Education provides the best opportunity for addressing challenges faced by the society today and achieving individual prosperity. This makes education theorists to advocate for schooling not only as a means of solving societal problems, but also as a means of attaining individual success. It is for this reason that Hebert Kohl, one of the greatest education visionaries, once said “there is one other extended learning experience I had that deepened my understanding of pedagogy, and showed me, in a more profound way than I could have imagined, the centrality of education to the struggle for social and economic justice (Ricci & Mintz, 2010, p. 186).” Kohl’s assertion cannot be gainsaid; education plays a key role in poverty reduction, and attaining social sustainability.
Summary
It is often argued that the upper and middle classes have a veritable advantage as they have the knowledge that helps them to maintain their hierarchy in the society (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2012). People who come from families that are deemed to be “less valuable” can gain social mobility of the middle and upper classes through formal schooling. Education plays a crucial role in poverty reduction and job creation. For example, most jobs today require at least some college education. Through gaining formal education, people from both rich and poor backgrounds have an equal opportunity to get that job. Education leads to development of people’s skills that are vital in employment. This motivates people to become literate and engage in lifelong learning.
Critique
In order to address the issues of economic inequality and social justice, education becomes one of the most essential assets. For instance, vocational training provides the best means of attaining social sustainability (Popkewitz, 1999). However, it is vital to address concerns such as the accessibility by all the people, relevance and quality. Having the education is not the only goal; it is necessary to have an education policy that aims at making improvements to the quality of education delivered, and education that can also address gender equality, as well as improving the living conditions of people.
An equitable education policy has a greater promise to people from diverse ethnicities, race, religion, gender and economic backgrounds (Smelser & Lipset, 2005). Education also imparts knowledge on the importance of peace building, ethics, social justice and social cohesion. This helps to address societal challenges such as health and environmental concerns. This is quite true in the developing countries that aim to achieve the millennium development goals. The international community understands the importance of increasing the number of school going children. This is based on empirical studies that have proved to be successful in both the developing and the developed world. For example, provision of free education in Denmark has raised a large pool of professionals in the health and nutrition disciplines who contribute immensely to the quality of life its citizens live.
It is also vital to mention that the achievements made over the closing century have been due to technological innovations based on knowledge acquired in the classrooms (Phillips & Phillips, 2008). Such achievements have been made in the agriculture, health and nutrition fields. These improvements have raised life expectancy and reduced poverty as well as mortality rates thus improving the social welfare of people.
A country needs to invest in human capital in order to attain sustainable economic development. Education is one of the most fundamental factors of development. It is common knowledge that education leads to improved social benefits for both the individual and the community at large. Education plays a key role in securing economic and social progress for individuals and in improving technological advancement. This ensures economic prosperity and equal opportunities for all.
Education provides the knowledge, skills and resources people need in order to attain individual prosperity (Brown & Lauder, 1996). Therefore, education is also aimed at teaching people to be productive, competitive and taking care of the well-being of their people. This creates a vibrant culture that empowers people to play a role in the development. Therefore, the society stands a chance to benefit from education. The income of a country also rises due to the number of employees with better skills.
Education serves to disseminate knowledge and acquire facts. People learn how to use their minds and broaden their range of understanding. Education has both moral and utilitarian functions. Therefore, education has two-fold functions; utility and culture. It ensures that people become more efficient and achieve their goals in life. Provision of the appropriate skills and knowledge is vital as it helps people to have better chances of achieving upward mobility. Individual success, to some extent, depends on the education that they attain.
Conclusion
People from various backgrounds have varying views on the role of education in the society. It depends on the historical context in which the individual is raised within. However, the central reason of education revolves around giving people equal opportunities in order to succeed in life. Giving everyone an equal opportunity is only fair as it opens up lots of opportunities. It is also important to note that the divide between the rich and the poor can only be closed down through education. Giving people from diverse backgrounds equal access to education ensures that no party is left behind.
Brown, P., & Lauder, H. (1996). Education, Globalization and Economic Development . Journal of Education Policy , 11 (1), 1-25.
Mooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2012). Understanding Social Problems . Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Phillips, J. J., & Phillips, P. P. (2008). Beyond Learning Objectives: Develop Measurable Objectives That Link to the Bottom Line . Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.
Popkewitz, T. S. (1999). Critical Theories in Education:Changing Terrains of Knowledge and Politics. New York : Routledge .
Ricci, C., & Mintz, J. (. (2010). Turning points: 35 Educational visionaries in education tell their own stories. Fallbrook, CA: AERO.
Smelser, N. J., & Lipset, S. M. (2005). Social Structure and Mobility in Economic Development . Trenton, NJ: Transaction Publishers.
