Knowledge is power, and education is the key to success. We have all heard these mantras repeated throughout our lives – and now we understand the crucial importance of providing our children with the best education to prepare them for life and set them up on a successful career path.
With the costs of educational programmes and university soaring, it has also been said that saving for your child’s education is as important as saving for your retirement. Why is education so significant?
Well, education teaches a person how to earn their daily bread and butter while also making people better informed about their responsibilities. It also makes people open to changing environments from an early age, and it teaches them to creatively approach problems and to think innovatively.
Let’s explore how investing in your child’s education is the best investment you will make.
Professional success
A report published by the University of Birmingham states that around 80% of their alumni are placed in employment within six months from graduation. Good education and professional success are intertwined, and statistically, it is shown that placements of undergraduates and post-graduates into employment are increasingly successful with quality higher education.
Furthermore, quality education has a direct impact on earning potential, pay progression, career possibilities and career progression. When reviewing employment data from various institutions, one can conclude that education influences a person’s professional success – with higher earning potential and faster and wider career progression.
Statistical data retrieved from the Labour Force Survey from September 2001 to August 2002, shows that generally if you have a higher education qualification level you are more likely to receive higher earnings. Across all ages, graduates earn on average 49.4% more than those with highest reported qualifications as GCSE, A-level or equivalent – and more than double in comparison to those with no qualifications.
Social wellbeing
While schooling systems are the primary institutions for acquiring knowledge and skills, it can also be said that these systems educate young people on the crucial social skills they need to attain a good quality of life. Education and good social skills are directly linked, as quality schooling ensures that children are well-adjusted, that they are able to form productive and trusting relationships and they perform well academically.
Moreover, schooling systems provide a supportive environment to students and aid them in having a better sense of self-awareness and awareness of their larger social environments. In turn, the various social skills attained during school also help young people to achieve success later in life.
Health
Proper education and the attainment of various skills through education are also linked to positive health outcomes in our modern healthcare environment. For example, people benefit from being able to comprehend their personal health needs, reading and/or following instructions and communicating effectively with their health care providers.
Since the impact of education can be linked to earning potential, it can also be linked to the attainment of proper healthcare. Furthermore, studies have shown that adults with higher levels of education are less likely to engage in unhealthy habits and generally engage in healthier behaviours relating to diet and exercise.
Finally, individuals who have not received good quality of education are less able to adapt to long-term stress (e.g. occupational stress, unemployment etc.), which in turn can lead to chronic illness. Exposure to set educational systems which consist of deadlines and responsibilities can help individuals to develop the necessary mental capabilities required to deal with stress and problem-solving.
Personal development
While many people value the attainment of higher education levels quite significantly, it is also important to value the less tangible benefits of quality education. Education significantly affects personal growth which will influence your relationships and success later in life. By acquiring new information, you are enriching your brain with new ways of thinking.
Young people greatly reap the benefits of education as it forms the basis of healthy learning habits which provides them with the necessary tools to navigate the next stage in their life. By asking questions and putting information into context, the knowledge we obtain through educational institutions broadens our horizon which is crucial for personal development.
Self-confidence is another facet of education we are able to identify with. Knowledge can be seen as a lifelong forte, and quality education can boost your confidence through various means such as improved societal standing and the ability to communicate your ideas more eloquently.
Conclusively, we can say that quality education is of utmost importance for various reasons; whether it is for professional success, higher income, greater social skills, overall health or personal development. Therefore, investing in your child through proper schooling, private tutoring and higher education is the best decision you can ever make, and at the very least, it will set your child on the path to a good quality of life.
We at the GT Scholars Programme believe that all children can achieve their educational goals. As a not-for-profit social enterprise, we aim to provide high impact courses, workshops and programmes to young people between the ages of 11-18, regardless of their household income. Contact us to find out more.
