Education Profile in Developing Countries

Most developing countries suffer with poverty and lack of health care and all the other benefits many developed countries take for granted is because of lack of education. Very few people in developing countries are literate. The majority of the people in these countries can barely read, or write, their own names. Rapid and continuous economic growth cannot be achieved, in a country, if less than 40% of its occupants are illiterate. Take sub-Saharan Africa as an example. According to sources, one in four children does not attend school. Out of those who attend, one in three drops out before they have completed primary school. If a country wishes to succeed economically, it has to do everything to improve the education system. This essay will concentrate on why education is important to improve the economy in developing countries. 

One of the greatest benefits we get with education is improved health. People in developing countries are totally unaware of the importance of good health. Very few people understand the importance of personal hygiene! Many diseases are caused by ignorant people who do things that make the diseases spread. For example, diseases, such as, cholera or typhoid are waterborne diseases. These diseases can be prevented if people didn’t drink contaminated water. Plus, these people should also know that they are the ones contaminating the water. Yet, even if they do understand the repercussions of contaminating the water and drinking the contaminated water, they go and do it. This is ignorance. Proper education can prevent this and improve health.

Proper education means higher wages and economic growth and a better way of life. For example, each additional year a child spends schooling, will increase his or her wages by 10%. Higher earnings automatically mean economic growth. Besides, with higher wages, these people can have better lives living comfortably and enabling their children to attend school and work at better paying jobs so that they too, can live comfortable lives. For example, illiteracy means few job opportunities are open for people once they leave school. This can only improve with better education. Very few children in rural areas gain the necessary education to earn higher paid jobs. This once again, brings them back to the same predicament, where they are unable to support families and put their children to work at an early age repeating the cycle.

Corruption and various other factors make the improvement of education in developing countries a very difficult task. No government official wishes to spend money on improving education. Instead, this money is put to other uses or goes into the government official’s private accounts.

Better education mean better lives for its people. They are able to earn better wages and live better lives. Education is the key factor to improving the economy of developing countries. However, this is something very few developing countries will see in the future. Although many governments proclaim to improve education, it is a dream awaiting fruition without a ray of sunshine. Whether it will happen and improve the plight of the people of developing countries still remains to be seen.