importance of education for economy essay

Education is Fundamental to Development and Growth

Elizabeth king.

Education is fundamental to development and growth. The human mind makes possible all development achievements, from health advances and agricultural innovations to efficient public administration and private sector growth. For countries to reap these benefits fully, they need to unleash the potential of the human mind. And there is no better tool for doing so than education.

Twenty years ago, government officials and development partners met to affirm the importance of education in development—on economic development and broadly on improving people’s lives—and together declared Education for All as a goal. While enrolments have risen in promising fashion around the world, learning levels have remained disappointingly and many remain left behind. Because growth, development, and poverty reduction depend on the knowledge and skills that people acquire, not the number of years that they sit in a classroom, we must transform our call to action from Education for All to Learning for All.

The World Bank’s forthcoming Education Strategy will emphasize several core ideas: Invest early. Invest smartly. Invest in learning for all .

First, foundational skills acquired early in childhood make possible a lifetime of learning. The traditional view of education as starting in primary school takes up the challenge too late. The science of brain development shows that learning needs to be encouraged early and often, both inside and outside of the formal schooling system. Prenatal health and early childhood development programs that include education and health are consequently important to realize this potential. In the primary years, quality teaching is essential to give students the foundational literacy and numeracy on which lifelong learning depends. Adolescence is also a period of high potential for learning, but many teenagers leave school at this point, lured by the prospect of a job, the need to help their families, or turned away by the cost of schooling. For those who drop out too early, second-chance and nonformal learning opportunities are essential to ensure that all youth can acquire skills for the labor market. 

Second, getting results requires smart investments —that is, investments that prioritize and monitor learning, beyond traditional metrics, such as the number of teachers trained or number of students enrolled. Quality needs to be the focus of education investments, with learning gains as the key metric of quality.  Resources are too limited and the challenges too big to be designing policies and programs in the dark. We need evidence on what works in order to invest smartly.

Third, learning for all means ensuring that all students, and not just the most privileged or gifted, acquire the knowledge and skills that they need. Major challenges of access remain for disadvantaged populations at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. We must lower the barriers that keep girls, children with disabilities, and ethnolinguistic minorities from attaining as much education as other population groups. “Learning for All” promotes the equity goals that underlie Education for All and the MDGs. Without confronting equity issues, it will be impossible to achieve the objective of learning for all.

Achieving learning for all will be challenging, but it is the right agenda for the next decade. It is the knowledge and skills that children and youth acquire today—not simply their school attendance—that will drive their employability, productivity, health, and well-being in the decades to come, and that will help ensure that their communities and nations thrive.

Read the full text of my speech to the Education World Forum here.

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The Importance of Education: An Economics View

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It’s not headline news that educational attainment is highly correlated with income: College graduates typically earn more than less-educated Americans. What is often less discussed is that education is significantly linked to many other outcomes in life, including whether a person will get married and his or her life expectancy. More disturbingly, the gap between more- and less-educated Americans is getting bigger—in some cases, much bigger.

The Hamilton Project, an economic-policy group at the Brookings Institution, released a paper in September titled “A Dozen Economic Facts About K-12 Education” to help illustrate the growing importance of education on Americans’ wellbeing. We found that although the benefits of education have increased over time, measures of educational attainment and achievement have stagnated, meaning that many of our nation’s young people are not receiving the skills they need to thrive in the modern economy.

The project’s findings focus on three key areas: the disparity in outcomes between more-educated and less-educated Americans; weaknesses in America’s K-12 education system; and several promising interventions that could serve as a starting point for education reform.

By exploring the gap in outcomes between more-educated and less-educated Americans, we see how improving education can benefit both individuals and society. Data show that Americans who do not graduate from high school earn less and are much less likely to have jobs than their more-educated peers. On a more personal level, less-educated Americans are less likely to marry and more likely to raise a child in poverty, which reduces the prospects for intergenerational mobility.

In addition to personal costs, individuals with lower levels of education are more likely to impose costs on society. Tellingly, the percentage of Americans without a high school diploma who currently are institutionalized is nearly three times higher than 40 years ago, while the number of institutionalized college graduates has not changed. For Americans ages 25 to 64, the vast majority of the institutionalized are in prison, indicating a dramatic divergence in incarceration rates between those with more and less education. An adult without a high school diploma is also almost 20 times more likely than a college graduate to receive welfare, and about eight times more likely to be unable to work because of a disability.

Throughout the past several decades, U.S. college-graduation rates have plateaued, while rates in the rest of the world have increased. And so, while older Americans are among the most educated in the world, young American workers now rank 15th in college-completion rates compared with their peers in other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Our failure to increase Americans’ education levels has also translated into declining wages for many Americans. For example, the annual earnings of the median man in the United States have declined by roughly 19 percent over the last four decades. Further, although the median two-parent American family saw earnings increase 23 percent between 1975 and 2009, this was only because of longer work weeks as total hours worked jumped 26 percent.

Additionally, a growing gap in achievement among students is resulting in a society where opportunities are not equally shared, and education is no longer the great equalizer it once was for our nation. Though there is no difference, for example, in achievement between black and white children at early ages, by the time black students enter school their test scores are lower, and they continue to lose ground throughout their schooling.

By exploring the gap in outcomes ... we see how improving education can benefit both individuals and society."

Improving K-12 education in the United States is therefore imperative to building a foundation for broad-based economic growth. New economic evidence points to a variety of promising approaches, none of which is a silver bullet, but each of which can help pave the way toward a broader solution. Policymakers should look to targeted practices in successful charter schools, which have shown dramatic improvements in student achievement and could provide lessons for the broader education community.

Small-scale interventions also present opportunities for raising student achievement through cost-effective organizational changes. Such interventions as later starting times and after-school enrichment programs can be effective methods for bettering student outcomes. And, focusing on the basics, there is clear evidence that great teachers have a strong impact on students. In fact, being taught by a better teacher for just one year can increase a student’s lifetime earnings and probability of attending college.

A strong education system has been the backbone of the American Dream—providing each generation with the opportunity to do better than the last. Indeed, our country was built on improvements in education. Over the last three or four decades, however, test scores have stagnated, as have rates of high school and college completion. The consequences of this can be seen in the declining living standards of many Americans.

To reclaim the American Dream that is eluding too many, local, state, and federal policymakers must pursue opportunities to improve student achievement with an almost single-minded focus. A failure to do so will leave too many Americans behind in an increasingly competitive global economy.

A version of this article appeared in the November 07, 2012 edition of Education Week as The Importance of Education: An Economics View

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The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Theoretical Perspective

7 Pages Posted: 28 May 2008

Ilhan Ozturk

Cag University

Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Education enriches people's understanding of themselves and world. It improves the quality of their lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education raises people's productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. In addition it plays a very crucial role in securing economic and social progress and improving income distribution.

Keywords: Human Development, Economic Growth, Poverty, Labour Productivity, Education, Technology, Trade, Health

JEL Classification: I2, O1

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Ilhan Ozturk (Contact Author)

Cag university ( email ).

Mersin Turkey

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Essays in the Economics of Education

Nguyen, Dieu Hoa Thi

Education is at the center of upskilling human capital in developing countries, thereby positively influencing economic growth and development. For decades, many education policies targeted at developing countries have been narrowly focused on improving access to basic education (Barrett et al., 2015). However, access to education does not always translate into educational attainment. Thus, beyond the initial goal of expanding access to education in developing countries, there has been a growing focus on delivering quality education on the development agenda for developing countries in recent years. One popular policy instrument in enhancing education quality has been school choice. Analysis of school choice and the subsequent academic performance outcomes can provide new insight on the economics of education to policymakers, schools, parents and students alike. This dissertation consists of three essays, which focus on understanding the demand for public schools and the returns to school quality in a merit-based competitive school assignment system. In particular, these papers investigate how positive recognition of ability through awards can affect the students’ decision-making process; what the students might gain from attending a more selective school; and how students balance between their preferences for school characteristics and maximizing their chances of admission in a competitive school choice market. Altogether, this dissertation highlights the role of information as well as educational background in explaining differences in school choice decisions and achievement outcomes. In chapter 1, I examine the role of positive recognition on students’ school choice decisions and achievement outcomes in the context of academic competitions. Academic competitions are an essential aspect of education. Given the prevalence and the amount of resources spent organizing them, a natural question that arises is the extent of the impact on winners’ education outcomes when their talent is recognized. I exploit the award structure in Vietnam’s annual regional academic competitions to answer this question. By leveraging the pre-determined share of awards, I apply a regression discontinuity design to assess the effects of receiving a Prize and receiving an Honorable Mention. I find that both types of awards lead to improvements in educational outcomes, and the results are persistent after three years. I also find some evidence of specialization associated with receiving a Prize Award. I hypothesize that long-term effects can be partially explained by school choice: winners are significantly more likely to apply to and consequently enroll in higher-quality schools. There are also prominent differences in educational choices and outcomes along gender lines: female students are more sensitive to award receipts than male students. These findings underscore the positive motivational effects of awards, even among the top performers in a highly competitive schooling market. In chapter 2, I explore the impacts of attending a selective school on students’ educational outcomes. Students in Vietnam are assigned to public high schools based on their performance in a placement exam as well as their ranked choice of schools. Public schools are often oversubscribed, which contributes to exogeneous admission score cutoffs below which students are not considered for admission. By applying a regression discontinuity research design to these admission score cutoffs, I find that students who are marginally admitted to their top-choice public schools are exposed to significantly higher-achieving peers while finding themselves at the bottom of the ability distribution. They experience some improvements in standardized test scores at the end of their high school, but fare worse in school-based achievements and graduation outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of the potential trade-offs between attending more selective schools with better peer quality while receiving a lower ordinal rank in the ability distribution in the assigned school. In addition, the impacts of selective schools on students vary along the lines of the students’ own attitude towards studying as well as their middle school educational background. This substantial heterogeneity collectively highlights the importance of considering the students’ past educational background in interpreting how selective schools might impact students’ outcomes. In chapter 3, I investigate students’ preferences, strategic behaviors and welfare outcomes under a competitive school choice market by conducting a survey on school choice participants in two school districts in Vietnam. The original survey data on school choice participants, coupled with administrative data, afford me the opportunity to understand true preferences and strategies without involving strong assumptions on the students’ beliefs. In order to balance out their own preferences and chance of admission in such a competitive setting, the majority of students exhibit strategic behaviors. However, students from less advanced educational backgrounds tend to have large belief errors and are more likely to make strategic mistakes. Consequently, these students are at a disadvantage, as they find themselves among lower-achieving peers in their new schools. With preference data from the survey, I estimate the students’ preferences for school characteristics and find evidence of heterogeneity in students’ preferences for school characteristics: students from more advanced educational backgrounds value school selectivity and teacher qualification more than their peers. Using these estimates to evaluate students’ welfare under the current assignment mechanism as well as a counterfactual strategy-proof deferred acceptance algorithm, I find that switching to deferred acceptance algorithm can be welfare-improving, particularly for high-performing students. Overall, this paper provides a starting point to directly study the drawbacks of manipulable assignment mechanisms by using survey data and highlight the potential disparity in preferences and application strategies that can further widen the gap in educational mobility.

Geographic Areas

• Education--Economic aspects
• Public schools
• School choice--Econometric models
• School contests

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• DOI Copy DOI to clipboard

• DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.1137541
• Corpus ID: 2922573

The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Theoretical Perspective

• Published 28 May 2008
• Economics, Education
• ERPN: Economic Development & Technological Change (Topic)

247 Citations

Impact of education on economy, investment in education- a way towards economic transformation, education, growth and development, education as a catalyst for the socio-economic development of nigeria: implication on communities, significance of teachers and education in promoting national economic development: a case study of pakistan, the role of quality education in the economic development of mexico, impact of education on sustainable economic development in emerging markets—the case of namibia’s tertiary education system and its economy.

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Higher Education and Its Role for National Development. A Research Agenda with Bibliometric Analysis

The role of education in economic development: a comparison of south korea and kyrgyzstan, strategies for accomplishing the benefits of china-pakistan economic corridor for pakistan, 22 references, the contribution of education to economic growth : international comparisons, education and its relation to economic growth, poverty, and income distribution: past evidence and further analysis. world bank discussion paper 46., social development is economic development, farmer education and farm efficiency in nepal: the role of schooling, returns to investment in education: a global update.

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Returns to investment in education

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The Importance of Education and Skill Development for Economic Growth in the Information Era

The neoclassical growth accounting model used by the BLS to sort out the contributions of the various sources of growth in the U.S. economy accords a relatively small role to education. This result seems at variance with the revolution in information technology and the emergence of the “knowledge economy”, or with the increase in educational attainment and the growth in the wage premium for higher education. This paper revisits this result using “old fashioned” activity analysis, rather than the neoclassical production function, as the technology underlying economic growth. An important feature of this activity-based technology is that labor and capital are strong complements, and both inputs are therefore necessary for the operation of an activity. The composition of the activities in operation at any point in time is thus a strong determinant of the demand for labor skills, and changes in the composition driven by technical innovation are a source of the increase in the demand for more complex skills documented in the literature. A key result of this paper is that the empirical sources-of-growth results reported by BLS could equally have been generated by the activity-analysis model. This allows the BLS results to be interpreted in a very different way, one that assigns a greater importance to labor skills and education.

