Education is an important factor in the rapid progress economically and technologically for the purpose of creating a social order on the basis of freedom, social justice, and equal opportunity (Tilak, 1994). Education is a process of expanding the accumulated knowledge, skills, and understanding possessed by individuals or society as a whole (Johnes, 1993).
Insights gained from a careful analysis of the above-mentioned definitions reveal that education is a process of increasing knowledge, improving skills, and developing values and traits through daily life experiences. Education is a significant element for economic growth and technological development of society to create a true democratic atmosphere in society. For economic growth and development of society, individuals must be skillful, knowledgeable, and competent and should have human values. The educational process ensures the mentioned requirements for the economic progress of a society.
Nature of education
Education is based on four distinct pillars known as learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, and learning to live together. Learning to know means an individual combines a piece of general knowledge with the possibility of working in depth on a selected number of disciplines to keep the learning process throughout life. Learning to do refers that individual developing competencies to practice a profession or trade developing abilities to face a variety of situations and to work in teams. Learning to mean individual exercises greater independence and judgment involving a stronger sense of self-responsibility for the attainment of common goals. While learning to live together means an individual develops an ability to understand others, their history, traditions, and norms (Willinsky, 2005).
Education makes individuals discover human values by analyzing national and social scenarios. It is the modification of the behaviors involving feelings, thinking, and actions and enlarges human experiences of individuals (Bhatia, 2004). From the preceding statement, it is inferred that education is not any single act or experience but a process that has a continuity of understanding things. This represents that education is a continuous process to learn, unlearn and relearn things. Qureshi (2005) says that “education is a non-material economic good. It is the service rendered satisfies a human want. It is limited and capable of being allocated to individuals” (P. 132). Johnes (1993) asserts that education from an economic point of view is explained as a return to investment of education that can easily be measured. On the basis of investment in education, the
earnings of highly educated people exceed those of less educated people. The difference in earnings provides a measure of the return to the gap between the educational attainments of highly educated and less educated people. The costs of education are borne over a longer period of time, unlike the cost of other goods. The benefits of education are durable and the knowledge and skills do not depreciate in value for a long time being regularly utilized. For example, a master of education degree holder will earn more than a person with a certificate in education. More ever the value of knowledge and skills of both persons will not decrease over a period of time being continuously used.
Importance of education
Education is one of the most significant aspects of the social and economic development of a society. It is an end in itself not just a means to an end. Human capabilities are developed through education, thus it is a right of every human being. Many doors of better opportunities for access to income growth and employment are opened by education for individuals. Education greatly improves particularly in females the ability to household to manage basic child care, take care of diets, and ensure the effective diagnosis of diseases (Haq and Haq, 1998).
Education develops an individual’s intellect, improves his/her quality of life and skills, and efficiency in producing useful things. At the same time, education contributes to providing satisfaction to the educated themselves, their friends, and their neighbors and to producing materials in large quantities and of better quality (Qureshi, 1991).
Education significantly improves methods of increasing products such as the use of the appropriate amount of fertilizers, seeds, and machines and the selection of crops. The selection of an appropriate amount of seeds and fertilizers for a certain space requires knowledge of computation, abilities to identify fine seeds, and knowledge of how to use them (Tilak, 1994). For example in northern areas of Pakistan, agriculturists through non-governmental organizations provide seeds, small plants, and germicides to the people who are concerned with agriculture. This increases their production from crops and plants and prevents them from diseases. This way production in agriculture side has increased to a quite great extent.
In short, education contributes to economic growth by improving knowledge and specific skills and developing general attitudes among individuals for a variety of job opportunities. It contributes to the economic growth of society by improving health, reducing the birth rate, and political stability.
Bibliography
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Deveraj, K. V. & Herbbar, B. G. (1999). Education: Challenges of the twenty-first century In. K. Ghandi (Ed.), Education and development, pp. 138-142. New Delhi: Vikas. Francis, K. (1993). Education priorities in the planned development. New Delhi: Discovery publishing.
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