Why Is Lifelong Education Important?

We live in a dynamic world that is changing rapidly. Not only with technological advancements, people are also evolving at an astounding pace. We are now in the advanced computer era where its become mandatory for people right out of high school to have some type of experience with computers for most office jobs. With the boom of the Internet, more jobs have become all computer based. Children are now being introduced to Mac based computers in elementary school. Laptops are replacing hardcover books and with the rising cost of living, it's becoming more critical for adults to enhance their education so that they may get higher paying jobs. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 earning statistics shows the benefits of lifelong education. You can locate many college lists over the web or at your local book store that offer a wide variety of curriculums to fit any and everyone's needs and/or desires.

 

Education Facts

A 1998 report published by the Institute for Higher Education Policy reviews the individual benefits that college graduates enjoy, including higher levels of saving, increased personal/professional mobility, improved quality of life for their offspring, better consumer decision making, and more hobbies and leisure activities (Institute for Higher Education Policy, 1998). According to a report published by the Carnegie Foundation, non-monetary individual benefits of higher education include the tendency for post secondary students to become more open-minded, more cultured, more rational, more consistent and less authoritarian; these benefits are also passed along to succeeding generations (Rowley and Hurtado, 2002). Additionally, college attendance has been shown to "decrease prejudice, enhance knowledge of world affairs and enhance social status" while increasing economic and job security for those who earn bachelor's degrees (Ibid.)

74.9 million people enrolled in school throughout the country-from nursery school to college. The reward for staying in school is higher salary. The Average annual earnings of workers age 18 and over with an advanced degree is $74,602. This compares with $51,206 a year for those with bachelor's degrees, $27,915 for those with a high school diploma only and $18,734 for those without a high school diploma.

Enrollment in two- and four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. reached 20.5 million in 2006, up 3 million since 2000. This included 17.1 million undergraduates and 3.4 million students in graduate or professional schools. In 2006, there were more students in college and high school, but fewer in nursery school, kindergarten and elementary school, than in 2000. This change reflects the composition of school enrollment by age in the United States for that time period.

A number of studies have shown a high correlation between higher education and cultural and family values, and economic growth. According to Elchanan Cohn and Terry Geske (1992), there is the tendency for more highly educated women to spend more time with their children; these women tend to use this time to better prepare their children for the future. Cohn and Geske (1992) report that "college graduates appear to have a more optimistic view of their past and future personal progress."