I would like to thank Leonard Nakamura and Valerie Ramey for their comments on earlier drafts, as well as the participants at the October 16-17, 2015, NBER/CRIW conference Education, Skills, and Technical Change: Implications for Future U.S. GDP Growth. Remaining errors and interpretations are my responsibility. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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The Importance of Education and Skill Development for Economic Growth in the Information Era , Charles R. Hulten. in Education, Skills, and Technical Change: Implications for Future US GDP Growth , Hulten and Ramey. 2019

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Investing in Quality Education for Economic Development, Peace, and Stability

Photo: EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP/Getty Images

Table of Contents

Report by Daniel F. Runde , Romina Bandura , and Madeleine McLean

Published December 20, 2023

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Introduction

Education is the foundation of any functioning society: It prepares people to live cohesively in a community, participate politically, and contribute economically. Investing in education has individual, country-level, and global benefits. At the individual level, education can improve people’s employability, earnings, and health outcomes. Countries that have invested heavily in primary, secondary, and tertiary education have been able to contribute to advances in science and knowledge and create new products and technologies. Globally, investments in education underpin social cohesion, economic growth, competitiveness, and innovation.

In a time of rapid social, technological, and economic change, investing in education is also important for building the resilience of countries. As the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlights, “Investments in human capital can be a source of resilience over the long term and help ensure the well-being of future societies, especially in countries with large youth populations.” Studies by the World Economic Forum show that investing in education is necessary to protect economies from sudden shocks and rapidly changing labor markets. The Group of Seven ( G7) meeting in Hiroshima in May 2023 outlined the importance of education for achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. There is also a recognition that education is a fundamental conduit for global peace and security objectives beyond the societal and economic benefits. Thus, education is pivotal in steering society toward a path of economic development, peace, and stability. 

However, the importance of investing in access and quality education has fallen off the policy radar. Although education has positive externalities, it can be overlooked in favor of more “vocally” pressing challenges. Competing global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, high inflation rates worldwide, increased indebtedness in emerging markets, and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine are front and center in the news. These are the core issues that are dominating the international development discourse, commanding significant donor funds, and taking up countries’ fiscal space.

The arguments that mobilized high levels of investment in basic education since the 1990 Declaration on Education for All no longer speak to the realities and challenges the world faces today. Education needs more champions outside traditional development circles. It also needs to broaden the focus beyond basic schooling, to include investments in post-secondary education and workforce development.

This CSIS paper offers some ideas on what a new vision for prioritizing education might look like. One promising avenue to further the global education agenda would be to highlight the links between education and broader themes of national and global security. It argues that beyond socioeconomic benefits, education can play a significant role in promoting stability, citizen security, and social cohesion. Investing in education can be critical to 1) forging strong economies and open societies, 2) preventing conflict and rebuilding social cohesion after conflict, and 3) promoting peace and stability by including women and girls.

In simple terms, to generate greater interest from a wider set of constituents, education needs to be embedded in policy discussions and decisions related to peacebuilding, inclusion of women and girls, and state fragility. As then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said in 1999, “Education is quite simply, peace-building by another name.”

Current Global Educational Challenges

Developing countries have made significant gains in “access to education”—that is, there has been huge progress in getting children into school. Global primary-school enrollment (net) increased from 72 percent to 89 percent between 1970 and 2018, while secondary-school enrollment (net) increased from 54 percent in 1998 to 66 percent in 2018. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on education outcomes. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than 1.6 billion students around the world have been impacted by school closures during the pandemic, with significant learning losses. As a result, the World Bank estimates that pandemic-related education deprivations put this generation at risk of losing $21 trillion in potential lifetime earnings. The pandemic has affected children’s formative years and will impact the economic potential of countries. Moreover, there are still large gaps and challenges, including: 1) the quality of education, 2) the inclusion of women and girls, and 3) the fiscal space of countries to fund education.

As then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said in 1999, “Education is quite simply, peace-building by another name.”

First, although children have now gone back to attending school, this does not mean that they are acquiring foundational knowledge and skills. That is, the quality of education that children receive is often inadequate. As the World Bank’s 2018 World Development Report stated, “Schooling is not the same as learning.” Today, approximately 7 out of every 10 children in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. For millions of children around the world, their education systems and training institutions are not equipping them with the knowledge and skills that employers demand, rendering young people unable to find jobs that match their aspirations. These learning shortfalls have negative repercussions for youth entering the workforce and can bring on “ intergenerational transmission of poverty and vulnerability .” Moreover, such gaps mean education can be a source of frustration for youth rather than a promise of employment and higher earnings. They can feel alienated from their desire to contribute to society, which can worsen a country’s security.

Second, these deficits in education disproportionately affect women and girls worldwide, who are more likely to lack access to schooling and experience poor learning outcomes. Globally, approximately 32 million girls of primary school age and 97 million girls of secondary school age are out of school. In countries impacted by fragility, conflict, and violence, girls are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys of the same age and are 90 percent more likely to be out of school than girls the same age in non-fragile countries. There are many reasons why girls do not go to school including violence, safety concerns, child labor, and cultural norms, among others. For example, the practice of early, forced, and child marriage compels many girls to leave school. According to the OECD, all countries where more than 50 percent of girls are married by 18 are classified as “fragile.”

Third, countries need to continue investing in education and spend the money efficiently . During the pandemic, for example, approximately 40 percent of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) decreased their level of education spending. Coming out of the pandemic, global macroeconomic fundamentals have weakened; the combination of high inflation, increased interest rates in G7 countries, and rising indebtedness are impacting countries’ ability to finance education for growing populations. Governments have competing priorities and need to make hard choices on where to allocate their budgets. With many urgent and competing items to finance—debt servicing, commodity imports, and energy supplies—governments need to ensure that these priorities are not crowding out education spending.

Investing in Education Can Forge Strong Economies and Open Societies

Against this complex global backdrop, the world is undergoing demographic shifts that are impacting the provision of educational services. Some polities in North America, Europe, and East Asia are experiencing a rapidly aging population, while other regions, including Africa and the Middle East, have a growing youth bulge. The United Nations estimates that more than half of global population growth between 2022 and 2050 is expected to occur in Africa, with the population of sub-Saharan Africa projected to double by 2050. Globally, the number of young people (i.e., under 25 years old) who will require education and training will amount to 3.3 billion worldwide by 2050, up from 3.2 billion in 2021.

Providing children and youth with quality education is an opportunity to adequately train and empower the future workforce. As there is a positive link between increased human capital and economic outcomes such as higher wages, increased rates of labor participation, and economic growth, educational institutions should equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to transition successfully from the classroom to the labor market.[1]

Beyond the labor market, educational institutions can foster more open and democratic societies. Younger generations need to have the capacity to address complex problems at the community, national, and global levels. Learning institutions are instrumental in this regard by teaching children civic education, use of technology, and socio-emotional competencies and lifelong skills.

Part of the lifelong skills and twenty-first–century tool kit that children and youth need is digital literacy. In an era of rapid technological change, it is imperative for youth to learn to use basic digital technologies—both hardware and software—safely and appropriately. Digital literacy can help citizens engage via tools such as the internet and mobile applications, contributing to building stronger democracies. For example, Russia’s war on Ukraine has reinforced the willingness of Ukrainian citizens to participate in local decisionmaking using digital means. Ukrainians are staying connected with their local and national government through the Diia app , and in June 2022, they used mobile applications to rename landmarks related to the Soviet Union or Russia.

Beyond the labor market, educational institutions can foster more open and democratic societies.

Children growing up today and in the future will need to understand how the digital ecosystem works, including the principles and values embedded in the digital tools they use. Fundamental democratic principles and values— including “fairness, accountability, transparency, safety, protection from online harassment, hate and abuse and respect for privacy and human rights and the protection of personal data”—might or might not be embedded in digital systems. With the rise of states practicing digital authoritarianism and spreading misinformation and disinformation, youth who are equipped with strong digital literacy can help build more democratic and inclusive societies.

Investing in Education Can Prevent Conflict and Rebuild Social Cohesion

Unfortunately, a troubling trend is that most members of these new generations will be born in regions struggling with conflict, internal displacement, and the effects of climate change. Of the 60 countries the OECD classifies as “most fragile,” 40 are located in sub-Saharan Africa or the Middle East and North Africa. [2] In these fragile contexts, almost three-quarters of the population is under 30, and these countries will be home to 86 percent of the world’s people experiencing extreme poverty by 2030.

In many of these countries, there are limited pathways for children to receive quality education—or for youth to access jobs or additional education and training to realize their full potential. For many, their hopes and aspirations remain a dream. One study by UNESCO found that “children in conflict-affected countries are more than twice as likely to be out of school compared with those in countries not affected by conflict.” The fact that these children are out of school not only deprives them of education but also puts them at higher risk of adversity. Children who live in poverty, lack parental care, or live on the street are most vulnerable to being recruited by criminal groups and terrorist organizations. Children are often targeted because they can be easily intimidated and manipulated and often do not fully understand risks the way adults do. Terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabaab in Kenya and Somalia, and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa have recruited children to pursue their activities. Being in school could help children and youth resist recruitment into these groups.

Education is regarded as one way to prevent conflict. While poor provision and quality of education can be a driver of conflict, UNESCO estimates that doubling the percentage of youth with secondary education can cut the risk of conflict in half. Meanwhile, countries with high levels of horizontal inequality are more likely to experience violent conflict. For example, in places where educational inequality doubled, the probability of conflict more than doubled. In addition, educational inequality across ethnic and religious subgroups is associated with increased insecurity and internal conflict in a country. [3]

In post-conflict countries, education can also play a pivotal role in rebuilding social relations, strengthening social cohesion, and fostering peace among excluded groups. The cases of Rwanda and South Africa show how educational policies have evolved to address ethnic and racial divisions (see Annexes 1 and 2). After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, education was used as a tool to promote cohesion and support vulnerable groups. In a similar vein, post-apartheid South Africa pursued policies aimed at narrowing inequalities for Black people. The government of South Africa expanded education opportunities to Black students that led to high enrollment rates and better economic outcomes for this historically disenfranchised group.

Investing in Women’s and Girls’ Education Can Promote Peace and Stability

Among the most vulnerable populations worldwide, women and girls continue to face discrimination and exclusion from participating in society, politics, and the economy—as well as restrictions on access to education and learning. However, numerous studies have demonstrated that educating and empowering women and girls has considerable positive impacts on household earnings, standards of living, and health and nutrition outcomes. In addition, when women and girls are educated, they play greater roles in their communities, contributing to a reduction of conflict and an increase in stability.

Ensuring respect for women’s and girls’ right to inclusive, quality education and their participation and leadership in decisionmaking processes is associated with stability. The World Bank’s 2018 2018 report highlights that the status of women relative to men is a significant predictor of a country’s susceptibility to violent conflict. The study explicitly links gender equality and women’s participation in the economy and society with a state’s ability to sustain peace at the community through national levels. For example, countries with female labor force participation of 40 percent or more are 30 times less likely to experience conflict than countries with only a 10 percent participation rate. The study also found that that when women’s organizations participate in peace negotiations, there is a higher likelihood of reaching a peaceful settlement and the resulting peace agreements last longer.

In post-conflict countries, education can also play a pivotal role in rebuilding social relations, strengthening social cohesion, and fostering peace among excluded groups.

Among the policies that can foster inclusiveness and reduce the risk of violent conflict include investing in the education of girls and women together with focused investments in a marginalized region, as well as engaging young women in decisionmaking and leadership roles in their schools and communities and at the national level. In this regard, women’s increased access to quality education has played a significant economic and stabilizing role in countries such as Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

While Bangladesh faces many development challenges, it has done a remarkable job in educating its girls. Its national investment in women and girls is far better than in any other country in South Asia, including India; partly as a result, per capita income has more than tripled since 1960. One could argue that the role of women, particularly educated women, in Bangladesh’s civil society and government has played a role in sustaining general stability in the country over the past 25 years. For example, education played a key role in paving the way for the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, which ended the ethnic conflict between the government and the Pahari population.

The Bangladeshi government recognized the importance of empowering women to reduce the onset of extremist violence. In order to mitigate conflict factors such as unemployment, poverty, and lack of economic opportunities, the government supported women’s education and inclusion in the labor force. Some successful programs focused on micro-lending, school attendance, and increasing factory jobs. In turn, women’s secondary school enrollment has increased from 41 percent in 1998 to 72 percent in 2018, and at least 41 percent of women had completed secondary school in 2019 compared to 30 percent in 2011. This increase in female education is reflected in women’s labor-force participation rates. In addition, mixed-gender industries increased by approximately 60 percentage points from 2003 to 2016. Bangladesh, as an elected member of the UN Security Council, also played a lead role in the drafting and passage of the groundbreaking Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), which established the United Nations’ Women, Peace, and Security agenda—through which the international community supports the participation of women and girls in conflict prevention and peacebuilding processes.

Afghanistan presents one of the most fragmented educational journeys in the world for women and girls. Following the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban government in 2001, Afghanistan’s new Western-oriented government adopted a constitution that strengthened women’s rights and allowed them to attend schools once again. Between 2001 and 2021 , women’s participation in higher education grew 20 times, female literacy rates went from 17 percent to 30 percent, and the number of girls receiving primary schooling went from effectively zero to 40 percent. Among the steps that the successive administrations of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani put in place to support women’s rights, the 2009 Elimination of Violence against Women law made it a criminal offense to prevent women from attending school. While convictions under this legislation remained rare due to entrenched cultural biases, it marked a monumental shift in official attitudes toward women’s rights. Meanwhile, women’s participation in the labor force increased from 17 percent in 2013 to almost 22 percent in 2019, the highest so far in Afghanistan’s history. 

Since the U.S. withdrawal and the fall of the Ghani government in August 2021, the Taliban has taken draconian steps to deny women their human rights, and Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world to bar girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade. The Taliban’s edicts, backed by violence, make it impossible for most girls and women to attain schooling—to say nothing of a quality education—beyond an elementary level. According to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report published in 2022, Afghanistan’s economy is losing as much as $5.4 billion due to the prohibition on girls and women completing their secondary education. In addition to crippling the middle class and dividing the country’s potential workforce in half, such policies have made life as a woman in Afghanistan increasingly repressed and restricted. The gendered segregation of the country is tied explicitly to the role of education in girls’ and women’s lives.

