been transformed to move from poverty to richness. This is what clearly comes in this movie where there is the slum inhabited by uneducated people and the restaurants that are occupied by literate people.

Work cited

Bruner, Jerome S. The process of education. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1960. Print. 23-72

Everett, Edward. Importance of practical education and useful knowledge. Boston: Marsh, Capen, Lyon, and Webb, 1840. Print. 67-106