Education is the foundation of a prospering society. People who ask, “Why is education important to society?” may not realize education’s benefits. While acquiring blunt and bookish knowledge at schools might seem irrelevant in this era, it’s still something that’s a cornerstone for the success of a nation. In this article, we’ll discover why is education important to society and why we can’t ignore it.
Knowledge and Skills Development
An answer to this question of why is education important to society is the enhancement of knowledge and upgrading of skills. Seeking education does not only mean cramming bookish knowledge. It can be a part of education, but learning and education go further toward pursuing knowledge and learning hard and soft skills. Education equips individuals with the ability to solve problems, make sound decisions, and the ability to critically think, evaluate and analyze things. And innovate things that are crucial for individual and societal progress.
Economic Prosperity
The most recognized benefit of education is reflected in the economic conditions of societies and nations that prioritized education for their development on a macro scale. Several examples we can see, such as the US, South Korea, China, and Singapore, achieved economic prosperity both on individual and macro levels through education. Training individuals has allowed them to upscale their living standards by getting lucrative and highly paid employment opportunities that collectively add to the economic aggregate income. A higher income allows economies to flourish with the help of high levels of spending and taxation. Education paves the way toward the reduction of poverty and increases the overall well-being of the society.
Intellectual Engagement
Education fosters more intellectualism in society. Intellectual capacity and exploration are prerequisites of successful nations. A book and a TV program that used to air in the 2000s called “What’s the Right Thing to Do?” used to touch on moral discussions. The nation collectively tuning in to such intellectual discussions demonstrates the value placed on knowledge and exploration. Such programs and discussions are initiated based on education, where people get to think and are faced with dilemmas to reflect on. Encouraging logical reasoning and thinking in a society is pivotal for a nation to prosper.
Social Mobility
Education holds the key to uniting people of different races, sects, backgrounds, and ethnicities on a common ground. Learning provides equal opportunities for everyone to prove their worth and raise their social and financial status. Education unites people under one roof and helps people resolve conflicting opinions, overcoming barriers and inequalities that limit each other’s potential. Social mobility fosters justice and contributes toward a more even and inclusive society.
Civic Participation
Education acts as a door to knowledge and allows individuals to make informed decisions and evaluate their choices through reasoning and logic. It encourages a healthy involvement in civil matters such as democracy, justice, and policymaking. Education promotes a sense of social responsibility and liberty to make the bunch a better living place. An increased level of responsiveness in civic matters leads to vibrance and flexibility in the nation. Welcoming change and adapting to different situations accordingly. Education also creates awareness regarding the value of the vote and eradicates the thought from individuals living in the society regarding “What would happen with my one vote?”
An educated and aware society ensures that the wrong set of people are not voted for or elected to rule them. They try to make an informed decision that promotes prosperity and accountability among the government and the people. This allows the most competent and responsible individual to get elected, lead the nation, and become the face that represents the entire nation well and truly. An uneducated society may fail to make an informed decision and consequently may allow corrupt people and powers to take over without any accountability.
Increased Tolerance
Another function of education in society is to develop tolerance. Education is by far the best way to foster the courage to listen actively to people, according to the UN’s Declaration of Principles on Tolerance (1995), without resentment and judgment. It helps to maintain respect for the differences of opinion among each other. This fosters peace in the community along with involvement in arguments and social issues with facts and reasoning, reducing the chances of conflicts and injustice.
Moreover, as a learned individual, it is more likely that you listen to someone’s perspective with utmost respect and kindness. In societies where there is less education, we’ve seen conflicts and chaos over small issues where people have called out for “wars” against one another merely just in light of what the other person had to say and wasn’t liked by the listeners.
The face of our society
Education brings forth people with high IQs and intellectual abilities. These people become the face of the nation. They represent their culture and nationality on an international scale. People who reach global success are mostly highly educated and knowledgeable. If there wasn’t anything like education, how could someone have discovered a genius in Einstein? Education blooms people into the pride of the communities around them.
To conclude, education has the utmost role in prospering a society since it directly impacts the economic conditions of the people. It also promotes intellectualism and provides people with opportunities to think and innovate. Education shouldn’t be ignored and it is a very important aspect of life. Not only does education impact the seeker, but it also has wide impacts on people around them which is also known as Positive externalities. Therefore, the government and the people should prioritize education to see their destiny change for good.