These country case studies highlight how women’s education can be a fundamental force in creating more peaceful and prosperous societies—and how its lack can contribute to development, peace, and security challenges. At the same time, further research into this relationship is needed to truly understand this correlation.

Education is and will remain a fundamental enabler of opportunities for individuals and innovation and growth for economies, but this narrative alone is no longer sufficient for global leaders to prioritize it. The successful messaging that brought the global education community to where it is today is not going to be enough to advance education to the next level. A new narrative is needed to refocus attention on the topic, one that connects development, education, and security actors in a more focused dialogue.

Investing in quality education should be linked to various policy decisions—including peacebuilding, women’s empowerment, and responding to state fragility—and be part of broader national security and foreign policy discussions. By stressing education’s implications for advancing human well-being and ensuring security, this new vision could work tangentially to garner increased interest from a diverse set of “nontraditional” global education leaders. An educated population is needed now more than ever to protect and further gender equity, combat climate crises, and build a world that is safer and more prosperous for future generations.

Daniel F. Runde is a senior vice president, director of the Project on Prosperity and Development, and holds the William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Romina Bandura is a senior fellow with the Project on Prosperity and Development and the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development at CSIS. Madeleine McLean is a program coordinator and research assistant with the Project on Prosperity and Development at CSIS.

The authors would like to thank Sarosh Sultan and Jedidiah Devillers for their excellent research support. This paper also benefited immensely from the insights of a CSIS seminar held on May 31, 2023. Finally, special thanks to three anonymous reviewers who provided feedback on an earlier draft.

This paper is made possible through a partnership with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

Please consult the PDF for references.

This report is produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s).

© 2024 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.

Annex 1: Investing in Education to Rebuild Social Cohesion after the 1994 Rwandan Genocide  

Recognizing the need to build social cohesion after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the new Paul Kagame government adopted a multi-pronged approach to reducing ethnic tensions, with education at the center. Emerging from this tragedy, the Rwandan government worked to ensure universal primary education and gender equity. In April 1995 , the Conference on Policy and Planning of Education in Rwanda outlined several key priority areas that focused on building a citizenry free from prejudice, committed to human rights, and working toward lasting peace. Rwandans have since made significant gains toward social cohesion and reconciliation. In 2015 , the number of Rwandans who saw themselves as members of ethnic groups, instead of simply as Rwandans, had dropped to 28 percent from 31 percent in 2010, and the level of trust in other citizens had risen to 96 percent.

With “near-universal and gender-equitable primary school enrollment,” Rwanda’s education system presents a powerful example of the government’s ability to provide equal opportunity to the country’s more than 13 million residents. Education is a tool that can be utilized in both positive and negative ways. Before the Rwandan genocide, certain education policies had amplified ethnic divisions . To combat these ill effects, the government focused on using education to increase social cohesion in the following years. Schooling was made accessible to everyone regardless of their ethnic background or other social affiliations, and curricula were revised to promote values of unity and peace. Education became the sector with the highest spending in the country, reaching 15 percent of the national budget in 2021. As a result of these improvements in educational quality and access—as well as policies providing free basic primary and lower secondary education—school enrollment rates in 1999 exceeded what historical rates of increase would have predicted, and the gross enrollment ratio (reflecting how many students are enrolled at a particular level of education relative to the number of children in the corresponding age group) reached 107 percent in 2001.

Despite progress, the quality of education remains a challenge: On average, Rwandans only receive the equivalent of 3.8 years of schooling by age 18. Even with the high enrollment rate of 98 percent, only 71 percent of children are able to finish primary schooling . Lack of government funding, top-down policy approaches, and limited infrastructure also mean that only 18 percent of children are enrolled in pre-primary education and over 30 percent of children with disabilities are out of the classroom. High student-to-teacher ratios and low levels of English literacy among teachers further complicate the issue. Yet Rwanda has been taking steps to address these problems, and the Education Sector Strategic Plan (2013–2017) further protects the rights of vulnerable students, addressing gender, health, and economic concerns.

Annex 2: Investing in Education to Reduce Inequality   in Post-apartheid South Africa

During apartheid, South Africa had huge educational inequalities. Black South Africans were expressly prohibited from attending white universities, and the ratio of teachers to students in Black schools was nearly twice that of white institutions. The 1953 Bantu Education Act centralized the education of Black students under the Department of Native Education with the intention of instilling the idea of white superiority into Black communities. During this period, educational institutions for Black students focused on creating the rigid cultural divide that would define the latter half of the twentieth century, and funding per student for Black educational institutions was significantly lower than at white educational institutions.

Since the fall of apartheid, the educational landscape in South Africa has changed drastically. The African National Congress (ANC) recognized the intrinsic value of an educated, equitable, and inclusive society; it attempted to use education to increase societal cohesion and committed to “equalizing the per capita expenditure between black and white education.” At the 1992 ANC National Conference, the party resolved that if it took power, it would ensure that resources were “redistributed to the most disadvantaged sectors of our society, in particular, women, rural and adult students, and mentally or physically disabled children and adults.”

South Africa implemented several key policies to combat the effects of apartheid in the education system, such as the 1996 National Education Policy Act (NEPA), which created a single Department of Education with monitoring responsibilities, replacing 19 disparate departments divided by ethnicity, race, and region. The same year, the South African Schools Act (SASA) further promoted basic educational access and quality. In terms of higher education, a Council on Higher Education was formed in 1997, and in 1999, the Education White Paper 3 and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Act created the framework for institutional planning and budgeting, empowering financially disadvantaged Black students to attend college. As a result of these efforts, education began to improve for Black South Africans. By 2019, the youth literacy rate in South Africa had reached 98 percent .

However, challenges persist, and the system is far from perfect. The rate of Black students attending university remains low, at only 4 percent in 2020. Disparities in graduation and completion rates, overall enrollment numbers, and access to funding all present major challenges to equal opportunity in South Africa. Yet the progress made in reducing barriers to education for Black and non-white students is undeniable, and education has been important in building societal cohesion in the country. The commitment to equitable access and quality education is moving South Africa toward a more inclusive society. 

Daniel F. Runde

Romina Bandura

Madeleine McLean

Programs & projects.

• Education, Work, and Youth

The World Bank Group is the largest financier of education in the developing world, working in 94 countries and committed to helping them reach SDG4: access to inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

Education is a human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. It delivers large, consistent returns in terms of income, and is the most important factor to ensure equity and inclusion.

For individuals, education promotes employment, earnings, health, and poverty reduction. Globally, there is a  9% increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling . For societies, it drives long-term economic growth, spurs innovation, strengthens institutions, and fosters social cohesion.  Education is further a powerful catalyst to climate action through widespread behavior change and skilling for green transitions.

Developing countries have made tremendous progress in getting children into the classroom and more children worldwide are now in school. But learning is not guaranteed, as the  2018 World Development Report  (WDR) stressed.

Making smart and effective investments in people’s education is critical for developing the human capital that will end extreme poverty. At the core of this strategy is the need to tackle the learning crisis, put an end to  Learning Poverty , and help youth acquire the advanced cognitive, socioemotional, technical and digital skills they need to succeed in today’s world. 

In low- and middle-income countries, the share of children living in  Learning Poverty  (that is, the proportion of 10-year-old children that are unable to read and understand a short age-appropriate text) increased from 57% before the pandemic to an estimated  70%  in 2022.

However, learning is in crisis. More than 70 million more people were pushed into poverty during the COVID pandemic, a billion children lost a year of school , and three years later the learning losses suffered have not been recouped .  If a child cannot read with comprehension by age 10, they are unlikely to become fluent readers. They will fail to thrive later in school and will be unable to power their careers and economies once they leave school.

The effects of the pandemic are expected to be long-lasting. Analysis has already revealed deep losses, with international reading scores declining from 2016 to 2021 by more than a year of schooling.  These losses may translate to a 0.68 percentage point in global GDP growth.  The staggering effects of school closures reach beyond learning. This generation of children could lose a combined total of  US$21 trillion in lifetime earnings  in present value or the equivalent of 17% of today’s global GDP – a sharp rise from the 2021 estimate of a US$17 trillion loss. 

Action is urgently needed now – business as usual will not suffice to heal the scars of the pandemic and will not accelerate progress enough to meet the ambitions of SDG 4. We are urging governments to implement ambitious and aggressive Learning Acceleration Programs to get children back to school, recover lost learning, and advance progress by building better, more equitable and resilient education systems.

Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024

The World Bank’s global education strategy is centered on ensuring learning happens – for everyone, everywhere. Our vision is to ensure that everyone can achieve her or his full potential with access to a quality education and lifelong learning. To reach this, we are helping countries build foundational skills like literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills – the building blocks for all other learning. From early childhood to tertiary education and beyond – we help children and youth acquire the skills they need to thrive in school, the labor market and throughout their lives.

Investing in the world’s most precious resource – people – is paramount to ending poverty on a livable planet.  Our experience across more than 100 countries bears out this robust connection between human capital, quality of life, and economic growth: when countries strategically invest in people and the systems designed to protect and build human capital at scale, they unlock the wealth of nations and the potential of everyone.

Building on this, the World Bank supports resilient, equitable, and inclusive education systems that ensure learning happens for everyone. We do this by generating and disseminating evidence, ensuring alignment with policymaking processes, and bridging the gap between research and practice.

The World Bank is the largest source of external financing for education in developing countries, with a portfolio of about $26 billion in 94 countries including IBRD, IDA and Recipient-Executed Trust Funds. IDA operations comprise 62% of the education portfolio.

The investment in FCV settings has increased dramatically and now accounts for 26% of our portfolio.

World Bank projects reach at least 425 million students -one-third of students in low- and middle-income countries.

The World Bank’s Approach to Education

Five interrelated pillars of a well-functioning education system underpin the World Bank’s education policy approach:

• Learners are prepared and motivated to learn;
• Teachers are prepared, skilled, and motivated to facilitate learning and skills acquisition;
• Learning resources (including education technology) are available, relevant, and used to improve teaching and learning;
• Schools are safe and inclusive; and
• Education Systems are well-managed, with good implementation capacity and adequate financing.

The Bank is already helping governments design and implement cost-effective programs and tools to build these pillars.

Our Principles:

• We pursue systemic reform supported by political commitment to learning for all children. 
• We focus on equity and inclusion through a progressive path toward achieving universal access to quality education, including children and young adults in fragile or conflict affected areas , those in marginalized and rural communities,  girls and women , displaced populations,  students with disabilities , and other vulnerable groups.
• We focus on results and use evidence to keep improving policy by using metrics to guide improvements.   
• We want to ensure financial commitment commensurate with what is needed to provide basic services to all. 
• We invest wisely in technology so that education systems embrace and learn to harness technology to support their learning objectives.   

Laying the groundwork for the future

Country challenges vary, but there is a menu of options to build forward better, more resilient, and equitable education systems.

Countries are facing an education crisis that requires a two-pronged approach: first, supporting actions to recover lost time through remedial and accelerated learning; and, second, building on these investments for a more equitable, resilient, and effective system.

Recovering from the learning crisis must be a political priority, backed with adequate financing and the resolve to implement needed reforms.  Domestic financing for education over the last two years has not kept pace with the need to recover and accelerate learning. Across low- and lower-middle-income countries, the  average share of education in government budgets fell during the pandemic , and in 2022 it remained below 2019 levels.

The best chance for a better future is to invest in education and make sure each dollar is put toward improving learning.  In a time of fiscal pressure, protecting spending that yields long-run gains – like spending on education – will maximize impact.  We still need more and better funding for education.  Closing the learning gap will require increasing the level, efficiency, and equity of education spending—spending smarter is an imperative.

• Education technology  can be a powerful tool to implement these actions by supporting teachers, children, principals, and parents; expanding accessible digital learning platforms, including radio/ TV / Online learning resources; and using data to identify and help at-risk children, personalize learning, and improve service delivery.

Looking ahead

We must seize this opportunity  to reimagine education in bold ways. Together, we can build forward better more equitable, effective, and resilient education systems for the world’s children and youth.

Accelerating Improvements

Supporting countries in establishing time-bound learning targets and a focused education investment plan, outlining actions and investments geared to achieve these goals.

Launched in 2020, the  Accelerator Program  works with a set of countries to channel investments in education and to learn from each other. The program coordinates efforts across partners to ensure that the countries in the program show improvements in foundational skills at scale over the next three to five years. These investment plans build on the collective work of multiple partners, and leverage the latest evidence on what works, and how best to plan for implementation.  Countries such as Brazil (the state of Ceará) and Kenya have achieved dramatic reductions in learning poverty over the past decade at scale, providing useful lessons, even as they seek to build on their successes and address remaining and new challenges.  

Universalizing Foundational Literacy

Readying children for the future by supporting acquisition of foundational skills – which are the gateway to other skills and subjects.

The  Literacy Policy Package (LPP)   consists of interventions focused specifically on promoting acquisition of reading proficiency in primary school. These include assuring political and technical commitment to making all children literate; ensuring effective literacy instruction by supporting teachers; providing quality, age-appropriate books; teaching children first in the language they speak and understand best; and fostering children’s oral language abilities and love of books and reading.

Advancing skills through TVET and Tertiary

Ensuring that individuals have access to quality education and training opportunities and supporting links to employment.

Tertiary education and skills systems are a driver of major development agendas, including human capital, climate change, youth and women’s empowerment, and jobs and economic transformation. A comprehensive skill set to succeed in the 21st century labor market consists of foundational and higher order skills, socio-emotional skills, specialized skills, and digital skills. Yet most countries continue to struggle in delivering on the promise of skills development. 

The World Bank is supporting countries through efforts that address key challenges including improving access and completion, adaptability, quality, relevance, and efficiency of skills development programs. Our approach is via multiple channels including projects, global goods, as well as the Tertiary Education and Skills Program . Our recent reports including Building Better Formal TVET Systems and STEERing Tertiary Education provide a way forward for how to improve these critical systems.

