Education – the Grand Equalizer for Society

Two weeks ago, I was honored to host the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousafzai, for a fireside chat at VMworld. Malala is an activist for the education of girls and youth in developing countries, as well as a student herself at the University of Oxford. We invited this young leader to VMworld to inspire and encourage technology and business leaders, as well as local high school students, to choose to be a force for good. Meeting a visionary like Malala was a once in a lifetime, personal highlight for me. You can see more coverage of the event on social media on Twitter and in several newspapers.

Like Malala, I have a tremendous appreciation for the value of education. I grew up in Bangalore, India, in a lower middle-class family. Education and hard work were priorities to my parents. They propelled my grandfather from the farm to the city, and opened up new opportunities for my mother and her siblings on the tea plantation, where they grew up.

Many Indian parents make incredible sacrifices to ensure their children get a good education. Even so, I could never have dreamed of attending a college in the U.S. had I not been blessed to receive a international-student scholarship at Dartmouth College. I could barely afford a proper winter jacket for the cold weather in Hanover, New Hampshire. When I arrived in the U.S. aged 18 with $50 in my pocket, I worked in the dining hall to save enough money to buy that winter coat. Later in life, I was able to afford more from my savings and taking out loans, to do my MBA at Harvard Business School. Everything I have achieved as an immigrant in the US, I consider a blessing, given my humble roots.

I learnt some lessons early in life. It didn't matter how smart you were. It often took hard work and resilience at various stages of my life. And it still is not easy for many students -either because of socioeconomic status, gender, culture, geography or other factors.

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

—Malala Yousafzai, Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Pencils Down: A Look at Education’s Progress

I was, and remain, an ardent student, but many children in developing countries today still do not even get to complete the twelfth grade.

“Only one out of 100 girls enrolled in school in India complete grade 12.”

—Malala Fund

In 2018, many students around the world are still missing the support of families, schools, communities and governments to stay in school and graduate. About one in five children, adolescents and youth is not in school, according to UNESCO, and the numbers have barely budged for years. This is a persistent problem in both developing and parts of developed countries.

Even students in school face many barriers to earning a good education, like insufficient school supplies, cramped facilities, inefficient student assessments, and unequal access to tools.

On the other hand, many things have changed for the better, since my school days. The advent of the internet and personal computers radically lowered barriers to information. The mass adoption of mobile technologies created more interactive, immersive learning experiences.

The technology boom also created new jobs and new types of work. Meanwhile, governments, schools and non-profit organizations have created programs to help students of any background enter these new careers in technology. Thanks to organizations like the Malala Fund, children have champions working to break down the cultural and economic barriers to education.

The trajectory of education has changed, so far, because people have acted to change it. Continued progress depends on all of our actions.

What Can You Do?

Business leaders, I ask you to support these movements, with your time, your talent, your treasure and your technology (the 4 Ts for those of us in the high-tech world). Support organizations and public policies that help build bigger classrooms and new schools, that train teachers to be better educators, that properly measure student success and that help girls, in particular, be present and successful at school.

Tech leaders, I call on you to put your innovation to work to increase access to education. Connect more of the world. Lower the barriers to the technology that makes education more accessible and more engaging.

The tech industry alone is a powerful force for change. And the ongoing success of our industry, and of all businesses, depends on the health of the global economy. To grow for generations to come, we must invest in the education of our youth, our emerging leaders and our communities. And we must hire and promote workers of diverse backgrounds to ensure we have the finest talent to compete and role models to inspire and motivate the next generation of youth to complete their education.

Of course, this education crisis is about much more than business. As The World Bank says, it is “also a great injustice to children and young people worldwide.” Each of us can do something to collectively change the story of education—just ask Malala.