Education as Resistance and Liberation

Sor Juana viewed education not merely as instruction but as an act of resistance against systems designed to limit her potential based on gender, class, and religion. For children's rights, this concept frames education as liberation—a pathway through which young people gain consciousness of injustice and agency to transform their circumstances. Children who lack educational access remain vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and manipulation; those with genuine education develop critical consciousness. Sor Juana's example demonstrates that knowledge itself becomes an act of defiance against arbitrary restrictions. When children are educated holistically—taught to think critically, understand history, recognize patterns of injustice—they become capable of asserting their rights and contributing to societal change. This goes beyond basic literacy to include emotional, civic, and philosophical literacy. Education as resistance means teaching children that their voices matter, that questioning is valuable, and that they have agency in determining their futures. It transforms the learning space into one where children's rights are not just taught about theoretically but practiced daily.