IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION | MARTINS LIBRARY

The importance of education is reminiscent in its role as a means of understanding, controlling, altering and redesigning of human environment (CBN, 2000). Education also improves health, productivity and access to paid employment (Anyanwu et al., 1999). Education has a link with economic development. As once remarked by Ola (1998: 14) “If you see any economy that is not doing well, find out what is spent on education”. Psacharopoulos (1973), Combs (1985) and Aboribo (1999) have all revealed that increase in national income and per capita income is a function of education and that differences among nations can better be explained by differences in the endowments of human, rather than physical capital. This underscores the reason why the ‘Asian Tigers’ in the past three decades allocated between 25-35% of their annual budgets to their education sector (Aboribo, 1999: 61).

In most developing countries, improving the widening access to education especially basic education is a cardinal objective of their governments. Education is seen as a right and responsibility to be guaranteed to all generations (Anyanwu et al., 1999). However, in Nigeria, elements of uncertainty have beclouded the sector in nominal and real terms. As noted by the Office of the Honourable Minister, Economic

Matters (FRN, 2000: 52) “schools at all levels lacked teachers and basic infrastructure. The schools suffer from over-crowding, poor sanitation, poor management, and poor intra-sectoral allocation”. Other features are abandoned capital projects, inadequate funding, poor conditions of service etc. These most time led to closure of schools and strikes. The attendant and composite effects are poor quality of teaching and poor quality of products.