Addressing Climate Change

Mainstreaming climate education and investing in green skills, research and innovation, and green infrastructure to spur climate action and foster better preparedness and resilience to climate shocks.

Our approach recognizes that education is critical for achieving effective, sustained climate action. At the same time, climate change is adversely impacting education outcomes. Investments in education can play a huge role in building climate resilience and advancing climate mitigation and adaptation. Climate change education gives young people greater awareness of climate risks and more access to tools and solutions for addressing these risks and managing related shocks. Technical and vocational education and training can also accelerate a green economic transformation by fostering green skills and innovation. Greening education infrastructure can help mitigate the impact of heat, pollution, and extreme weather on learning, while helping address climate change. 

Examples of this work are projects in Nigeria (life skills training for adolescent girls), Vietnam (fostering relevant scientific research) , and Bangladesh (constructing and retrofitting schools to serve as cyclone shelters).

Strengthening Measurement Systems

Enabling countries to gather and evaluate information on learning and its drivers more efficiently and effectively.

The World Bank supports initiatives to help countries effectively build and strengthen their measurement systems to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. Examples of this work include:

(1) The  Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD) : This tool offers a strong basis for identifying priorities for investment and policy reforms that are suited to each country context by focusing on the three dimensions of practices, policies, and politics.

• Highlights gaps between what the evidence suggests is effective in promoting learning and what is happening in practice in each system; and
• Allows governments to track progress as they act to close the gaps.

The GEPD has been implemented in 13 education systems already – Peru, Rwanda, Jordan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sierra Leone, Niger, Gabon, Jordan and Chad – with more expected by the end of 2024.

(2)  Learning Assessment Platform (LeAP) : LeAP is a one-stop shop for knowledge, capacity-building tools, support for policy dialogue, and technical staff expertise to support student achievement measurement and national assessments for better learning.

Supporting Successful Teachers

Helping systems develop the right selection, incentives, and support to the professional development of teachers.

Currently, the World Bank Education Global Practice has over 160 active projects supporting over 18 million teachers worldwide, about a third of the teacher population in low- and middle-income countries. In 12 countries alone, these projects cover 16 million teachers, including all primary school teachers in Ethiopia and Turkey, and over 80% in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

A World Bank-developed classroom observation tool, Teach, was designed to capture the quality of teaching in low- and middle-income countries. It is now 3.6 million students.

While Teach helps identify patterns in teacher performance, Coach leverages these insights to support teachers to improve their teaching practice through hands-on in-service teacher professional development (TPD).

Our recent report on Making Teacher Policy Work proposes a practical framework to uncover the black box of effective teacher policy and discusses the factors that enable their scalability and sustainability.

 Supporting Education Finance Systems

Strengthening country financing systems to mobilize resources for education and make better use of their investments in education.

Our approach is to bring together multi-sectoral expertise to engage with ministries of education and finance and other stakeholders to develop and implement effective and efficient public financial management systems; build capacity to monitor and evaluate education spending, identify financing bottlenecks, and develop interventions to strengthen financing systems; build the evidence base on global spending patterns and the magnitude and causes of spending inefficiencies; and develop diagnostic tools as public goods to support country efforts.

Working in Fragile, Conflict, and Violent (FCV) Contexts

The massive and growing global challenge of having so many children living in conflict and violent situations requires a response at the same scale and scope. Our education engagement in the Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) context, which stands at US$5.35 billion, has grown rapidly in recent years, reflecting the ever-increasing importance of the FCV agenda in education. Indeed, these projects now account for more than 25% of the World Bank education portfolio.

Education is crucial to minimizing the effects of fragility and displacement on the welfare of youth and children in the short-term and preventing the emergence of violent conflict in the long-term. 

Support to Countries Throughout the Education Cycle

Our support to countries covers the entire learning cycle, to help shape resilient, equitable, and inclusive education systems that ensure learning happens for everyone. 

The ongoing  Supporting  Egypt  Education Reform project , 2018-2025, supports transformational reforms of the Egyptian education system, by improving teaching and learning conditions in public schools. The World Bank has invested $500 million in the project focused on increasing access to quality kindergarten, enhancing the capacity of teachers and education leaders, developing a reliable student assessment system, and introducing the use of modern technology for teaching and learning. Specifically, the share of Egyptian 10-year-old students, who could read and comprehend at the global minimum proficiency level, increased to 45 percent in 2021.

In  Nigeria , the $75 million  Edo  Basic Education Sector and Skills Transformation (EdoBESST)  project, running from 2020-2024, is focused on improving teaching and learning in basic education. Under the project, which covers 97 percent of schools in the state, there is a strong focus on incorporating digital technologies for teachers. They were equipped with handheld tablets with structured lesson plans for their classes. Their coaches use classroom observation tools to provide individualized feedback. Teacher absence has reduced drastically because of the initiative. Over 16,000 teachers were trained through the project, and the introduction of technology has also benefited students.

Through the $235 million  School Sector Development Program  in  Nepal  (2017-2022), the number of children staying in school until Grade 12 nearly tripled, and the number of out-of-school children fell by almost seven percent. During the pandemic, innovative approaches were needed to continue education. Mobile phone penetration is high in the country. More than four in five households in Nepal have mobile phones. The project supported an educational service that made it possible for children with phones to connect to local radio that broadcast learning programs.

From 2017-2023, the $50 million  Strengthening of State Universities  in  Chile  project has made strides to improve quality and equity at state universities. The project helped reduce dropout: the third-year dropout rate fell by almost 10 percent from 2018-2022, keeping more students in school.

The World Bank’s first  Program-for-Results financing in education  was through a $202 million project in  Tanzania , that ran from 2013-2021. The project linked funding to results and aimed to improve education quality. It helped build capacity, and enhanced effectiveness and efficiency in the education sector. Through the project, learning outcomes significantly improved alongside an unprecedented expansion of access to education for children in Tanzania. From 2013-2019, an additional 1.8 million students enrolled in primary schools. In 2019, the average reading speed for Grade 2 students rose to 22.3 words per minute, up from 17.3 in 2017. The project laid the foundation for the ongoing $500 million  BOOST project , which supports over 12 million children to enroll early, develop strong foundational skills, and complete a quality education.

The $40 million  Cambodia  Secondary Education Improvement project , which ran from 2017-2022, focused on strengthening school-based management, upgrading teacher qualifications, and building classrooms in Cambodia, to improve learning outcomes, and reduce student dropout at the secondary school level. The project has directly benefited almost 70,000 students in 100 target schools, and approximately 2,000 teachers and 600 school administrators received training.

The World Bank is co-financing the $152.80 million  Yemen  Restoring Education and Learning Emergency project , running from 2020-2024, which is implemented through UNICEF, WFP, and Save the Children. It is helping to maintain access to basic education for many students, improve learning conditions in schools, and is working to strengthen overall education sector capacity. In the time of crisis, the project is supporting teacher payments and teacher training, school meals, school infrastructure development, and the distribution of learning materials and school supplies. To date, almost 600,000 students have benefited from these interventions.

The $87 million  Providing an Education of Quality in  Haiti  project supported approximately 380 schools in the Southern region of Haiti from 2016-2023. Despite a highly challenging context of political instability and recurrent natural disasters, the project successfully supported access to education for students. The project provided textbooks, fresh meals, and teacher training support to 70,000 students, 3,000 teachers, and 300 school directors. It gave tuition waivers to 35,000 students in 118 non-public schools. The project also repaired 19 national schools damaged by the 2021 earthquake, which gave 5,500 students safe access to their schools again.

In 2013, just 5% of the poorest households in  Uzbekistan  had children enrolled in preschools. Thanks to the  Improving Pre-Primary and General Secondary Education Project , by July 2019, around 100,000 children will have benefitted from the half-day program in 2,420 rural kindergartens, comprising around 49% of all preschool educational institutions, or over 90% of rural kindergartens in the country.

In addition to working closely with governments in our client countries, the World Bank also works at the global, regional, and local levels with a range of technical partners, including foundations, non-profit organizations, bilaterals, and other multilateral organizations. Some examples of our most recent global partnerships include:

UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:  Coalition for Foundational Learning

The World Bank is working closely with UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as the  Coalition for Foundational Learning  to advocate and provide technical support to ensure foundational learning.  The World Bank works with these partners to promote and endorse the  Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning , a global network of countries committed to halving the global share of children unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10 by 2030.

Australian Aid, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canada, Echida Giving, FCDO, German Cooperation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Conrad Hilton Foundation, LEGO Foundation, Porticus, USAID: Early Learning Partnership

The Early Learning Partnership (ELP) is a multi-donor trust fund, housed at the World Bank.  ELP leverages World Bank strengths—a global presence, access to policymakers and strong technical analysis—to improve early learning opportunities and outcomes for young children around the world.

We help World Bank teams and countries get the information they need to make the case to invest in Early Childhood Development (ECD), design effective policies and deliver impactful programs. At the country level, ELP grants provide teams with resources for early seed investments that can generate large financial commitments through World Bank finance and government resources. At the global level, ELP research and special initiatives work to fill knowledge gaps, build capacity and generate public goods.

UNESCO, UNICEF:  Learning Data Compact

UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank have joined forces to close the learning data gaps that still exist and that preclude many countries from monitoring the quality of their education systems and assessing if their students are learning. The three organizations have agreed to a  Learning Data Compact , a commitment to ensure that all countries, especially low-income countries, have at least one quality measure of learning by 2025, supporting coordinated efforts to strengthen national assessment systems.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS):   Learning Poverty Indicator

Aimed at measuring and urging attention to foundational literacy as a prerequisite to achieve SDG4, this partnership was launched in 2019 to help countries strengthen their learning assessment systems, better monitor what students are learning in internationally comparable ways and improve the breadth and quality of global data on education.

FCDO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:  EdTech Hub

Supported by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the EdTech Hub is aimed at improving the quality of ed-tech investments. The Hub launched a rapid response Helpdesk service to provide just-in-time advisory support to 70 low- and middle-income countries planning education technology and remote learning initiatives.

MasterCard Foundation

Our Tertiary Education and Skills  global program, launched with support from the Mastercard Foundation, aims to prepare youth and adults for the future of work and society by improving access to relevant, quality, equitable reskilling and post-secondary education opportunities.  It is designed to reframe, reform, and rebuild tertiary education and skills systems for the digital and green transformation.

Bridging the AI divide: Breaking down barriers to ensure women’s leadership and participation in the Fifth Industrial Revolution

Common challenges and tailored solutions: How policymakers are strengthening early learning systems across the world

Compulsory education boosts learning outcomes and climate action

Areas of focus.

Data & Measurement

Early Childhood Development

Financing Education

Foundational Learning

Fragile, Conflict & Violent Contexts

Girls’ Education

Inclusive Education

Skills Development

Technology (EdTech)  

Tertiary Education

Initiatives

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• Global Education Policy Dashboard
• Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel
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27 Facts on the Importance of Education (Essay or Speech)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Are you in need of ideas for an importance of education essay?

Here is a list of 27 ideas that will get you started!

These ideas come from a variety of online sources and links have been provided in case you need to provide references in your essay .

This article lists ideas on the importance of education to a person’s life (Points 1 – 16) and to society (Points 17 – 27).

Importance of Education to a Person’s Life

1. education helps people out of poverty.

Poverty is linked to low education . Families that are poor are usually less educated than families that are rich. Plus, if you are born into a low educated poor family, chances are high that you too will end up low educated and poor.

One way poverty affects education is through the direct costs. Even when school is free, the costs of uniforms, travel, and so on can be very difficult for families to cover.

To escape the poverty trap cycle , people need to gain a higher education than their parents and find upwardly mobile employment (this means: jobs that help you get from the working class into the middle class).

Here’s some facts to back up this point.

A recent report found that people with a college education are statistically less likely to be in poverty. Of people over the age of 25, only 2% of college graduates were in poverty. That compares to 13% of high school graduates over 25.

Related Article: How Can Health Influence Learning?

2. Education helps People make More Money

Jobs that require a higher education are usually more highly paid than unskilled jobs. This is because the jobs are more difficult and require a more specialized skillset. If you get an education in a skill area where there is a shortage of available workers, your wages will increase.

To underscore this point, Brookings presented findings that show:

“An individual with a college degree is nearly nine times more likely to make over $100,000 than someone with only a high school diploma and 13 times more likely to make more than $200,000 per year.”

Today, jobs that are in demand, require a high education and pay quite well include:

• Software developer (USD $101,000)
• Health care administrator (USD $98,000)
• Medical Technologist (USD $51,000)

Source: CNBC .

3. Highly Educated People have a Better chance of Getting a Job

Jobs are not that easy to come by these days – even for people with degrees. But there’s statistically a higher chance of you getting a job if you have a higher education.

The 2017 report Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society found that people with higher education have lower rates of unemployment.

In 2015, younger people (ages 25 – 34) with bachelor’s degrees had an unemployment rate of 2.6%. High school graduates of the same age range had an unemployment rate of 8.1 percent.

That’s a huge difference that underscores the correlation between education and employability.

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4. Highly Educated People are Statistically Healthier

Statistically, the higher your education, the healthier you are. This could potentially be due to a few factors including:

• Stable jobs with regular hours allow you to plan exercise;
• Cultural differences between working-class and middle-class people;
• More money to participate in recreational activities.

Whatever the reason, the facts stand for themselves. One of the major facts is this:

In 2014, 26% of high school graduates smoked cigarettes. In the same year, only 8% of college graduates smoked cigarettes.

