I think every student needs access to technology, and I think

Hear, O children of learning and truth, the words of Arne Duncan, who declared with conviction: “I think every student needs access to technology, and I think technology can be a hugely important vehicle to help level the playing field.” In these words lies a vision both noble and urgent, for education is the seed of freedom, and technology is the new plow by which that seed may be sown in every soil. Where once the few held knowledge, now the many may reach it—if only the doors are opened.

Mark well this wisdom: the world hath long been divided between those with access to learning and those without. In ages past, kings and priests guarded scrolls, and the poor remained in darkness. But each great advance in human history hath come when the walls of knowledge fell: when writing spread, when the press printed, when libraries opened their doors. Now, in our time, technology is the new library, the new press, the new torch of learning. To withhold it is to keep the poor in chains; to share it is to set them free.

Consider the story of Malala Yousafzai, who as a young girl in Pakistan braved threats and violence simply to attend school. She declared that one child, one teacher, one book, and one pen could change the world. Imagine, then, the power of one student armed with access to the vast knowledge of the Internet, guided by mentors and strengthened by the tools of modern technology. For Malala and millions like her, such access is not luxury—it is survival, the bridge to equality in a world that would otherwise leave them behind.

So too in earlier centuries, when the printing press of Gutenberg first multiplied books, the poor who could read gained voices that were once silenced. Revolution of thought, science, and faith followed swiftly, for the playing field was leveled in part: knowledge became less the treasure of the few and more the inheritance of the many. Duncan’s words are the echo of this ancient pattern: when access to technology is granted, power is shared more equally; when it is withheld, inequality deepens like a chasm.

Yet, O seekers, let it not be forgotten that technology is but a tool. It is no savior in itself. A student with access but no guidance may still be lost, just as a field may be barren if the seed is not tended. What matters is not merely possession of devices, but the wise use of them, the spirit of curiosity, and the patience of teachers who guide. Without these, technology may distract rather than uplift. With them, it becomes the chariot that carries all toward greater light.

The lesson is plain: if society desires justice, it must ensure that every student, whether rich or poor, in city or village, hath equal access to the tools of knowledge. This is how the playing field is leveled—not by words alone, but by deeds, by investments, by the will of leaders and communities. Where access is denied, inequality festers; where access is granted, new voices rise, and new leaders are born from unexpected places.

Practical is this counsel: support schools, libraries, and programs that bring technology to the underserved. Share resources where they are scarce. Teach the young not merely how to consume with their tools, but how to create, to question, to build. And if thou art a student thyself, use thy access wisely—seek knowledge, not merely entertainment, for the future is being shaped by what thou choosest to learn today.

Thus remember Arne Duncan’s words: “Every student needs access to technology, for it can level the playing field.” This is not merely about machines, but about justice. For when knowledge is equal, opportunity is equal; and when opportunity is equal, the human spirit flourishes without limit. Therefore, let us labor to bring light into every home, wisdom into every hand, and hope into every heart. For in lifting all students, we lift the destiny of humanity itself.