With this year’s presidential election, candidates like Bernie Sanders have been advocating for free college education. But what happens when a city doesn’t even have enough money for a K-12 education? This is the struggle of students in Boston, whose schools were expected to have budget cuts in the near future. On March 7th, over 1000 students walked out of their classes to protest these proposed budget cuts, with signs that said, “Public education students matter” and "Don't cut my future”, according to the Boston Globe. Some supported these students in these protests, while others felt they had been misinformed about these proposed cuts. Although some were against these students leaving their classrooms, it’s admirable that these young people care so much for their education.

Teenagers are often viewed as apathetic and uninterested in schoolwork, but these 1000+ students proved this stereotype wrong. Having determined young people such as those who walked on Monday will ensure Boston and all of the U.S. to have a bright future. According to Boston Globe, Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston has stated that these budget cuts will no longer take place, and that high schools will actually receive a bit more money next year than they have this year. Although this issue was thankfully resolved, it brings up an important point: budget cuts for public education should almost never be considered.

As a person who went to a Catholic high school, I had a priceless high school education. From those around me, I truly feel I learned more and was more prepared to enter college. And frankly, that’s not fair. My Catholic school classmates and I are no more important or intelligent than a public school kid, so why should we receive more attention and assistance in our education? Public schools should strive to give their students the education I received at my high school, and this cannot happen if budget cuts will decrease the quality of education even further. Education is so important to youth, especially youth stricken by poverty.

Without an education, these low income kids will never stop this cycle of poverty in their communities if they never have the education to get a well paying job. Sure, public education may be tolerable, but the lower quality the schools are, the more likely kids are to drop out before they graduate. It should be Boston’s top priority to give a quality education to the future lawyers, doctors, and mayors of Boston. Although these budget cuts will not take place, we should all fight for the right to a solid public education. The student walkout in Boston shed light unto this much bigger issue of the right to education. Every child deserves an education that will help them succeed in life, regardless of their financial situation.