Source: Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society

5. Highly Educated People Volunteer More

Educated people tend to do better when it comes to volunteering. The reasons for this may be very similar to the reasons for being more fit. Reasons could include:

• Stable jobs with regular hours allow time to plan regular volunteering hours;
• Highly educated people are less likely to work two jobs;
• People who are well educated have more money to travel to and from their volunteering locations.

Again, it’s a good idea to back this claim up with some facts.

In 2015, 39% of college graduates reported that they volunteered that year. Among high school graduates, it was just 16% who reported that they volunteered.

6. Education helps People make Better Decisions

We have already established that people with a higher education have more job security and more money.

The flow-on effect of this is that they can make better decisions.

When you are more certain that you have money coming in every week, you’ll be able to plan our your budget more. You’ll also have the money to make decisions about living in safer neighborhoods with more public services.

Furthermore, higher education usually teaches critical thinking skills . This means people who’ve been trained in critical thinking may have an advantage when making tough decisions. They will have the education to know how to handle complex decision-making processes.

7. Education helps People make Long-Term Decisions

Not only will highly educated people have the skillset to make tough decisions, they will also have the money to make long-term decisions.

If you have a stable job with a high income each month, you’re more likely to get a loan for a home. You also have the freedom to start investing into your retirement funds.

As you can see, the correlation between high education and high incomes has huge flow-on effects for quality of life.

8. Education can increase Social Status

An education from a respected educational institution can open lots of doors for you.

Many students from around the world flock to nations like the United Kingdom, United States and Australia to get degrees from top-ranking education nations.

Similarly, if you make it to a higher-ranking school or university such as Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford or Princeton you’ll get a lot of social status just for having attended the university.

Even at compulsory school age there are elite institutions. For example, the private school named Eton College in the UK is known for producing no less than 19 British Prime Minsters .

When you get social status from going to a good school or university, we say you have institutional or cultural capital .

This degree from a well-respected university may get you that job interview you were looking for. But, it could also get you social status amongst family, friends and – yes – potential future partners!

9. Education makes People better Conversationalists

Have you ever had a conversation with a person and they were just really interesting? They seemed to know a lot of things and be able to talk to you about anything.

Well, that person is likely very well educated.

In fact, we have some words to describe people who are well-educated in a broad range of topics. You could call them:

• A renaissance man
• A renaissance woman

There is also a type of education designed to help you become a polymath. It’s called a Liberal Education and you get it by doing a Liberal Arts Degree from a university.

10. Education helps People get Access to Important Information

In the dark ages in Europe very few people had the ability to read.

This meant that knowledge held in books was only available to very few people.

When people don’t have access to knowledge, they’re in a very vulnerable situation. They can’t educate themselves on important information and have a harder time making decisions.

Nowadays, most people in the developed world can read. This huge advance in education levels has enabled any of us to go out there and access information.

In fact, you’re doing that right now! Aren’t you glad you can read?

Educated people also have the knowledge about how to access important information. We’re taught at school about encyclopaedias and libraries. At university we’re taught about scholarly sources and how to access them .

Combine the ability to read with the skills to access information and anyone can help educate themselves on anything. You just need a basic level of education to get started!

11. Education enables People to Critically Analyze ideas

At school, you’re not just being taught facts.

You’re also being taught how to think.

This ability to think involves some pretty advanced strategies like:

• Skepticism: The reluctance to believe something until you see the facts;
• Critical Thinking : the ability to look at something from multiple perspectives;
• Analytical Thinking : the ability to investigate something deeply to find answers.

With these fantastic skills, you can go a long way! You’re less likely to be tricked into believing something that’s not true. You’ll also be able to think things through and come to reasonable, rational conclusions.

12. Education can Help People (especially Women) become Independent and Powerful

Women’s education is a major focus of the United Nations.

This is because many women who are not educated are dependent on their families or husbands to make money.

When women become educated, they can become independent . They can work in better paid jobs, move into more powerful positions in workplaces, and earn an income that’s independent of their husbands.

In the long run, this will mean that women have an equal say in the development of our world.

Furthermore, women with jobs can contribute financially to their families which can help move the whole family out of poverty and give them a better standard of living.

Read Also: Why is School Important?

13. Education reduces Unplanned Pregnancies and Sexual Diseases

Basic education on sex and relationships can dramatically reduce sexual diseases and unplanned pregnancies.

Here’s some facts:

The Borgen Project cites that completion of primary school will reduce a person’s chances of getting HIV. In fact, it reduces girls’ chances of contracting the illness 3-fold.

Educated people also have smaller families and they have them later in life. In Mali , women with a high school education have an average of 3 children. Women without a high school education have an average of 7 children.

14. Education helps us Realize our own Potential

Through education, we learn about what we like and don’t like. We learn all about things from science, math, languages and history.

After contemplating all of these different topics, we’ll be more capable of living our best life.

If you don’t get educated, you won’t open up your horizons and learn about the world. You may end up being stuck in an insular life without having experienced all the great things life has to offer.

You don’t need to go to school for this. Maybe being educated for you is just about reading books on a lot of different topics.

Either way, by educating yourself, you can realize your potential and live a more meaningful life.

15. Education can bring Enjoyment to People’s Lives

Unfortunately, it’s often overlooked that education can be pleasurable for its own sake.

I’ve talked all about how education can help people out of poverty, get them jobs, make them more powerful and less sick.

But it’s also important to remember that education can simply be enjoyable and therefore be important for helping you be happy.

Have you ever learned something really cool and just been glad you know that information now?

That’s what I mean by education being a fun activity on its own.

When people are learning just because they love learning, we say they are intrinsically motivated . This is the opposite to extrinsic motivation where people learn things so they can get a reward like a better job.

16. Education makes you more Tolerant

There is some evidence that highly educated people may be more tolerant than lowly educated people.

To take just one example, people from Latin America with a high school education are 45% more tolerant toward people with HIV than Latin Americans with only an elementary school education.

Similarly, Lorelle Espinosa argues that colleges are ideal locations for teaching tolerance. She argues:

The foundations of tolerance run deep in the college classroom, where students learn and confront new ideas, issues and experiences at times vastly different than their own.

This is, of course, if you have a good teacher who’ll teach you different people’s perspectives!

>>>You Might Also Like: How to Write a Top University Essay

Importance of Education to Society

17. education prevents diseases in society.

Health education in classrooms can make an entire society healthier and live longer.

Health care education helps people avoid risky activities and behaviors, conduct basic first aid when someone is injured, and learn when they need to see a doctor.

The Population Reference Bureau argues that education of women on matters of health is especially important because they often set the standards for household behaviors like regularly washing your hands.

Educating children on health is also very important for the future health of a society.

That’s why Save the Children spends a lot of money on health education in developing countries. Here’s what they say the benefit of education is for children’s health:

Most importantly, through education, students learn how to adapt their daily habits to improve their health, nutrition, hygiene and prevent HIV and AIDS, gaining these important skills and behaviors for life.

18. Education helps a Country’s Economy Grow

When the population of a country is more educated, the whole country gets wealthier. This surely highlights the importance of education!

Here’s some facts that might be useful for you:

Hanushek and Wobmann (2010) looked at the evidence on the links between economic growth and education. They found that good quality education systems have a strong connection to long-term economic growth in a society.

Here’s their conclusion:

Economic growth is strongly affected by the skills of workers. What people know matters.

Hassan and Rafaz (2017) looked at economic growth in Pakastan between 1990 and 2016. They argue that:

[A] 1% increase in female education, female labour force participation, education expenditure and fertility rate causes 96% increase in GDP of Pakistan

Woah! Education of women appears to be a powerful way of increasing the wealth of entire societies.

19. Education can attract High Paying Jobs of the 21 st Century

You might have heard that manufacturing and factory jobs are becoming pretty rare in developed nations.

Because the high paying jobs of the future won’t be in unskilled labor. Those jobs are disappearing and going to poorer nations.

Instead, all the good jobs of the future will require a very high education level.

Often teachers like me talk about skills for the 21 st Century . These are skills like:

• Creative thinking ;
• Critical thinking;
• Communication;
• Collaboration;
• Digital literacy

If children today aren’t educated on these important skills, they’ll have trouble finding the best jobs. And if a whole society falls behind in education, those good jobs will move overseas to where the most highly educated workers can be found.

20. Education can Prevent Wars and Conflicts

History lessons can be very powerful for helping is prevent the mistakes of the past.

If you want to avoid the mistakes of history, you have to learn about how they were made. By educating people about the events leading up to World War 1 and 2, we might be able to teach people how to avoid the same mistakes again.

Similarly, if a society is well educated on the dangers and heartbreak of wars, those wars might be prevented.

This happened during the Vietnam War when students on college campuses began protesting the war . These students worked hard to teach people all over the United States about what was really happening in Vietnam.

War journalists were also instrumental in educating the public on the terrible effects of the war. Video footage, photos and news reports sent back to the United States helped educate the population and helped boost the anti-war efforts.

21. Education is good for Democracy

Most first world nations ensure children are taught democratic citizenship .

Teaching the values of democratic societies – like the fact that we should elect our leaders – helps to keep democracy going.

If we don’t teach about how good democracy is for our freedom and prosperity, we may sleepwalk into an evil dictatorship!

Democracy is about more than voting. It’s about learning the importance of treating each other respectfully, volunteering in our community, and respecting each other’s liberty.

I think Senator Michael Bennet sums this one up well when he says in his blog post :

With education, the common man would be able to select leaders wisely and fight back against the tyrannical instincts of those in power.

22. Education leads to Medical and Technological Breakthroughs

Before we became obsessed with the link between education and money, societies still invested heavily in public universities.

Because strong higher education systems can lead to technological and medical breakthroughs.

Here’s a few things that people invented while learning and researching at universities:

• The Seat Belt: Invented at Cornell University
• Gatorade: Unvented at the University of Florida
• Ultrasound: Developed at the University of Vienna
• CAT Scans: Developed at Georgetown University
• GPS: Developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Polio Vaccine: Developed at the University of Pittsburgh

23. Education can lead to Entrepreneurship

The online website Talk Business argues that entrepreneurs are always in need of more education. They argue:

…at their core [Entrepreneurs] are problem solvers and spend their time investigating potential solutions.

In order to solve problems, entrepreneurs enroll themselves in courses, read books, listen to podcasts and pay for mentors. In other words, they’re huge self-educators.

The article goes on to explain that entrepreneurs often don’t seek out a formal education from a school or university. Instead, they seek out answers to their questions from people who have already solved the problems.

So, education is good for business – but don’t narrow your definition of education. Education can come in all shapes and sizes.

24. Education may be the Solution to Global Problems like Climate Change

There’s two ways education can help us get out of the problem of climate change.

Firstly, educating people about sustainability can help us to reduce our ecological footprint on this world. If we recycle more, consume less goods, and ensure we’re cleaning up after ourselves, we can do a lot to help the environment.

Secondly, educating future environmental scientists is vital for finding the solutions to our current environmental problems.

Scientists of the future might find ways to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, reduce the temperature of the globe, or come up with better ways to produce energy.

In the race against time to solve the climate crisis, education may just be the thing that saves us from ourselves.

25. Education is important for Creating a Cohesive Society

Education helps us learn how to behave appropriately.

Emile Durkheim is a major theorist who came up with this concept.

According to Durkheim, schooling is all about ‘socialization’.

By this, he means we go to school to learn about more than maths and science. School has a hidden curriculum . The hidden curriculum is all the things we learn above and beyond our textbooks.

The hidden curriculum includes:

• Learning manners;
• Learning to get along with each other;
• Learning to respect other people’s privacy;
• Learning to follow the rules for the good of society;
• and many more things besides!

So, without schools teaching us how to get along, there may be many more conflicts in our communities.

26. Education passes on Cultural Values, Heritage and Information from one Generation to the Next

How did you learn about Christmas? How about the 4 th of July? How did you learn about Native Americans?

We learn a lot of these things from school.

So, education also teaches us about our culture and who we are.

This usually takes place in history classes where we learn about the history of our nations and our world.

But we also learn cultural values from the hidden curriculum (If you haven’t read point 25, I talk about the hidden curriculum there).

For example, in western culture it’s polite to look people in the eyes and shake their hands. We also respect our elders. These are cultural values that are taught to us in everyday conversations at school.

27. Education can lead to Gender Equality

There is a lot of evidence that says education is the key to creating a more equal world.

For example, UNESCO states that women tend to be less educated than men in developing countries. However, women overall show more concern for the environment.

Why is this a problem?

Because at the moment women aren’t empowered enough (through education) to create change. More educated women means more power for women to effect change.

Here’s an example:

“Women constitute almost two-thirds of the 758 million adults who are unable to read or write a sentence – a vast pool of people we are not empowering to help us fight environmental shifts” ( UNESCO )

There is also the problem of gender stereotypes, which can be challenged through education . If we educate more people about justice and equality, gender stereotypes will diminish which will be good for gender equality.

Final Thoughts

Any importance of education speech or essay needs facts and figures backing it up. Use these 27 key points on the importance of education for your next essay!

You could also get facts from the following two sources:

• 23 Major Barriers to Education
• 11 Lifelong Effects of Lack of Education

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Green Flags in a Relationship
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Signs you're Burnt Out, Not Lazy
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Toxic Things Parents Say to their Children
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Red Flags Early in a Relationship

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Why it's important to understand economics.

December 1, 1998

Article Highlights

Economic literacy invaluable in communication and decision making

Econ knowledge essential to informed opinions

More focus needed in pre-college curriculum

The case for economic literacy is a strong one. George Stigler, a Nobel Laureate in economics, probably stated it best almost three decades ago when he wrote: "The public has chosen to speak and vote on economic problems, so the only open question is how intelligently it speaks and votes." In Stigler's view, economic literacy is special because it contributes to two classes of knowledge. First, it serves as a "means of communication among people, incorporating a basic vocabulary or logic that is so frequently encountered that the knowledge should be possessed by everyone." Second, it is a "type of knowledge frequently needed and yet not susceptible to economical purchase from experts."

