Educational wealth is plain for all of us to see.
The well-educated in any society propel innovation, improve prosperity and make the difference between economic growth or stagnation.
The earning potential of somebody who can read and write is much more than somebody who cannot.
But in today’s world education is much much more than simply being literate.
I’ve made a video of this post so please view below or continue reading.
Educational Wealth – Privilege?
The real wealth of education is in developing skills, habits and knowledge that empower and enable.
Yes, there are many faults with some parts of the traditional education system.
There is obvious inequality between state and public provision.
There are many pointless educational exercises young people must endure day after day.
The so called ‘privileged’ that benefit from attending fee paying private schools such as Eton, Winchester, Dulwich etc do progress in higher numbers to Oxbridge universities.
That’s a fact.
As do those that attend Eton benefit from guaranteed pathways to leadership roles and boardrooms.
It is what it is! – and the private education sector is booming around the world as cometition grows!
This doesn’t inevetibly mean that those born without a ‘silver spoon’ are condemned to a life of uncertainty, unemployment and poor health.
More on opporutnities for all further on.
For everybody else, and in general, the traditional education is as follows:
In early years or elementary education skills in developing reading and numeracy are the main focus.
Social interaction is important during these years, and care must be taken with getting the balance right between rigorous learning and the freedom to explore.
Towards the end of primary/elementary education learning becomes more demanding and structured in preparation for secondary or high school.
The objective throughout these levels is to progress towards education certificates and higher studies at college or university.
But times change quickly.
As such, so is education and its delivery methods, for instance Coursera the online course provider saw a 59% increase in learners during 2020!
With the great technological revolution online learning has flourished, and what will follow will be educational wealth – an abundance of it!
There is a wealth of resources available which are very accessible.
And just think for a moment.
If a group of children in the developing world have an internet connection and access to some type of computer, they’re able to access much of the learning resources available to every child in the developed world.
In many ways the technological revolution has enabled real progress in learning and the true wealth of education.
This ‘global levelling up’ is a great opportunity for those in poorer regions of the world but may prove to be a source of destabilization within the developed world.
As simply being part of one world or another may not be enough to secure employment and income in the future.
By example, imagine a modern financial services company head quartered in the UK, Europe or the US.
Their investor stakeholders seek profit and good returns.
If they can get work completed at a fraction of the cost using workers from Asia – then it’s simply a no brainer to not do so!
So what’s the solution?
Staying ahead of the curve?
Anticipating in demand skills?
Becoming more technically proficient?
As mentioned above Coursera, and other private course providers such as Udemy, ETX and more provide excellent and engaging content to equip individuals with ‘in demand’ skills.
Don’t believe it?
Take a look yourself:
Links
Self-education is easier than ever though self-investment is the prerequisite.
Compared to traditional university or college prices you can pick up knowledge in courses that cost a fraction of the price and provide in demand skills that will hopefully generate income.
Educational Wealth – Getting with the Program
Some are of the opinion that everybody needs to learn how to code.
And there are others that believe you can either code or you can’t.
And if you can’t there’s no point in learning! But maybe those that say such things are driven by their own needs of self protection and fear of lower rates?
Who knows??
In terms of online learning there are many choices and the best approach is to trial out different courses to see what feels best.
Codecademy offers all of its courses and materials for free, though it charges a monthly fee if you want to access quizzes and other learning tools.
Udemy, EDX and Coursera offer many coding options.
As well as these mainstream providers there are other subscription-based programs such as Code Avengers, Treehouse, Safari Books Online, CodeHS, Code School, and SitePoint (formerly Learnable) that offer access to all classes for a monthly or annual fee.
So, as you can see within minutes a wealth of education opens and the limitations are only those of time and effort.
Then choosing the one that fits best.
As highlighted throughout the pandemic of 2020 with much school learning moving online – the days of the traditional ‘brick and mortar’ settings are numbered. Their future usefulness may be as hubs to develop presentation skills and social engagement skills for networking.
But of course, these will not buy the networks, as private education can but these type of ‘soft skills’ are crucial to being able to engage in such networks.
The wealth of education is there for us all – wherever you are in the world!