The Goal of Quality Education

Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to creating sustainable development. In addition to improving quality of life, access to inclusive education can help equip locals with the tools required to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems.

Over 265 million children are currently out of school and 22% of them are of primary school age. Additionally, even the children who are attending schools are lacking basic skills in reading and math. In the past decade, major progress has been made towards increasing access to education at all levels and increasing enrollment rates in schools particularly for women and girls. Basic literacy skills have improved tremendously, yet bolder efforts are needed to make even greater strides for achieving universal education goals. For example, the world has achieved equality in primary education between girls and boys, but few countries have achieved that target at all levels of education.

The reasons for lack of quality education are due to lack of adequately trained teachers, poor conditions of schools and equity issues related to opportunities provided to rural children. For quality education to be provided to the children of impoverished families, investment is needed in educational scholarships, teacher training workshops, school building and improvement of water and electricity access to schools.

MSN Student John Lucero photographed at the PNANJ annual luncheon.

Why it Matters

  • Education enables upward socioeconomic mobility and is a key to escaping poverty. Education is also essential to achieving many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • When people are able to get quality education they can break from the cycle of poverty. Education helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality. In fact, one extra year of education is associated with a reduction of the Gini coefficient by 1.4 percentage points.
  • Education empowers people everywhere to live more healthy and sustainable lives. Education is also crucial to fostering tolerance between people and contributes to more peaceful societies.
Associate Professor Sarah Kelly and School of Nursing student Jaime Bock presenting infront of poster at the 2019 APHA.

How We Provide Quality Education

We educate undergraduate and graduate students to engage in full scope practice to develop, implement, and evaluate compassionate, coordinated health care services through innovative collaboration with diverse communities. Students and faculty reflect the global community they serve to facilitate and lead innovative collaborations by transforming health care delivery for diverse populations across the continuum of care.

  • In 2019, Associate Professors Sarah Kelly and Rachel Lyons set out to conduct an analysis of the 2015 Teen Study published by the Pew Research Center. With assistance from Jaime Bock, a student of the 4-year BSN Program, the three collaborated in writing abstracts and were able to present their findings at the 2019 Montclair State University Student Showcase and the 2019 American Public Health Association Conference.
  • In October of 2019, faculty from the School of Nursing supported John P. Lucero in his application for the ‘2019 Scholarship Award’ presented by the Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey (PNANJ). The PNANJ is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the professional advancement of Filipino nurses in New Jersey.
  • Did you know that there are proper techniques that should be followed when washing your hands? Judith Acosta, a student in the RN to BSN program, discovered there was a need in demonstrating these techniques to high school students. In a time where concern over infection and communicable disease is at an all-time high, these techniques are more important than ever.