Economic literacy certainly contributes to the first class of knowledge. People like to think and talk about the economic issues that affect them as consumers, workers, producers, investors, citizens and in other roles they assume over a lifetime. Economic literacy also gives people the tools for understanding their economic world and how to interpret events that will either directly or indirectly affect them. Nations benefit from having an economically literate population because it improves the public's ability to comprehend and evaluate critical issues. This understanding is especially important in democracies that rely on the active support and involvement of its citizens.

Economic literacy contributes to a second class of knowledge. For some economic decisions, such as buying a home or investing in the stock market, it is possible to hire professional or technical help when making a choice, but in most cases it is neither economical nor practical for an individual to hire a skilled professional every time an economic decision needs to be made. Even when such advice is given, the final choice must be made by the individual, not the adviser. What this means is that each person must ultimately serve as his or her own economist in making many economic choices, whether those choices involve buying a product, getting a loan, voting on candidates and economic issues, or something else. Economic literacy improves the competence of each individual for making personal and social decisions about the multitude of economic issues that will be encountered over a lifetime.

Economic Education

Whether there is a case for economic literacy, however, is not the most important question that needs to be answered. George Stigler and many other distinguished economists and individuals have already made that case. The more essential question to be asked is: How can we improve economic literacy in our society? Answering that question naturally turns the focus to economic education.

The development of economic literacy must begin in the schools. Even young children are capable of learning basic economic concepts that help them understand their economic world. In the secondary years, that initial foundation can be expanded to include instruction in a broader set of economic ideas and concepts. This additional education gives students greater capacity to understand more complex personal or national economic issues.

Some may think that economics is too difficult a subject to be taught to children and youth, and that such instruction should wait until college. Nothing could be more incorrect. No one would even think of making such an argument for math or science education. Waiting until students are in college to teach economics is simply a matter of "too little and too late." The majority of students end their formal education with secondary school, and even those students who continue their learning at a college or university may not take an economics course. The fact is that the best opportunity for economic education occurs before graduation from high school.

There are three essential ingredients for effective economic education in the schools. First, teachers must be knowledgeable about the subject and be able to help students learn how to use basic economic concepts to analyze personal and social issues. Second, good curriculum guides and instructional materials are needed that present economic content at an appropriate level for the student to understand. Third, economics must have a central place in the school curriculum—similar to math, science, history and language arts—so that substantial classroom time is devoted to economics instruction.

Over the past 40 years there has been a significant improvement in each area.

Teachers now have more economic knowledge because they are taking more economics courses. Instruction in economics in the classroom is more analytical and less descriptive because of the development of curriculum guides and national standards. There are now many high quality textbooks and supplementary materials for instruction. More high school graduates are completing an economics course and more instructional time is devoted to economics throughout the school curriculum.

The Evidence

Although there has been progress, much more needs to be accomplished in the coming decades if we are to produce an economically literate population. A major problem in this nation is that too few students are receiving an economic education before they graduate from high school. A study of high school transcripts shows that only about 44 percent of high school students take a separate course in economics. This course is usually offered in the 12th grade as an elective and lasts for only a semester. Although more states have made economics a required course for students, only 16 states require high school graduates to take some sort of economics course before graduation.

Given this situation—that fewer than half of high school graduates take a course in economics—it should not be surprising that study after study show that there is widespread economic illiteracy among youth and the American public. In one such study, I administered the Test of Economic Literacy , an achievement measure covering basic economic concepts, to 11th and 12th grade students nationwide and found that students supplied correct answers to less than half the questions. In another study I conducted with The Gallup Organization, I found that less than four in 10 high school seniors or adults could answer basic questions about economic terms and concepts that are essential for understanding economic events and issues reported in the news media. No matter what the economic content of questions or the test format, the study results remain the same—youth and adults show a great deal of ignorance when it comes to basic economics.

Youth are aware of their deficiencies because they give themselves low self-assessments of economic understanding in survey studies. Some 87 percent of high school seniors rated their knowledge and understanding of economic and economic issues as only fair or poor . (Among the general public, 83 percent gave the same responses.) One reason for these low self-ratings is that high school students are well aware that they are not receiving an adequate education in economics. When asked whether they were taught a lot , a little or nothing at all about how the economy works, 76 percent said that they were taught little or nothing . (Compare that percentage with the 7 percent who said they were taught little or nothing about mathematics.) In addition, both high school students and the general public had a recommendation for what should be done: Over 96 percent said the nation's schools should teach more about how our economy works.

The Consequences

The question that can be asked at this point in the discussion is "So what?" Why does it matter whether a student has taken an economics course or knows something about basic economic concepts? The answer is that economic knowledge has a direct and substantive effect on people's opinions about economic issues. This relationship can be illustrated with two examples from national survey studies.

The microeconomic example goes to the heart of support for a market economy. One knowledge question asked youth to respond to the following statement: To the best of your knowledge, the prices of most products in a competitive market, like the United States, are determined by: (a) supply and demand for products; (b) the consumer price index; (c) local, state, or the Federal government; (d) the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve. Just five in 10 youth knew that the prices of most products in a competitive market were determined by supply and demand. Two in 10 thought that prices were determined by the consumer price index. Another two in 10 believed that prices were determined by government. The remainder either thought prices were set by the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve or did not know.

Knowing what determines prices in a market economy and accepting the outcomes are two different things. If demand or supply conditions change, prices in a competitive market will rise and fall. Having a basic understanding of how markets work does not always mean that people will like price changes, especially if prices rise, but it should increase the probability of accepting the market outcome.

An opinion question was also asked to probe the degree of support among youth for the operation of competitive markets: A bicycle manufacturer raises the price of bikes because the demand increased even though the cost of producing bikes has not increased. Do you think the manufacturer should be allowed to raise prices? Two-thirds of youth said they were opposed to allowing the bike manufacturer to raise prices, which is certainly not a ringing endorsement of competitive markets. In fact, there are many examples of businesses raising prices based on increased demand. The prices for seasonal clothing are higher at the beginning of the season than at the end. Airfare rises in peak travel periods. Auto dealers raise prices (or give fewer discounts) when particular models become popular.

When you cross-tabulate the responses to the economic knowledge and opinion questions, a distinct pattern emerges. Among youth who knew that supply and demand determined the prices in a competitive market, 60 percent would allow the bike manufacturer to raise prices. Among youth who gave an incorrect response to the knowledge question, only 41 percent thought the bike manufacturer should be allowed to increase prices. The differences in the percentages show that what many youth know about how markets work directly affects their acceptance of the market result.

For a macroeconomic example, the basic economic question was: What is an example of monetary policy? Would it be a change in: (a) the discount rate; (b) a change in Federal government spending; or (c) a change in corporate profits. Only 17 percent of high school students knew that a change in the discount rate was an example of a change in monetary policy. About four in 10 thought it was a change in government spending (fiscal policy), about two in 10 thought it was a change in corporate profits, and another two in 10 did not know.

Although most high school students were ignorant of what monetary policy was, they were quite willing to give their opinion on this monetary policy question: Who should set monetary policy? Should it be: (a) the President; (b) the Congress; (c) the Federal Reserve; or (d) the United States Treasury? This issue is important because it determines whether there will be an independent central bank, isolated from direct political pressure, that can effectively control the money supply and maintain price stability. Only 16 percent of youth thought the Federal Reserve should be responsible for setting monetary policy.

When responses from the monetary policy knowledge and opinion questions were cross-tabulated, they show that there were significant differences in the support for the Federal Reserve having control over monetary policy in the United States based on the respondent's correct or incorrect responses to the knowledge question. Among high school students who could give a correct example of a change in monetary policy, 32 percent thought it should be set by the Federal Reserve, but among high school students who gave incorrect examples only 15 percent thought that monetary policy should be set by the Federal Reserve.

Similar cross-tabulations of opinion and knowledge questions on such topics as unemployment, the federal budget, economic growth, profits or trade protectionism could be performed with survey data to demonstrate the same point. Survey data have also been collected from the general public on these topics and the cross-tabulations show the same patterns as those for youth. The survey findings clearly indicate that what youth and adults know about basic economics affects what they think about an economic issue. What is especially disturbing is that people who have no basic knowledge about an economic issue are quite willing to state an opinion on that issue. This knowledge deficiency affects people's ability to evaluate economic matters and produces uninformed opinions. Among the informed, of course, there will still be differences about what should be done on an issue, but it provides a solid basis for a reasonable discussion of economic alternatives.

The development of basic economic literacy is an important goal for a democratic society that relies heavily on informed citizenry and personal economic decision-making. To achieve that goal will require that significant gaps in the economic education of youth be closed by giving economics a more central place in the school curriculum. More economics coursework at the precollege level sets a foundation for economic literacy, but it is only the beginning. As George Stigler reminded us long ago: "We shall have to combine vast efforts and creative experimentations if we are to produce the first economically literate society in history."

Stigler, George J. (1970). "The Case, if Any, for Economic Literacy," Journal of Economic Education , 1:2, 77-84.

Walstad, William B. (ed.). (1994). An International Perspective on Economic Education . Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Walstad, William B. (1996). "Economic Knowledge and the Formation of Economic Opinions and Attitudes." In P. Lunt and A. Furnham (eds.), Economic Socialization: The Economic Beliefs and Behaviours of Young People (pp. 162-182). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.

Walstad, William B. (1996). Youth and Entrepreneurship . Kansas City, MO: Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Inc.

Walstad, William B. (1997). "The Effects of Economic Knowledge on Public Opinion of Economic Issues," Journal of Economic Education , 28:3, 195-205.

Walstad, William B. and Larsen, M. (1992). A National Survey of American Economic Literacy . Lincoln, NE: The Gallup Organization.

Walstad is director of the National Center for Research in Economic Education and Edwin Faulkner Professor of Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Since 1992 he has been associate editor of the Journal of Economic Education and is a past president of the National Association of Economic Educators. Walstad, who is the author of several hundred scholarly works in economic education, is also well known for his national assessments of economic understanding and prepared a report on American economic literacy with The Gallup Organization in 1992.

Walstad received his doctorate in economics from the University of Minnesota and served on the economics faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis prior to coming to Nebraska.

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Why Is Education So Important in The Quest for Equality?

Gerald Nelson | April 14, 2022 | Leave a Comment

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Education is vital. We can all agree on this but where we fall out of the agreement is why exactly education is so necessary for equality. Without education, there can be no progress, no development, and no improvement. 

In today’s world, we are ever more aware of the issues surrounding sexism, racism, and inequality, allowing for a greater understanding of the importance of educating people to avoid these biases occurring in the first place.

What is Educational Equality and why is it necessary? 

Equality isn’t always so simple. Some may assume, for example, that educational equality is as simple as providing children with the same resources. In reality, however, there’s a lot more to it than this. We will check what governments are doing to achieve this goal. What actions they are taking to advance the cause of equality? Education is crucial because it’s a toolkit for success:

• With literacy and numeracy comes confidence, with which comes self-respect. And by having self-respect, you can respect others, their accomplishments, and their cultures.
• Education is the fundamental tool for achieving social, economic, and civil rights – something which all societies strive to achieve.

Educational Inequality is usually defined as the unequal distribution of educational resources among different groups in society. The situation becomes serious when it starts influencing how people live their lives. For example, children will be less likely to go to school if they are not healthy, or educated because other things are more urgent in their life.

Categorical Educational Inequality

Categorical Education Inequality is especially apparent when comparing minority/low-income schools with majority/high-income schools. Are better-off students systematically favored in getting ahead? There are three plausible conditions:

• Higher-income parents can spend more time and money on private tutoring, school trips, and home study materials to give their children better opportunities. Therefore, better-off students have an advantage due to access to better schools, computers, technology, etc. (the so-called opportunity gap).
• Low-income schools lack the resources to educate their students. Therefore their students tend to have worse educational outcomes.
• Although the public school system is a government-funded program to allow all students an equal chance at a good education, this is not the case for most schools across third world countries – see UNESCO statistics below:

How Educational Inequality is fueling global issues

Educational inequality is a major global crisis. It has played a role in economic problems, amplified the political deadlock, exacerbated the environmental predicament, and threatens to worsen the human rights crisis. If equality in education is not addressed directly, these crises will only deepen because: 

• Educational Inequality is also about  race and gender . Those who are less privileged are condemned to poverty and unemployment because of a lack of quality educational resources. 
• Without a sound education, people have  less knowledge  of the world around them or the issues facing their communities. They are less likely to vote or to pay attention to politics. This leaves them vulnerable to manipulation by those who represent narrow interests and promote fear, hatred, and violence. The result is an erosion of democratic values and an increase in authoritarianism.
• Without correction,  human rights abuses  will continue due to a lack of legal representation among those with no or low education levels.
• Poverty, unemployment, crimes, and health issues: A lack of education and skills forces children into poverty because they can’t get jobs or start a business. It also leaves them without hope and is one of the reasons for unemployment, lower life expectancy, malnutrition, a higher chance of chronic diseases, and crime rates.
• Limited opportunities: The most significant issue is that lack of education reduces the opportunities for people to have a decent life. Limited options increase the division of social classes, lower social mobility, and reduce the ability to build networks and social contacts. Students in poor countries also spend a lot of time working to support their families rather than focusing on their school work. These factors also worsen the upbringing of coming generations.
• Extremism:  Inequality can also lead to increased violence, racism, gender bias, and extremism, which causes further economic and democratic challenges.  
• Inability to survive pandemics:  Unlike developed nations after COVID, underdeveloped countries are stuck in their unstable economic cycles. Inequality causes a lack of awareness and online educational resources, lower acceptance of preventive measures, and unaffordable vaccines, for example. According to the  United Nations , “Before the coronavirus crisis, projections showed that  more than 200 million children would be out of school , and only 60 percent of young people would be completing upper secondary education in 2030”.
• Unawareness of technological advancements: The world is becoming more tech-savvy, while students in underdeveloped countries remain unaware of the latest technological achievements as well as unable to implement them. This also widens the education gap between countries.
• Gender inequality in education:  In general, developing countries compromise over funds allocation for women’s education to manage their depletion of national income. As such, they consider women less efficient and productive than men. Meanwhile, many parents do not prefer sending their daughters to school because they do not think that women can contribute equally to men in the country’s development. However, if we have to overcome this, there should be an increase in funding and scholarships for women’s education.
• Environmental crises:  People are usually less aware of the harmful emissions produced in their surroundings and are therefore less prepared to deal with increased pollution levels. This also affects climate change. The less educated the children, the more likely they are to contribute to climate change as adults. This is because education is not just about learning facts and skills but also about recognizing problems and applying knowledge in innovative ways. 
• A child who has dropped out of school will generally  contribute less to society  than a child who has completed secondary school. A child who has completed secondary school will contribute less than a child who went to university. This difference increases over time because those with higher levels of education tend to be more open-minded, flexible thinkers and are therefore better able to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Equality in education is therefore essential for addressing international issues including economic inequality, climate change, social deprivation, and access to healthcare. Many children in poor regions are deprived of education (see chart below) which is the only way out of poverty .

