Education Remains 'Surest Investment' In People And Prosperity

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Education is the foundation of opportunity - opening pathways to good jobs and serving as the most reliable route out of poverty.
Quality education equips learners with essential skills - literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional competencies - that underpin success in both work and life. These skills transform today's children into tomorrow's productive citizens and enable workers to adapt through reskilling and upskilling throughout their careers.
Investing in education is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity. Research consistently shows that more education leads to better employment outcomes, higher earnings, and faster economic growth.
Each additional year of schooling increases future earnings by an average of 10%. Human capital - primarily education and health - accounts for half of the differences in per capita income across countries.
Yet, for far too many, the promise of education remains unfulfilled. The world faces a deepening skills crisis.
According to the World Bank, nearly 40% of children aged three to six lack access to preschool - critical years for cognitive and emotional development. Even for those who attend school, outcomes remain alarmingly poor: in low- and middle-income countries, 70% of 10-year-olds cannot read and understand a simple passage.
The consequences extend beyond classrooms. Rapid advances in technology are transforming the nature of work, creating unprecedented demand for digital and cognitive skills.
By 2030, an estimated 60% of workers will require retraining to remain competitive. These shifts coincide with demographic change: Africa's youth population alone is projected to grow by 40% by 2050, underscoring the urgent need for smart, scalable investment in education.
To address these challenges, the World Bank Group has set out an ambitious plan to transform education systems and equip people with the skills to thrive.
The strategy focuses on four priority areas: Strengthen early learning to lay a solid foundation for lifelong success, ensure learning for all by keeping children in school and improving outcomes through better teacher support, adaptive learning technologies, and effective incentives, build job-relevant skills through industry partnerships, hands-on training, and curricula aligned with labour market needs and put skills to work by expanding job placement services, fostering entrepreneurship, and offering reskilling opportunities for adults.
The vision is clear: every individual should have the education, skills, and opportunities necessary to access meaningful employment and realise their full potential.
Achieving this, however, requires collective action.“No-one can do this alone,” emphasised Dr Luis Benveniste, Global Director for Education at the World Bank.
The private sector has a vital role to play in preparing young people for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Through its private-sector arm - the International Finance Corporation - the World Bank will expand investments in innovative approaches, including: EdTech solutions to broaden access and improve learning outcomes, partnerships with higher education institutions to strengthen employability, collaboration with industry to design dynamic training programmes, deliver on-the-job experience, and develop certification frameworks that ensure skills are transferable and recognised globally.
The World Bank Group will act at scale as one integrated institution, leveraging multi-sector expertise, innovative financing, and evidence-based solutions. This includes support for governance reforms, long-term investments, and creative financing tools such as debt-for-development swaps to mobilise resources.
Education remains the surest investment in people and prosperity. With the right partnerships, the promise of learning can be unlocked for all - creating societies where individuals, economies, and nations can truly flourish.
Therefore, countries should improve access to quality education because it is one of the strongest drivers of sustainable development, prosperity, and social stability.
Undoubtedly, education is not just a social good - it is a national investment. Countries that prioritise equitable, high-quality education lay the foundation for stronger economies, healthier societies, and more stable, just, and prosperous futures.

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