The Importance of Education in Developing Countries

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Developing Countries: The Importance of Education According to the International Statistical Institute there are 144 developing countries worldwide (isi-web.org). These countries can be further separated into groups by how far along they are on the development track. The most important factor for a developing country to reach the developed status is through education. Some might disagree and say that industry, natural resource, or even trade are the most important, but none of them help the development of the future generations. Industry can’t thrive without educated people to take the place of the bright minds that run and maintain the industry. Natural resources are finite and can’t sustain a country alone without educated individuals to transform those natural resources into wealth and prosperity. Finally, trade can keep the status quo of a country intact for a while, but trade can hardly transform a country from the developing status without people understanding the advanced technology that comes with developed countries’ growth. The development of a country is directly linked to the amount of education one can attain from it. To attain the developed status a country must be able to provide an education to all of its citizens starting from primary school (K-6th grade roughly), then secondary school (7th-12th grade or the equivalent knowledge of a 12th grade student from a USA perspective), and finally a tertiary school (college level). I will be discussing the importance of education in developing countries by analyzing developed countries and their education availability, funding, and quality, and how education as a whole can directly affect the development of a country. Data in 2011 shows us that 57 million children old enough for primary school and 69 million children old enough for secondary school were not currently attending school (usi.unesco.org).
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