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                                                                                                                                           Note
  UNIVERSAL EDUCATION
 
 
One of the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that every child ( boy or girl ) must receive an education. If the parents neglects the education of their children , they are responsible before God. This is the command of Baha'u'llah:
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"   It is decreed that every father must educate his sons and daughters in learning and in writing.... He who neglects that which hath been commanded ( in this matter ) if
he be rich, it is incumbent on the trustees of the House of Justice to recover
from him the amount required for the education of his children; otherwise
( i.e. if the parent be not capable ) the matter shall  devolve upon the
House of Justice. Verily We have made it ( the House of Justice )
an asylum for the poor and needy. "
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" He who educates his son or any other children , it is as though he hath educated one of My children. "
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The education of children , therefore , is a compulsory and binding law for all baha'is. If the parents can afford to educate their children but neglect to do so, then the Spiritual Assembly must force them to see to their education . But if they are poor , the spiritual Assembly
must provide for the education of the children through the funds of the
community.
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From the words of Baha'u'llah it is apparent that the education of children is sacred task. He says:
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" He who educates his son or any children, it is as though he hath educated one of My children."
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Is it not a privilege and great honour for us to educate one of Baha'u'llah's children ? We can receive this honour if we only educated our own children or those of other people.
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We cannot say that we need our young children to work at home or take the cattle out to pasture, so they have no time to go to school. We must remember that looking after the cattleor working in the field is not a command of God, but education is. If we do not obey this command , we are responsible. Similarly , we cannot say that our child is a girl and a girl does not require any education. Abdu'l-Baha has said that although there is equality between the rights of
men and women but in the case of education , if priority must be given , it must be
given to girls because they will become the mothers of the future , and an
educated mother can bring up better children.
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