al-Kitābah/Literacy is one of 3-Things, which Muhammad (Peace be upon them) stated, that’re Huqūq/Rights Children have over their Parents. Muhammad even command their Soldiers (May Allah be pleased with them), after the Battle-Of-Badr, to free any Captives whom agreed to teach the Children of al-Madīnah al-Kitābah.
(al-Bayhaqī, ibn-Ishāq, ar-Rahīq-ul-Makhtūm/The Sealed-Nectar)
The Story of the Prisoners of the Battle of Badr : Shaykh Safi ur-Rahmaan Mubarakfoori
I remember being in School. One of my Favorite-Places has always been Libraries. There was 1-Day, during the Summer-Of-2023 when I walked-thru my Grandfather’s Ole-Neighborhood…the Block they used to live on. I remember always going to the Public-Library on That-Block…That-Library has been closed-down. I was in Complete-Shock: it was the 1st-Time in my Life, that I witnessed a Public-Library closed. The Building completely demolished & with it Priceless Childhood-Memories. So, when I came across This-Story, about the Lack-Of-Funding for Libraries/Library-Staff via NYC Public-Schools…I’m taking this personally.
I’ve personally always loved the Library-Setting, so much more as opposed to the Classroom-Atmosphere. So much so, that I literally used to skip School-Days during my High-School Years just to spend Hours in Public-Libraries. My Capabilities to absorb Information/Knowledge via Libraries granted me the Intellectual-Autonomy which never actually existed via my Classroom-Experiences.
The Irony is that these Same Demographic-Percentages mirror Jail/Prison-Population Percentages via the Entirety of the United States. This (by default) undoubtedly proves the Validity of the “School2Prison-Pipeline” Concept. It’s actually a Fact (based upon those whom I personally know who’ve worked for Public-Educational Boards) that Literacy-Rates, Literacy-Test Scores, etc. are used via Sociologists to project whom’ll end-up having Criminal-Historied and/or end-up serving Jail/Prison-Sentences.
Breaking-Up Larger-Schools into Smaller-Schools, Sub-Schools, etc. have been known to be a Proven-Failure.
When Gaius Iulius (AKA Julius Caesar) became a Lifelong-Caesar/Dictator, of the Wanning Roman-Republic, amongst the Initial-Things they wanted to institute: Libraries throughout Rome for Public-Use. They envisioned Roman-Citizenry having Free-Access to Info./Knowledge. Gaius Iulius knew well, that a Literate/Educated-Society is one of the Countless-Things which contributes to making a Strong-Society.
Literacy allows People to self-explore their Ambitions, introspect on their Life-Goals, enhance their Imaginations, view the World external of the Block they grew-up on, etc. And, by robbing People of Library-Access…it cripples them intellectually. Let’s remember: there’s Countless-Persons whom really can’t even afford to buy Books and/or Certain-Books (directly resulting from Financial-Circumstances/Constraints). So, Free-Access to Reading-Materials actually helps them to forget their Poverty & empowers them to pursue Affluence.
But, of course, because Public-Schools are “Free”: this is grossly misinterpreted to mean that Attendees of Free-Schooling can be mismanaged educationally, abused intellectually, etc. all because they’re “Poor-People”. Albeit no Politician would say this, yet, we all know that’s what resides via their Minds&Hearts.
Gareth Bryant
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