No development without education

Education means more than acquiring knowledge. It empowers people to develop personally and become politically active. That’s not always in the interests of rulers. Knowledge is power – this insight is at least four centuries old, formulated by philosopher Francis Bacon during the Enlightenment. His statement has lost nothing in terms of relevance and significance: Knowledge is power, and education is the fundamental precondition for political development, democracy and social justice.  Education is a fundamental human right. There is no development without education. This has been recognised all over the world. The second Millennium Development Goal specified by the United Nations says that all human beings should have access to basic education. The percentage of children who attend schools across the world increased from 1999 to 2009 by 7 per cent, to a total of 89 per cent.

Education has clear economic advantages. It improves awareness, lends perspective to the thought process, imparts knowledge and inculcates discipline and values. It also creates a skilled and competent workforce, so vital for a nation’s progress.

Digital education is boosting the effort of spreading education in India by making the learning process interesting, absorbing and interactive so that the students learn better by understanding concepts rather than merely mugging up reams of text.