Proposed Solutions 

The United Nations Development Program says that access to education is a human right, and should be individually accessible and available to all by 2030. It demands:

• International collaborations to ensure that every child has the same quality education and to develop joint curricula and academic programs. The quality of teaching methodologies should not be compromised and includes providing financial assistance and tools for equal access.
• Running campaigns to discourage race, gender, and ethnicity differences, arranging more seminars to reach low-income groups, and providing adequate financial assistance, training, and part-time jobs for sole earners.  
• Modifying scholarship criteria to better support deserving students who cannot afford university due to language tests and low grades. 
• Increasing the minimum wage so that sole breadwinners can afford quality education for their children.  
• Schools should bear transportation costs and offer free grants to deserving kids from low-income families.
• Giving more attention to slum-side schools by updating and implementing new techniques and resources. 
• Allowing students to learn in their own language with no enforcement of international languages and offering part-time courses in academies and community colleges in other languages. 

Resolving educational inequality has many benefits for the wider society. Allowing children from disadvantaged backgrounds to get an education will help them find better jobs with higher salaries, improving their quality of life, and making them more productive members of society. It decreases the likelihood of conflict and increases access to health care, stable economic growth, and unlimited opportunities.

Conclusion:

It’s been said that great minds start out as small ones. To level the playing field, we need to focus on best educating our next generation of innovators and leaders, both from an individual and a societal standpoint. If we want equality to become a reality, it will be up to us to ensure that equality is at the forefront of our education system.

References:

Environmental Conscience: 42 Causes, Effects & Solutions for a Lack of Education – E&C (environmental-conscience.com)

School of Education Online Programs: What the U.S. Education System Needs to Reduce Inequality | American University

Educational Inequality: Solutions | Educational Inequality (wordpress.com)

Giving Compass: Seven Solutions for Education Inequality · Giving Compass

Science.org: Polarization under rising inequality and economic decline

Research Gate: Inequality and Economic Growth

University of Munich: pdf (uni-muenchen.de)

Research Gate: Effects-of-inequality-and-poverty-vs-teachers-and-schooling-on-Americas-youth.pdf (researchgate.net)

Borgen Magzine

United Nations: Education as the Pathway towards Gender Equality

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – Education

This article has been edited in line with our guidelines

Gerald Nelson is a freelance academic essay writer at perfectessaywriting.com who also works with several e ducational and human rights organizations. 

The MAHB Blog is a venture of the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere. Questions should be directed to [email protected]

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Home  /  News  /  Why Is Education Important? The Power Of An Educated Society

Why Is Education Important? The Power Of An Educated Society

Looking for an answer to the question of why is education important? We address this query with a focus on how education can transform society through the way we interact with our environment. 

Whether you are a student, a parent, or someone who values educational attainment, you may be wondering how education can provide quality life to a society beyond the obvious answer of acquiring knowledge and economic growth. Continue reading as we discuss the importance of education not just for individuals but for society as a whole. 

Harness the power of education to build a more sustainable modern society with a degree from  Unity Environmental University .

How Education Is Power: The Importance Of Education In Society

Why is education so important? Nelson Mandela famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” An educated society is better equipped to tackle the challenges that face modern America, including:

• Climate change
• Social justice
• Economic inequality

Education is not just about learning to read and do math operations. Of course, gaining knowledge and practical skills is part of it, but education is also about values and critical thinking. It’s about finding our place in society in a meaningful way. 

Environmental Stewardship

A  study from 2022 found that people who belong to an environmental stewardship organization, such as the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, are likely to have a higher education level than those who do not. This suggests that quality education can foster a sense of responsibility towards the environment.

With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly alarming, this particular importance of education is vital to the health, safety, and longevity of our society. Higher learning institutions can further encourage environmental stewardship by adopting a  framework of sustainability science .

The Economic Benefits Of Education

Higher education can lead to better job opportunities and higher income. On average, a  person with a bachelor’s degree will make $765,000 more  in their lifetime than someone with no degree. Even with the rising costs of tuition, investment in higher education pays off in the long run. In 2020, the return on investment (ROI) for a college degree was estimated to be  13.5% to 35.9% . 

Green jobs  like environmental science technicians and solar panel installers  have high demand projections for the next decade. Therefore, degrees that will prepare you for one of these careers will likely yield a high ROI. And, many of these jobs only require an  associate’s degree or certificate , which means lower overall education costs. 

Unity  helps students maximize their ROI with real-world experience in the field as an integral part of every degree program. 

10 Reasons Why School Is Important

Education is not just an individual pursuit but also a societal one.  In compiling these reasons, we focused on the question, “How does education benefit society?” Overall, higher education has the power to transform:

• Individuals’ sense of self
• Interpersonal relationships
• Social communities
• Professional communities

Cognitive Development

Neuroscience research  has proven that the brain is a muscle that can retain its neuroplasticity throughout life. However, like other muscles, it must receive continual exercise to remain strong. Higher education allows people of any age to improve their higher-level cognitive abilities like problem-solving and decision-making. This can make many parts of life feel more manageable and help society run smoothly. 

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is key to workplace success.  Studies  show that people with emotional intelligence exhibit more:

• Self-awareness
• Willingness to try new things
• Innovative thinking
• Active listening
• Collaboration skills
• Problem-solving abilities

By attending higher education institutions that value these soft skills, students can improve their emotional intelligence as part of their career development in college.

Technological Literacy

Many careers in today’s job market use advanced technology. To prepare for these jobs, young people likely won’t have access to these technologies to practice on their own. That’s part of why so many STEM career paths require degrees. It’s essential to gain technical knowledge and skills through a certified program to safely use certain technologies. And, educated scientists are  more likely to make new technological discoveries .

Cultural Awareness

Education exposes individuals to different cultures and perspectives. Being around people who are different has the powerful ability to foster acceptance. Acceptance benefits society as a whole. It increases innovation and empathy. 

College also gives students an opportunity to practice feeling comfortable in situations where there are people of different races, genders, sexualities, and abilities. Students can gain an understanding of how to act respectfully among different types of people, which is an important skill for the workplace. This will only become more vital as our world continues to become more globalized.

Ethical and Moral Development

Another reason why school is important is that it promotes ethical and moral development. Many schools require students to take an ethics course in their general education curriculum. However, schools can also encourage character development throughout their programs by using effective pedagogical strategies including:

• Class debates and discussions
• Historical case studies
• Group projects

Unity’s distance learning programs  include an ethical decision-making class in our core curriculum. 

Ready To Learn More About Unity Environmental University?

Communication Skills

Effective written and verbal communication skills are key for personal and professional success. Higher education programs usually include at least one communication course in their general education requirements. Often the focus in these classes is on writing skills, but students can also use college as an opportunity to hone their presentation and public speaking skills. Courses such as  Multimedia Communication for Environmental Professionals  provide many opportunities for this. 

Civic Engagement

According to a  Gallup survey , people with higher education degrees are:

• More likely to participate in civic activities such as voting and volunteering
• Less likely to commit crimes
• More likely to get involved in their local communities

All these individual acts add up to make a big difference in society. An educated electorate is less likely to be swayed by unethical politicians and, instead, make choices that benefit themselves and their community. Because they are more involved, they are also more likely to hold elected officials accountable.

Financial Stability

The right degree can significantly expand your career opportunities and improve your long-term earning potential. Not all degrees provide the same level of financial stability, so it’s important to research expected salary offers after graduation and job demand outlook predictions for your desired field. Consider the return on investment for a degree from an affordable private school such as  Unity Environmental University .

Environmental Awareness

We have already discussed why education is important for environmental stewardship. Education can also lead to better environmental practices in the business world. By building empathy through character education and ethics courses, institutions can train future business leaders to emphasize human rights and sustainability over profits. All types and sizes of businesses can incorporate sustainable practices, but awareness of the issues and solutions is the first step.

Lifelong Learning

The reasons why education is important discussed so far focus on institutional education. However, education can happen anywhere. Attending a university that values all kinds of learning will set students up with the foundation to become lifelong learners.  Research  demonstrates that lifelong learners tend to be healthier and more fulfilled throughout their lives. When societies emphasize the importance of education, they can boost their overall prosperity.

The Role Of Unity Environmental University In Society

Environmentally conscious education is extremely valuable and should be accessible to all.   Unity Environmental University  offers tuition prices that are comparable to public universities, and financial aid is available to those who qualify. Courses last five weeks so that students can focus on only one class at a time. This ensures all learners are set up for academic success. 

Unity believes in supporting students holistically to maximize the power of education. This includes mental health services,  experiential learning opportunities , and  job placement assistance . Students in our  hybrid programs  can take classes at several field stations throughout Maine and enjoy the beautiful nature surrounding the campus for outdoor recreation.

Sustainable Initiatives

Some highlights from Unity Environmental University’s many sustainable initiatives:

• All programs include at least one sustainability learning outcome
• All research courses are focused on sustainability research
• Reduced building energy use by 25% across campus
• 100% of food waste is recycled into energy 
• Campus features a  net-zero LEED Platinum-certified classroom/office building

While many schools value sustainability, Unity stands out because  everything  we do is about sustainability. We also recognize our responsibility to model how a sustainable business can operate in a manner that’s fiscally viable and socially responsible.

Make An Impact At Unity Environmental University

While the phrase ‘education is power’ may sound cliche, it is also resoundingly true. Higher education has the power to transform individuals and societies. Unity Environmental University understands its power to make a positive impact on the world. That’s why we were the first university to divest from fossil fuels. 

This year, we celebrated our  largest incoming class ever , showing that students want an education system that aligns with their values. In addition to our commitment to sustainability, we offer flexibility to students with start dates all year round for our  online degree programs .

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• Essay on Importance of Education

Importance of Education Essay

Education is one of the key components for an individual’s success. It has the ability to shape one’s life in the right direction. Education is a process of imparting or acquiring knowledge, and developing the powers of reasoning and judgement. It prepares growing children intellectually for a life with more mature understanding and sensitivity to issues surrounding them. It improves not only the personal life of the people but also their community. Thus, one cannot neglect the significance of Education in life and society. Here, we have provided an essay on the Importance of Education. Students can use this essay to prepare for their English exam or as a speech to participate in the school competition.

Importance of Education

The importance of education in life is immense. It facilitates quality learning for people throughout their life. It inculcates knowledge, belief, skill, values and moral habits. It improves the way of living and raises the social and economic status of individuals. Education makes life better and more peaceful. It transforms the personality of individuals and makes them feel confident.

Well said by Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world”. To elaborate, it is the foundation of the society which brings economic wealth, social prosperity and political stability. It gives power to people to put their views and showcase their real potential. It strengthens democracy by providing citizens with the tools to participate in the governance process. It acts as an integrative force to foster social cohesion and national identity.

In India, education is a constitutional right of every citizen. So, people of any age group, religion, caste, creed and region are free to receive education. An educated person is respected everywhere and well-treated in society. As a kid, every child dreams of being a doctor, lawyer, engineer, actor, sportsperson, etc. These dreams can come true through education. So, investment in education gives the best return. Well-educated people have more opportunities to get a better job which makes them feel satisfied.

In schools, education is divided into different levels, i.e., preschool, primary, secondary and senior secondary. School education comprises traditional learning which provides students with theoretical knowledge. However, now various efforts are being made to establish inbuilt application-based learning by adding numerous experiments, practicals and extracurricular activities to the school curriculum. Students learn to read, write and represent their viewpoints in front of others. Also, in this era of digital Education, anyone can easily access information online at their fingertips. They can learn new skills and enhance their knowledge.

Steps Taken By Government To Promote Education

Education is evidently an important aspect that no government can ignore in order to ensure the equitable development of a nation. Unfortunately, some children still do not have access to education. The Government has thereby taken initiatives to improve education quality and made it accessible to everyone, especially the poor people.

The Government passed the Right to Education Act 2009 (RTE Act 2009) on 4 August 2009. This Act came into effect on 1 April 2010, following which education has become the fundamental right of every child in India. It provides free and compulsory elementary education to children of the age group of 6-14 years in a neighbourhood school within 1 km, up to Class 8 in India. On similar lines, there are other schemes launched by the government, such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan , Mid-Day Meal , Adult Education and Skill Development Scheme, National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme, National Program for Education of Girls at Elementary Education, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Scheme for Infrastructure Development in Minority Institutions, Beti Bachao , Beti Padhao, etc.

