Education and the prosperity of the nation

It has always been said that ‘education is the key to success’. However, few people have taken time to reflect on this phrase and on the extent of the success mentioned therein. To most people, the successes of education are associated with the immediate phenomenon surrounding them, such as a good house or a car.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Education and the prosperity of the nation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The success of a community and the country in general is dependent of how educated its members are. Education is essential for a stable economic growth, competitiveness in the global market and long-term health and success of any country. Hence, it is essential for the prosperity of any nation and the more educated and civilized a nation’s population is, the more prosperous it is. Education and economic well-being A skilled labor force is very essential for the prosperi ty any nation. However, skills are not merely learned through classroom studies and assignments, instead, they are acquired through experience and constant practice. In a broad sense, we can consider skills as integrating not just communication and analytical abilities but also attributes such as patience and diligence. Therefore, education from this viewpoint is multi-faceted, extending past the classroom to provide the skills and traits required in various professional roles. These skills, attributes, and values are only achieved through education and are considered as components of what economists refer to as ‘human capital’. Economists have always underlined the importance of human capital to a nation’s growth and prosperity. Economic prosperity is commonly gauged by the living standards of a nation’s inhabitants, and improvement of living standards is strongly related to an increase in the productivity of the nation’s workforce. In order to imp rove the living standards, the productivity of the individual members of the country must increase. Education boosts this productivity in two ways: it supports innovation that generates new technologies and consequently increases the productivity of the workforce, secondly, it improves the skills of the workforce and this allows them to use existing and new technologies effectively (Barrow et al, 2003). Therefore, education is key to improving productivity and greatly influences a country’s achievement of economic prosperity.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research and Development Research and development is very important towards the prosperity of any nation as it generates technological advancements and innovations that improve the living standards of any nation. This has been seen in industrialized countries such as Japan and the US, where innovations such as those in the information and communications technology (ICT), have had a profound effect on the living standards of its inhabitants and the economy in general. Long before advancements in the ICT sector commenced, activities that seem simple in the contemporary society such as instant long-distant conversations through phone or email were unheard of. Letter writing, which was the main form of communication, presented many challenges and limitations. However, technological advancements and innovation eliminated these and other similar challenges. Great advancements have also been made in the medical field and these have ensured the long-term health of the population (World Bank, 2000). There have also been innovations and productivity improvements in the service industries. Innovations in the financial sector such as electronic payments and ease of access to credit facilities have altered the way businesses and individuals use and access the common marketplace. Education plays a crucial r ole in the development of these technologies and innovations. Institutions of higher learning train many scientists and engineers who come up with the technologies that inspire new products and innovations, besides, education gives learners the skills required to use new technologies efficiently leading to a country’s prosperity (World Bank, 2000). The more the number of educated persons, the more prosperity the country achieves. A 2001 study of 16 OECD nations examined the link between productivity and research and development (RD) spending. The study underlined the significance of RD on productivity and hence economic growth. The researchers concluded that university spending on RD was vital to productivity (Guellec de la Potterie, 2001). The researchers attributed this finding to the fact that universities provide essential knowledge to the industries- knowledge that is used to foster innovation and advancements in technology. Therefore, higher levels of education spur pr oductivity.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Education and the prosperity of the nation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since innovation leads to productivity, it is vital to identify the factors that promote innovation. This question was the subject of a study undertaken by a team of researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The study investigated the link between inventive output (determined by patents per person) and the number of inputs (RD in various fields) in 280 US cities in the 1990s. A significant finding of the study was that higher education made the largest contribution towards increasing the number of patents per person in the areas covered (Carlino et al, 2007). Therefore, education is vital not just for individual successes, but also for the prosperity of the nation as a whole. In order to achieve economic growth in any nation, the first step should be that of developing , attracting and holding onto an educated workforce, secondly, RD activities should be encouraged and supported within the private sector and among the academic community. The Direct Returns of Education The skills acquired in colleges or universities are important not only in encouraging innovation and technological advances, but they also make the persons more productive, and more productive persons earn more (World Bank, 2000). The direct benefits of education are quite plain. Information from the U.S. Department of Education indicates that in 2009, the average salary for a bachelor’s degree holder was $45,000, $30,000 for a high school diploma holder and $21,000 for those without a high school diploma (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). Not only do persons with higher academic credentials earn more, but they are also more likely to get employed as well. Salary disparities among persons with varying levels of education have led to income inequality (Sill, 200 2). Therefore, more investments in education also lead to a reduction of income inequality. A decent salary enables a person to improve his/her living standards and this benefits the country in a number of ways. Social problems such as crime and insecurity become rare and the person is able to support other sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, transport etc. This creates prosperity to a country.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As the demand for a more highly skilled workforce increases, the rewards increase by a similar margin and it is becoming more evident that an investment in education pays off for both the individual person and the society in general (International Labour Office, 1982). Therefore, the government and other stakeholders should increase their spending on education. Conclusion An investment in education is important to an individual and the nation in general. It creates economic well being by equipping the learners with the skills, attributes, and values required to bring out one’s excellence. Education also boosts the productivity of individuals, leads to technological advancements and innovation, promotes research and development, reduces inequalities between members of a population, and increases individual earnings. These benefits of education lead to the prosperity of the nation and hence make education key to the success of any nation. References Barrow, C. W. et al. (2003). Globalisation, Trade Liberalisation, and Higher Education in North America. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Carlino, G. A., et al. (2007). Urban density and the rate of invention. Journal of Urban Economics, Volume 61, Issue 3, May 2007, Pages 389-419 Guellec, D. and de la Potterie, B. v. P. (2001). RD and productivity growth: panel data analysis of 16 OECD countries. OECD Economic Studies No. 33, 2001/II International Labour Office. (1982).Wages, a workers’ education manual. Geneva: ILO National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Fast Facts. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=77 Sill, K. (2002). Widening the Wage Gap: The Skill Premium and Technology, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Business Review, Fourth Quarter 2002, pp. 25-32. World Bank. (2000). Higher education in developing countries: peril and promise. Washington, D.C: World Bank. 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T00583377 Essays - Tayeb, Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers

T00583377 Essays - Tayeb, Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers G.S T00583377 ACADEMIC RESPONSE TO "A HANDFUL OF DATES" BY TAYEP SALIH. The story is about the flashback which is narrated by the boy, Tayeb. the author reveals the innocence, nature as well as love and respect for his grandfather. In the story the boy Tayeb treat his grandfather as a god because he teaches him Koran. As he describes, "I love him and would imagine myself, when I grew to be a man, tall and slender like him"(Salih, 1969, p.138). everyone faces a strong relationship with their grandparents when they are child. I feel that experience to I admired my grandmother because they teach me to work hard in life if you want to be successful in your life. In the story the boy Tayeb admired his grandfather but when he realized that her grandfather was a greedy and ambitious person than he changed her feelings about her. I enjoyed the point of view in first person and the way he describes his feelings of love and admiration about his grandfather because I also feel the same strong feelings of love and admiration about my dad and my grandfather.

Diving Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Diving Tourism - Essay Example Sustainable driven tourism is a way for nations to show their commitment to conserving the environment and local traditions while still earning an income and creating job opportunities. The reason why sustainable tourism is being encouraged all over the world is due to the fact that there is dire need to have positive development. Currently, diving as part of the tourism sector is a booming business. Many nations which have reef lined coasts are making a lot of money from dive tourism activities. However, the problem that is going to affect the economies of such booming business is the mechanical damage that is consequential of these activities. Niche tourism addresses one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry. This paper looks at the integrated picture of niche tourism. This tourism category is divided into micro and macro niche (Johnson 2002). This concept has an all-inclusive theoretical structure and it discusses policies, initiatives and strategies that are to be implemented internationally (Swarbrooke et al 2003). There is a growing concern on the international scene over issues like global warming, energy crises and climate changes. This influences personal choices such as travel destination, lengths of journeys and other issues like environmentally friendly services e.g. use of oil in transportation and waste management in tourism. To retain international competitiveness, nations are ensuring that they considerably decrease carbon emission and waste management (Jennings 2007). The coasts that are used for diving tourism are often fragile ecosystems and most of them run a limited scope of action in creating alternatives that conserve the environment (Neto 2003). Diving tourism has been developing very fast and hence tourism activities often had a very rapid and relentless impact on natural resources (Novelli 2005). The chief tourism related environmental concerns that face these coasts are several as outlined. The degradation of the environment is usually caused by developing infrastructure and services as well as the direct impact of the activities of the tourists. At the tourism coasts, there is a very high competition for land use (Jennings 2007). The prices of building are increasing causing much of the fallow land to be cleared for construction; as a result, erosion results. The developing tourism is a threat to the environment as human beings interfere with biological life both wildlife and vegetation. It is feared that this can lead to the permanent damage of the susceptible ecosystem (Swarbrooke et al 2003). With increased tourism, there is often a problem of waste management at the coast. Treating and disposing solid and liquid waste becomes very complex. Some coasts have very limited infrastructure and the capacity becomes overwhelmed during peak season. Dive tourism has been indicated to exacerbate this condition (Novelli 2005 & Uyarra et al 2008). There is so much disposition of unprocessed effluent to the areas that surround the sea. As a consequence, there is very high risk if not considerable loss of precious marine life, silting, erosion, and destruction of coral reefs on which tourism is highly dependent (Johnson 2002). Increasing tourism at the coast especially because of the increasing popularity of the dive tourism has be