By: Arina Khotimsky

    Westborough has a great education system. From kindergarten to senior year, students cover math, science, English, history, music, PE, health, and more. We have great sports programs and even dedicate periods of time to character education at Mill Pond. What is the purpose of all these classes? It is to prepare us for life when we are independent and grown up. However, to truly receive a wholesome education and be prepared once we graduate, we need to learn how to understand, analyze, and interpret current world events.

         Virtually none of my classes discuss current events. With the exception of journalism and maybe a little in history, nowhere do we read about what’s happening in the world; we’re not informed that seven bombs went off in Syria on June 23, President Obama lifted embargos on Vietnam,  or China is building a 500 m diameter radio telescope. Unless news happens that directly affects us, there’s nothing much more that I hear than the occasional “wow!” And then life moves on. Some students take the initiative to go and read about current events on their own. But not all students do, and they are missing crucial discussions and learning opportunities in their education.

         Without the knowledge of current events, we are the ones perpetuating the stereotype that Americans are ignorant and unintelligent. On September of 2014, a current events survey was conducted on 1,002 Americans. Among the participants, the average score was 5 out of 12 questions correct. According to this research, Americans are unaware of more than half of world events and global news. From the results of this survey, anyone could claim that we live in our own happy little “bubble” and don’t care about what’s happening in the rest of the world. To prevent this stereotype from becoming true, we can read about current events to become more aware and open to diverse opinions. We will appear educated to the rest of the world, caring about more than just the latest thing that the Kardashians said. Not only will we be students lucky enough to live in one of the top communities in Massachusetts, but we will transform into knowledged citizens of the world.

         With the discussion of current events, we can acknowledge and understand what’s going on in the world. We can discuss why over four million Syrians fled their country, what happened to EgyptAir flight MS804, why there are so many sanctions in place against Russia, or the latest breakthrough about the Zika virus. We can recognize and celebrate new advancements in science and realize how they will improve our planet. If the results of people’s actions are positive, we can learn how to encourage them. If they are negative, we can learn how to stop them from happening. From these experiences, we can realize how we as a species are changing the world, and what we as individuals can do to contribute.

         Furthermore, by reading about current events, we will have the ability to compare our country with others and to view domestic news in the context of international developments. Do we want free healthcare? Is it worth it to have government-sponsored  and thus free tuition colleges? Looking at this information, we can see what our country has that others lack, or aspects that we may benefit from. We can get ideas for steps to take to improve human rights and government services. Studying foreign policies will educate us about other political systems and perhaps inspire us to improve our own. When we’re old enough to vote, or even are the ones presenting ideas to voters, being educated through world news will allow us to make important decisions on critical problems.  

         We’re lucky enough to live in a safe, developed community that doesn’t have to face problems that many others in the world face. Within our schools, we are taught to embrace diversity, to have tolerance for other ideas and beliefs, and to not resort to violence. Not all countries, towns, cities, or regions in the world are like ours. In Westborough, we don’t experience deathly diseases ravaging our population, refugees streaming in from neighboring communities, or a war being fought on our streets. If we do not read current events, we may never realize to what extent these problems actually exist. By educating ourselves with the news, we will learn not to take our privileged life for granted. We will learn how to help each other as a fellow humans. We can share the ideals we’re lucky enough to have here in Westborough with the world to truly make it a better place for all.  

         And it’s not that hard either! Even if we do not have the time to discuss current events during class, take the initiative to read the news yourself. Spend three or four minutes scrolling through news sites, such as CNN, BBC, or even our own Lobby Observer. Watch a news channel on TV with your parents, or tune in on a radio station while driving to school. With discussion, we can develop a healthy response to the news. We can learn how to reflect on the actions of others, make our own rational and educated decisions, and appreciate how lucky we are to live in Westborough. And one day, if we have to deal with these events first-hand, we’ll know what to do.

Source used: http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/how-much-americans-know-about-the-news-by-age-education-and-politics-1798/