There is a metaphor indicating that children are like the rising sun, representing the future of humans. No matter in what kind of culture or which country, people need to pay much attention on education. But I find the speakers’ arguments specious and poorly supported by empirical evidence.
 
The speaker first argues that it is how children are socialized that determines the destiny of a society. The argument may be based on a view that the Human is a socialized race. It is true that in the past, the evolution of human beings benefit a lot from socialization, and more importantly that at present, the highly developed socialization has become one of the vital forces of the development of society. The concept “Team Work” exists in all aspects of our lives including sports, business projects, scientific researches, political programs and the examinations for college students. The wide cooperation around the world requires a child to be well socialized.
 
Although I admit that socialization is one key factor of the personal qualities that influence the society, it is even not the most important one. There are other qualifications playing more significant roles such as honesty, probity, persistence, rational and technique skills. In the realm of science, persistence can sometimes be the vital factor. For instance, Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly two thousand times before he eventually found one feasible way to make the incandescent light bulb. In the realm of politics, determination sometimes stands on top of all other qualifications. During the Second World War, it is President Roosevelt’s resolute decision to declare war on Japan, which consequently reversed the war. Apart from above, many other examples also indicate that it is but not only the socialization that determines the destiny of society.
Consider the second claim that we have not yet learned how to raise children to c
reate a better society. We must first have a clear understanding of “a better society”. In my view, the definition of “a better society” should at least include better living standard for every person in the world, smaller difference between the rich and the poor and better understanding and great tolerance of different views, individual habits, cultures and religious beliefs. Today’s education, in spite of its incompleteness, has paid attention on all the three aspects above. First, in order to share a better living condition, people have to keep a balance between modernization and the natural law. Students at school today, have better opportunities to get the more advanced technique and better awareness of the limits of resources. Secondly, there are more and more influential figures focusing on the unfairness between the rich and those people struggling with illness and hunger. For example, Bill Gates was once invited to deliver a speech on the graduation ceremony of Harvard University. In his speech, he repeated that core duty of the most brilliant students in the world, graduates from Harvard, is not to pursue the personal achievements, but to eliminate the inequality between different areas. As one of the richest man in the world, Bill gave the most excellent students a much valuable lesson. In the last aspect, we have seen that youngsters are becoming more sensitive and respectful of rights of women, various ethnic and racial groups. Along with the wider and deeper cooperation among countries, more and more children choose an abroad college or university for further study and even settle down there. With respect and understanding, the young with different ideas and beliefs get along with each other well.
 To sum up, when it comes to what contributes to make a better society, it is not how a child a socialized but other factors, such as persistence, self-confidence, technique skills. And even there exist some disappointing flaws in the present educational system, our society is steadily evolving into a more civilized, modernized and respectful one. Therefore, I fundamentally disagree with both assertions of the speaker.