Question

Question: How would you answer a child from a poor family and neighborhood who says that education is a waste of time since jobs are scarce and many educated people are unemployed? This question is from Global Problems 3rd edition, Pearson.

The subject is Global conflict/ Global problems 3rd edition, Pearson

Answer 1

I would answer him by stating that there are several more avenues open for a child who has gained knowledge and is educated. He gets that silver lottery and is already promised a bright future if he gains the skills and knowledge. Yes, there is unemployment, but so is there in the unorganised sector, there are less chances for an educated person to be unemployed than there are for an uneducated person, who is laid off as soon as new technology comes in or when an economy is in distress like it is currently. As per the statistics, more number of school dropouts are currently unemployed than the students who have graduated from a college as those jobs are permanent and are non-replaceable, whereas unorganised jobs are easily replaceable and low paying jobs.

Plus an educated person gets all the benefits and has savings for such dire circumstances, uneducated do not. Educated persons can easily revalue their assets which they have obtained by getting a degree. Thus all in all being educated has a silver lining as there are several more opportunities available.