For our country’s growth, we require a well-educated population equipped with the relevant knowledge, attitude and skills. This can be achieved by spreading awareness about the importance of Education in rural areas. There is a famous saying that “If we feed one person, we will eliminate his hunger for only one time. But, if we educate a person, we will change his entire life”. Henceforth he will become capable of earning a livelihood by himself.

This essay on the Importance of Education must have helped students to improve their writing section for the English exam. They can also practice essays on other topics by visiting the CBSE Essay page. Keep learning and stay tuned with BYJU’S for the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams. Also, download the BYJU’S App for interactive study videos.

Frequently Asked Questions on Education Essay

How can the literacy rate in india be increased.

People in rural areas must be informed about the importance of providing education to their children. Also, with the COVID-19 situation, the government should take steps by providing laptops/phones for children to follow online classes.

Are girl children still denied their right to get educated?

Although awareness has now improved, there are still many villages in India where girl children are not provided with proper education or allowed to enrol themselves in schools. This mentality has to change for the betterment of the society.

Teaching subjects/academics alone is enough, or should students be introduced to other forms of educational activities too?

Extracurricular activities, moral value education, etc., are also as important as regular academic teachings.

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Essay on Importance of Education

Education is often regarded as the cornerstone of progress and development in any nation. In the case of India, a country known for its rich history and diverse culture, education plays a pivotal role in shaping its future. This essay will argue the profound importance of education in India, not only as a means of personal growth but also as a catalyst for social and economic advancement

Access to Education

Access to education is a fundamental right enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Over the years, the government has made significant efforts to ensure that education is accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status. According to recent statistics, the literacy rate in India has steadily increased, indicating progress in providing educational opportunities for its citizens.

Empowerment of Individuals

Education empowers individuals by equipping them with knowledge and skills that enable them to make informed decisions and improve their quality of life. It helps individuals break the cycle of poverty, gain employment, and become self-sufficient. For example, a well-educated person is more likely to secure a stable job and earn a higher income, thus improving their living standards.

Economic Growth

Education is a driving force behind economic growth in India. It produces a skilled workforce that contributes to various sectors of the economy, including technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. The Indian IT industry, often referred to as the “IT boom,” has flourished due to the availability of a highly educated workforce. This, in turn, has attracted foreign investments and boosted the country’s economy.

Technological Advancement

In today’s digital age, education plays a crucial role in fostering technological advancement. India has emerged as a global IT hub, thanks to its well-educated engineers and professionals. Moreover, education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields is essential for innovation and progress in areas such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and healthcare.

Social Progress

Education is a powerful tool for social progress and equality. It promotes gender equality by providing equal opportunities for both boys and girls. The “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child) initiative in India exemplifies the government’s commitment to educating girls and ensuring their active participation in society. Education also fosters social cohesion and tolerance by promoting understanding and acceptance among people of diverse backgrounds.

Healthcare and Public Awareness

Education has a direct impact on healthcare and public awareness. Educated individuals are more likely to make healthy lifestyle choices, seek medical care when needed, and understand the importance of preventive measures. Additionally, education contributes to public awareness campaigns on issues such as vaccination, sanitation, and disease prevention, which are crucial for the overall well-being of society.

Global Competitiveness

In a globalized world, India’s competitiveness on the international stage depends significantly on the quality of its education system. Nations with well-educated citizens are better equipped to adapt to changing economic landscapes, engage in global trade, and address complex challenges such as climate change and public health crises. India’s education system must continuously evolve to meet these global demands.

In conclusion, the importance of education in India cannot be overstated. It serves as a pathway to personal growth, economic prosperity, social progress, and global competitiveness. The Indian government’s commitment to expanding educational access and quality is commendable, and it is crucial to continue investing in this vital sector. By prioritizing education, India can unlock its full potential and emerge as a global leader in the 21st century. Education is not just a means to an end; it is the foundation upon which the future of India is built.

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(2024) PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science. --> - Submitted Version This dissertation studies three key drivers of economic inequality and mobility. Chapter I shows that scale bias, the extent to which technical change increases the productivity of large relative to small firms, is important for inequality. I develop a tractable framework where people choose to work for wages or earn profits as entrepreneurs and where entrepreneurs choose from a set of available production technologies that differ in their fixed and marginal cost. Large-scale-biased technical change lowers entrepreneurship rates and increases top income inequality, primarily by concentrating business income. Small-scale-biased technical change does the opposite. I show the empirical relevance of scale bias by identifying the causal effects of adoption of two general purpose technologies that vary in scale bias, but are otherwise similar: steam engines (large-scale-biased) and electric motors (small-scale-biased). Using newly collected data from the United States and the Netherlands and a range of identification strategies, I show that these two technologies had the effects predicted by the theory: steam engines increased firm sizes and inequality, while electric motors decreased both. In Chapter II, we study the long-run effects of slavery and restrictive Jim Crow institutions on Black Americans’ economic outcomes. We track individual-level census records of each Black family from 1850 to 1940, and extend our analysis to neighborhood- level outcomes in 2000 and surname-based outcomes in 2023. We show that Black families whose ancestors were enslaved until the Civil War have considerably lower education, income, and wealth than Black families whose ancestors were free before the CivilWar. The disparities between the two groups have persisted, not because of slavery per se, but because most families enslaved until the Civil War lived in states with strict Jim Crow regimes after slavery ended. In a regression discontinuity design based on ancestors’ enslavement locations, we show that Jim Crow institutions sharply reduced Black families’ economic progress in the long run. Chapter III studies the role of women in historical intergenerational mobility in the US. Previous research has focused on father-son income correlations. We build a new linked census panel to include daughters (1850-1940). To also incorporate the role of mothers, we propose a mobility measure that considers parental human capital alongside income (R2) and a semi-parametric latent variable method to estimate this measure from historical data. Our approach reveals increasing mobility, overturning conclusions based on income alone. Mothers’ human capital was more predictive than fathers’ and accounted for the increase in mobility. Aligning with their historical role in homeschooling, mothers were especially important when school access was limited. Item Type: Thesis (PhD) Additional Information: © 2024 Hugo Reichardt Library of Congress subject classification: Sets: Supervisor: Ilzetzki, Ethan and Landais, Camille and Reis, Ricardo URI: Actions (login required) Record administration - authorised staff only Downloads per month over past year View more statistics Subscribe to the PwC Newsletter Join the community, edit social preview. Add a new code entry for this paper Remove a code repository from this paper, mark the official implementation from paper authors, add a new evaluation result row. TASK DATASET MODEL METRIC NAME METRIC VALUE GLOBAL RANK REMOVE Remove a task Add a method, remove a method, edit datasets, perceived importance of ict proficiency for teaching, learning, and career progression among physical education teachers in pampanga. 16 Jul 2024  ·  Kristine Joy D. Magallanes , Mark Brianne C. Carreon , Kristalyn C. Miclat , Niña Vina V. Salita , Gino A. Sumilhig , Raymart Christopher C. Guevarra , John Paul P. Miranda · Edit social preview The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) has become increasingly vital across various educational fields, including physical education (PE). This study aimed to evaluate the proficiency levels of PE teachers in using various ICT applications and to examine the relationship between the perceived importance of ICT proficiency for teaching and learning, career advancement, and actual proficiency among Senior High school PE teachers in the municipality of Mexico, Pampanga. This study employed a quantitative descriptive approach. PE teachers from the municipality of Mexico, Pampanga, were selected as the respondents. This study used a two-part survey. The first section collected demographic data, such as age, gender, rank/position, and years of teaching experience, and the second section assessed ICT skill levels and the perceived importance of ICT in teaching, learning, and career progression. The results revealed that the majority of PE teachers had access to ICT resources. However, their proficiency levels with these tools varied significantly. Factors such as age, teaching experience, and professional position were found to significantly influence teachers proficiency and their perceptions of the benefits of ICT integration in PE instruction. The study provided a glimpse of the current state of ICT integration among Senior High school PE teachers in Mexico, Pampanga, Philippines. This also highlights areas of improvement. The study suggests that policymakers, administrators, and training program developers should focus on enhancing the ICT proficiency of PE teachers to improve teaching practices and student engagement. Enhancing the ICT proficiency of PE teachers is recommended to foster better teaching experiences, increase student engagement, and promote overall educational outcomes. Code Edit Add Remove Mark official Datasets edit. 373 COMMENTS Why education matters for economic development Education is an investment. The importance of knowledge and learning has been recognized since the beginning of time. Plato wrote: "If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.". But it was really the Nobel winning economists that put the argument of education as investment. Why education is the key to development Why education is the key to development. Jul 7, 2015. Education is a human right. And, like other human rights, it cannot be taken for granted. Across the world, 59 million children and 65 million adolescents are out of school. More than 120 million children do not complete primary education. Behind these figures there are children and youth ... What's the economic benefit of education? The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971, and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. PDF Education and Economic Growth Conclusions. Economic growth determines the future economic well-being of a country, making understanding the determinants of growth a high-priority area of economic research. The analysis of how education affects growth makes a strong case that the skills of the population are by far the most important factor. Education is Fundamental to Development and Growth Earlier this month, I was invited to be a keynote speaker on the theme of "Education for Economic Success" at the Education World Forum, which brought education ministers and leaders from over 75 countries together in London.. Education is fundamental to development and growth. The human mind makes possible all development achievements, from health advances and agricultural innovations to ... PDF The Importance of Education and Skills The activity-analysis perspective provides insights into the role of skill-development and education in the functioning of the economy, a perspective that is important because workers with different skills and levels of education are not free-standing ingredients in a recipe for making aggregate output. The Importance of Education: An Economics View A failure to do so will leave too many Americans behind in an increasingly competitive global economy. A version of this article appeared in the November 07, 2012 edition of Education Week as The ... The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Theoretical ... Education enriches people's understanding of themselves and world. It improves the quality of their lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education raises people's productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. In addition it plays a very crucial role in securing economic and ... Essays in the Economics of Education Education is at the center of upskilling human capital in developing countries, thereby positively influencing economic growth and development. For decades, many education policies targeted at developing countries have been narrowly focused on improving access to basic education (Barrett et al., 2015). However, access to education does not always translate into educational attainment. Thus ... [PDF] The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Theoretical Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Education enriches people's understanding of themselves and world. It improves the quality of their lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education raises people's productivity and ... The Importance of Education and Skill Development for Economic ... Published Versions. The Importance of Education and Skill Development for Economic Growth in the Information Era, Charles R. Hulten. in Education, Skills, and Technical Change: Implications for Future US GDP Growth, Hulten and Ramey. 2019. Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting ... (PDF) Impact of Education on Economy So this paper explores the importance of education in economic development, the relation between education and the economy, and the impact of education on the economy. The effect can be seen in ... Investing in Quality Education for Economic Development, Peace, and Thus, education is pivotal in steering society toward a path of economic development, peace, and stability. However, the importance of investing in access and quality education has fallen off the policy radar. Although education has positive externalities, it can be overlooked in favor of more "vocally" pressing challenges. Education Overview: Development news, research, data Education is a human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. It delivers large, consistent returns in terms of income, and is the most important factor to ensure equity and inclusion. For individuals, education promotes ... The Importance of Education in the Economy Importance of Education and Its Impact on the Economy. "Quality, not quantity.". When it comes to education, that phrase is especially relevant. A teacher can provide a student with a short lesson and many practice opportunities following the lesson. However, the student who receives an in-depth and quality lesson is more likely to ... 27 Facts on the Importance of Education (Essay or Speech) Importance of Education to a Person's Life. 1. Education helps people out of poverty. Poverty is linked to low education. Families that are poor are usually less educated than families that are rich. Plus, if you are born into a low educated poor family, chances are high that you too will end up low educated and poor. Why it's Important to Understand Economics The development of basic economic literacy is an important goal for a democratic society that relies heavily on informed citizenry and personal economic decision-making. To achieve that goal will require that significant gaps in the economic education of youth be closed by giving economics a more central place in the school curriculum ... Why Is Education So Important in The Quest for Equality? Equality in education is therefore essential for addressing international issues including economic inequality, climate change, social deprivation, and access to healthcare. Many children in poor regions are deprived of education (see chart below) which is the only way out of poverty. UNESCO: Pre-primary education attendance. Why Is Education Important? The Power Of An Educated Society Nelson Mandela famously said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.". An educated society is better equipped to tackle the challenges that face modern America, including: Climate change. Social justice. Economic inequality. Essay on Importance of Education in Life and Society (500+ Words) Education is a weapon to improve one's life. It is probably the most important tool to change one's life. Education for a child begins at home. It is a lifelong process that ends with death. Education certainly determines the quality of an individual's life. Education improves one's knowledge, skills and develops the personality and ... (PDF) The Importance of Education The Importance of Education. Education is an important issue in one's life. It is the key to success in the future, and t o. have many opportunities in our life. Education has many advantages ... Importance of Education Essay for Students in English Importance of Education. The importance of education in life is immense. It facilitates quality learning for people throughout their life. It inculcates knowledge, belief, skill, values and moral habits. It improves the way of living and raises the social and economic status of individuals. Education makes life better and more peaceful. Essay on Importance of Education Education empowers individuals by equipping them with knowledge and skills that enable them to make informed decisions and improve their quality of life. It helps individuals break the cycle of poverty, gain employment, and become self-sufficient. For example, a well-educated person is more likely to secure a stable job and earn a higher income ... Essays on economic inequality and mobility This dissertation studies three key drivers of economic inequality and mobility. Chapter I shows that scale bias, the extent to which technical change increases the productivity of large relative to small firms, is important for inequality. I develop a tractable framework where people choose to work for wages or earn profits as entrepreneurs and where entrepreneurs choose from a set of ... Papers with Code This study used a two-part survey. The first section collected demographic data, such as age, gender, rank/position, and years of teaching experience, and the second section assessed ICT skill levels and the perceived importance of ICT in teaching, learning, and career progression. assignment essay homework paper phd review speech thesis