Equality in education is my number one battle.

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, speaking with the fire of both leader and reformer, declared: “Equality in education is my number one battle.” In these words she sets forth a truth that has echoed since the dawn of civilization: that the destiny of a people is forged in the minds of its children. To fight for equality in education is to fight for the very foundation of justice, for without knowledge equally shared, freedom becomes an illusion, and society remains divided between those who know and those who are kept in darkness.

When she names it her greatest battle, Vallaud-Belkacem reveals that the struggle is not against a single foe but against centuries of inequality, custom, and neglect. Education has too often been the privilege of the few—the wealthy, the male, the powerful—while the poor, the marginalized, and especially women were denied its light. The ancients, too, knew this truth. Plato taught that a city could not be just unless its citizens were educated; yet even in his time, education was not equally offered. Her battle, then, is not new, but part of humanity’s eternal struggle to bring light to every corner where shadows still dwell.

Consider the story of Malala Yousafzai, who as a young girl in Pakistan defied those who sought to silence her voice and bar her from learning. She was shot for daring to believe that girls deserved the same schooling as boys, and yet she survived, rising to become a global symbol of courage. Her story embodies the truth of Vallaud-Belkacem’s words: that education is not given freely, but must be fought for, sometimes with risk, always with perseverance. For where knowledge is denied, oppression thrives; where it is shared, dignity flourishes.

Equality in education is not only about access to schools, but about the quality of learning, the fairness of opportunity, and the dismantling of barriers that still stand before the poor, the immigrant, and the marginalized. In the age of Vallaud-Belkacem, as in all ages, the walls of inequality are built not just of poverty but of prejudice. Girls are told their place is not in the sciences. Children of the poor are told their future is predetermined. Immigrants are told they will never rise beyond survival. To fight this is indeed a battle—one waged not with swords, but with books, classrooms, and relentless determination.

The meaning of her words also touches on the heart of democracy. A nation may claim liberty, but if only a portion of its people are educated, then liberty is hollow. History shows us this clearly. In the early United States, public education was expanded not out of charity but necessity, for leaders like Horace Mann declared that democracy could not endure without educated citizens. Education is the armor of freedom, the shield against tyranny, the sword that cuts through ignorance. Vallaud-Belkacem stands in this same tradition, insisting that equality in education is not a luxury but the root of justice itself.

The lesson for us is sharp and enduring: if you wish to see a just world, fight first for schools. Do not rest until every child, regardless of wealth, gender, or origin, sits in a classroom where their mind is honored and their potential encouraged. Celebrate the victories of those who have broken barriers, but remember that the battle is ongoing. The ancient wisdom is this: the society that neglects the minds of its children plants the seeds of its own destruction; the society that educates all equally secures its future in strength.

Therefore, let each of us act. Support teachers, honor their work. Defend schools, especially in places where they are weak or forgotten. Encourage the girls, the poor, the immigrant child, telling them their minds are as bright as any other. Demand leaders who see education not as expense but as the highest investment. For if Vallaud-Belkacem’s battle becomes ours, then the light of knowledge will spread until no shadow of inequality remains.

Thus, her words stand as both a cry and a command: “Equality in education is my number one battle.” Let us take up this battle in our own time, with our own hands, until the day when no child is denied learning, and the future belongs equally to all. For in that day, justice will no longer be a dream, but the living breath of every society.