Beranger Houlonon
Union nationale scolaires et étudiants du Bénin (UNSEB)
Human history has gone through by two forces which, when they meet, open the path to dignity and progress:. Education and work. One enlightens the conscience and liberates the mind; the second transforms human energy into creative action and social responsibility. But where they part ways, injustice, exclusion, and the fragility of nations begin to take root.
Education is far more than a fundamental right proclaimed in universal documents. It is a founding act—the act by which a society recognizes in every individual an inalienable value, a unique potential, and a voice worthy of being heard. It is not merely about transmitting technical knowledge, but about shaping minds capable of discernment, dialogue, and innovation. Education is the seed of freedom and the first lever of equality.
Work, in turn, is the other face of dignity. It is not only an economic activity but a way for human beings to find their place in the world, to contribute to collective construction, and to give substance to their aspirations. Decent work represents social recognition, the affirmation of each person’s usefulness, and the tangible expression of the emancipation that education has prepared.
Yet, a paradox defines our era. While nations proclaim the universality of the right to education, millions of children and young people remain excluded from school—trapped by poverty, war, or political indifference. Others, though educated, are left disoriented in a ruthless labour market that recognizes neither their talents nor their dreams. The result is a disenchanted youth, condemned to insecurity, forced migration, or marginalised in the society.
This divide reveals a troubling truth: education, when not anchored in the world of work, risks losing its meaning; and work, when not nourished by education, becomes a mere mechanism of exploitation. Their separation breeds incomplete societies, unable to transform knowledge into justice or effort into freedom.
That is why the great task of the 21st century lies not only in broadening access to schooling, but in forging a genuine alliance between education and work—an alliance that preserves the humanistic vocation of education while ensuring its economic and social relevance; an alliance that refuses to turn schools into mere factories of labour, yet guarantees that no knowledge remains sterile and no skill is overlooked.
This challenge calls upon governments to design inclusive and visionary educational policies.
The businesses to stop viewing education as a cost and see it as an investment;
and upon the international community to invest in reducing the divides between North and South, between the schools of the privileged and those of the forgotten.
Ultimately, humanity’s destiny rests in this equation : an education that teaches us to think and create, a form of work that respects and uplifts, and a strong bridge uniting the two.
There lies the key to a more just, free, and a more fraternal world. Education and work are not rival claims, but the two beats of the same heart—the heart of human dignity.
