Worldwide need for better education

Fourteen years into the 21^st century one in four children in poorer countries – mostly but not exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa – cannot read a single sentence. Just one in five children reach the end of primary school having learnt the basics in reading, writing and arithmetic.

Most of us will have seen these statistics, or something like them, before and in many cases have been mildly shocked and then passed it off as someone else’s problem. But poor literacy and numeracy skills are coming home to haunt even some of the richer countries.

Last year the Australian Council for Educational Research said Australia needs to lift its game if the country is to continue to enjoy a healthy society and a strong economy.

“It is, therefore, in the best interests of the individual, of society and the economy to enhance and support everyone’s literacy and numeracy skills,” the council said.

Not mentioned specifically in the council’s report is the growing concern among educators at the poor standard of written communication and even basic grammar among students entering tertiary studies.

There is a danger in Australia and some other better-off countries, to rank education as just another service the Government provides that can be downgraded and de-funded if economic circumstances dictate. Only recently a budget submission from the ACT Chamber of Commerce criticised the territory’s government for excessive spending on education.

Yet it is only through the brain-power of a highly-educated, well-skilled population that we will find the answers to the difficulties we face today as our older manufacturing base crumbles and the resources industry faces an uncertain future.

Australia needs the philosophers, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, engineers, ICT professionals and many others who can lead us to the next stage of this country’s development. We should not be leaving our places of higher learning to scrabble about for funding, putting them at the mercy of private sponsors whose demands may not always coincide with the best interests of society at large.

Recently, former United States President Bill Clinton highlighted the benefits of education, especially in the Third World.

“Every dollar invested in education provides $53 in eventual benefits to employees,” he said.

Skilled, educated and employed citizens are a triple benefit to governments. Their abilities contribute to a better-functioning society; they pay more in income tax and have greater spending power so consumption taxes also benefit.

Finally, they are less of a burden on Government budgets. Educated people spend less time consuming unemployment benefits; they are under-represented in the justice system; they tend to have healthier lifestyles so have less need to access health care – and they are more supportive of their own children’s education, thus continuing a virtuous circle.