Publisher’s Note: This piece reflects the opinions of the author and the author only. These views do not represent The Leesburg Times Media Company.

You might be asking yourself where education even came from. How did the “teachers” teach the “students” without knowing today's miracles and magic? These are questions I’ve asked myself too, so I researched and wrote this article about education. We will be talking about how education formed, what was considered education back then, and its history.

What was the first recorded education system? The first recorded educational system was in Ancient Mesopotamia, known as modern-day Iraq. These were early training centers designed for a specific purpose: to teach elite young men how to read, write, and manage administrative, religious, and government affairs. The Ancient Mesopotamians are also the first known society to create formal schools. These schools were institutions supervised by priests and government officials. Women were overwhelmingly excluded from formal schools, but that did not stop them entirely. Women who did receive education were usually princesses, priestesses, or daughters of high-ranking scribes.

You might be wondering when women were allowed to receive education. The right of women to be educated did not happen all at once, but through a slow, centuries-long process that began in the 1800s and was not fully secured legally until the late 20th century. In the 1800s, white women began attending school in the UK and the USA. Black women were strictly prohibited from receiving an education and did not gain access until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which allowed all sexes and races to be taught and educated, as it was being paid for by the government. Native American women were forced into education as part of assimilation efforts, which many families protested and rejected. Their right to choose whether they wanted to be educated did not come until laws such as the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Tribally Controlled Colleges Act. Unfortunately, educational restrictions still exist today. Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world that enforces a systematic, legal ban on secondary and higher education for women and girls. Girls are legally banned from attending school past the 6th grade, women are banned from universities, and recent directives have even blocked women from training as midwives or nurses. This has resulted in more than 2.2 million girls being denied their education.

How do you help? You can support women, children, and others seeking education through direct philanthropy, advocacy, mentoring, and community-led initiatives. Because barriers to education vary widely by region, your impact can range from local volunteering to supporting international learning networks. You can join programs like Step Up, Girls Inc., or local Boys and Girls Clubs. You can volunteer at community centers to help adult women earn their GEDs or learn English. Staying informed on local and national updates regarding Title IX helps ensure schools remain safe from sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment, and unequal athletic or academic funding. There is so much you can do to help people receive their education. Even taking five minutes out of your day to research these issues can make a difference.