What Is The Value of Education?

Exploring the financial, social, and personal benefits of obtaining an education.

Presented by Alishea S. English-Harris, MSW, BAWichita Women’s Initiative Network, 2015

Facts and Myths About EducationHow much do you know about the value of

obtaining an education?

What is education?• It is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits of a

group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through story telling, discussion, teaching, training, or research.

• Education may also include informal transmission of such information from one human being to another.

• Education frequently takes place under the guidance of others.• Any experience that has a formative effect on the way on thinks, feels, or acts.• Education is commonly and formally divided into stages, such as preschool,

primary school, secondary school, and then college, university, or apprenticeship.

Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

2 FORMS OF EDUCATION:• Formal Education:• Usually takes place in a school

environment with classrooms of multiple students learning together with a trained teacher.

• Most school systems are designed around a set of values or ideals that govern all educational choices in that system.

Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

• Informal Education:• Occurs in a variety of places, such as at

home, work, and through daily interactions and shared relationships among members of society.

• Examples are language acquisition, cultural norms and manners.

• Informal education/learning is an ongoing process for young learners that occurs in a variety of places, such as within the community and through the use of multimedia labs.

There are 3 levels of which education can be beneficial to anyone:

•Financial

•Social

• Personal Enrichment and Gratification

Financial benefits of education:

• Expected yearly earnings according to education level:

• HS Dropout= $18,900• HS Graduate= $25,900• Bachelor’s degree= $45,400• Master’s degree= $55,432• Professional degree= $99,300

Financial benefits (cont’d)• Bachelor’s degree holders earn about 21% more than those who

have an Associate’s degree, and about 50% more than a person with just a high school diploma.

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013, there were about 58 million jobs available for individuals who have at least a Bachelor’s degree, compared to 38 million jobs that were available for those who are without a high school diploma.

Financial benefits (cont’d)• Unemployment rates tell a similar story.  The unemployment rate for all

workers in 2011 was 8.9 percent.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates in 2011 decreased with educational attainment:

• Less than high school diploma: 14.1 percent• High school: 9.4 percent• Some college: 8.7 percent• Associate degree: 6.8 percent• Bachelor’s degree or higher: 4.3 percent.

Social benefits of getting an education:

Definition- Social benefits, in terms of higher education, means that a person who earns a college degree creates benefits for other members of society.

Social benefits of education (cont’d)

College graduates live healthier, longer lives; this means they continue to be productive, pay taxes, contribute to social security, and so on… Better health means they make fewer demands on the healthcare system.

College graduates are less likely to commit crimes.

College graduates are more likely to vote and make more informed voting decisions.

Social benefits (cont’d)

• Cultural competency

• Networking

• Public speaking

• Adult relationships

Personal benefits of getting an education:

• Increase level of independence and decision-making

• Acquisition of effective problem-solving, critical thinking, and critical analysis skills

• Maximizes your earning potential

• Helps you gain more knowledge of innate concepts and varying viewpoints of the world and mankind

Questions?? Comments??

Do you value education?? How do you know this??