Universal Primary Education and Human Progress at a Global Level

Talents are the cornerstone of the world’s development, such talents can contribute to their communities, countries, and even global economy. Talents are fostered through education, and promoting universal primary education is the first step towards advancement in local, national, and global levels.

In this essay, we would uncover how primary education is essential to decreasing child mortality rate, breaking intergenerational poverty, and raising GDP. The world is turning to science, technology, and innovation to enhance the quality of life of the people. However, nations without universal primary education may be left behind as their economies are yet to transform into a knowledge-based one. Creating exclusivity in technology in a global level is not only detrimental to developing nations but would also slow down human progress as less actors are included.

Universal Primary Education and Aid

Any discussion would be futile without proving that universal primary education is feasible. According to statistics gathered by d’Aiglepierre and Wagner (2013, pp. 95-112), aid provision for primary education was increased from 1.48 million dollars in 1999 to 3.73 billion dollars in 2004. Research showed that the substantial increase in educational investment especially towards primary education lowered the dropout rate in primary schools (ibid.).

Conversely, when the amount of the aid dropped, the dropout rate increased (UNESCO, 2012; d’Aiglepierre and Wagner, 2013, pp. 95-112). It can be concluded that through international aid, developing countries can keep students at school and the reduction of aid would negatively impact the growth of education rate. Fortunately, newer statistics indicated that enrolment in primary education in developing regions reached 91 percent, a positive trajectory to development.

Universal Primary Education Effect on Communities

The effect of education is lasting in communities. Studies were done in developing countries and found that children of mothers that attained higher levels of education have a lower mortality rate than children of undereducated mothers (Makate and Makate, 2016, pp. 72-83). Apart from lowering child mortality rate, providing primary education is the key to breaking intergenerational poverty.

Recent studies done in China showed that provinces with higher spending in education per capita experience higher rates of intergenerational mobility (Huang, Huang and Shui, 2021). In other words, equality in education provided an opportunity for upward mobility for students. Such a statement is supported by Behrman et al. (2017, p. 680) as they concluded that education is the key to improving the current generation’s standard of living which could improve the human capital in households, consequently, reducing the rate of inequality in the next generation and gradually reducing poverty.

How Universal Primary Education is Important Globally

As we have explored how intergenerational poverty can be ameliorated through universal primary education, this part of the essay would focus on how universal primary education is important globally.

A comprehensive study was done on Ghana, it revealed that higher primary school enrollment and completion rate corresponds to positive Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth (Akyeampong, 2015, pp. 175-180). It was explained that children attaining primary education are more likely to achieve higher levels of education later in life and help the country transform into a more knowledge-based economy (ibid.).

Powell and Snellman (2004, p.199) defined a knowledge-based economy as ‘production and services based on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to an accelerated pace of technical and scientific advance, as well as rapid obsolescence’ and suggest that ‘the key component of a knowledge economy is a greater reliance on intellectual capabilities than on physical inputs or natural resources’.  Transforming developing countries’ economy to a knowledge-based one enables advancement in science, technology, and innovation, which is key to economic and social progress (Bengt-Åke Lundvall, 2016, pp. 107-110).

Final Thoughts

Through this essay, we explained how universal primary education can help achieve lower child mortality rate, break the intergenerational poverty by allowing more social mobility and improve capital in households. Such effects may seem irrelevant to the global economy, however, as human capital increase with accessible education, developing countries may experience a development into a knowledge-based economy.

Having more knowledge-based economies in the world would prove to aid development globally as there are more actors in industries involving science, technology, and innovation. As mentioned previously, it is important to emphasize that such benefits are attainable through investment in education. More aid should be allocated to education expansion to ensure universal basic education.

References

Akyeampong, K. (2009) Revisiting Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in Ghana. Comparative Education. 175-190.

Behrman, J. R. et al. (2017) Intergeneration Transmission of Poverty and Inequality: Parental Resources and Schooling Attainment and Children’s Human Capital in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 65(4). 657-697.

d’Aiglepierre, R. & Wagner, L. (2013) Aid and Universal Primary Education. Economics of Education Review, 37(C). 95-112.

Huang, X., Huang, S. & Shui, A. (2021) Government spending and intergenerational income mobility: Evidence from China. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 387-414.

Lundvall, B.-Å. (2016) The Learning Economy and the Economics of Hope. Anthem Press.

Makate, M. & Makate, C. (2016) The causal effect of increased primary schooling on child mortality rate in Malawi: Universal primary education as a natural experiment. Social Science and Medicine, 168(C). 72-83.

Powell, W. W. & Snellman, K. (2004) The Knowledge Eonomy. Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 30. 199-200.

UNESCO. (2012) Education for All. Global Monitoring Report – Youth and Skills. Putting Education to Work. Paris: s.n.