Introduction

Education is widely considered as one of the most influential means of positively transforming the society. It is not just a process of acquiring knowledge but a part and parcel of any society’s development. Many people wonder how societies evolve and develop over the course of their existence, and education is the process that contributes to the changes in all spheres of life – be it social, economic or cultural.

One can hardly overstate the importance of education for society. It provides people with the necessary knowledge and attitude that will enable them to become decent members of society. Education assists societies to foster creativity and also to foster unity. In this way we are raising awareness, making people more open-minded to changes and creating a community where everyone is equal and we all stand together.

In this article, we will describe the process of how education fosters social transformation. You will realize how education influences the communities and even the whole countries. It’s not about the act of lifting people—education transforms the world, one person and one culture at a time.

Education and Societal Progress

1.      Defining Societal Progress

When we speak of development in this context, we refer to the progression of societies and the way societies advance in terms of economy, society, and culture. We think that it is not only about funding or investments, it is about helping people to have a better life. Whether people are striving for higher quality of life, or fair distribution of the resources, it’s all for the improvement of the community.

All these are anchored on education. That’s what enables people to rise to the occasion, take their roles, and cause actual change. When we learn we are able to acquire the ability to reason, invent and to make rational choices. Well, in fact, those are the skills that help to cope with the problems our world faces nowadays.

2.      Educational Impact on Society

Education plays an incredibly significant role in reforming the society and it also plays an instrumental role in determining what constitutes the fundamental fabric of social organizations. That is one of the most effective methods available to us. It determines the type of people that we are, our character, how we reason, and behave, thus it determines norms and functions in society.

For instance, compare literacy rates. Higher literacy means less poverty, improved health and stability in the political systems of a country. Effect of education on community development is also very important as it helps in the creation of the ladder of social mobility. It provides the populace from the low income group an opportunity to change their status in society.

Reflecting on history one can easily state that education has always been one of the leading forces. We can use Industrial Revolution as an example. Education is one of the most significant factors that define the world nowadays. Thus, education makes societies progress as they develop and learn, making the progress of people more achievable and lasting.

Importance of Education for Society

·        Significance of Education in Community Development

Education is very central to enhancing the quality of people’s lives and the development of societies. It provides what people require to deal with their problems. Through acquiring knowledge people can improve their status, fight poverty, social injustice and learn to live together improving each other’s standards.

Educational benefits for social change can be seen in various areas across the globe. We can see a great number of societies where people have got an opportunity to obtain education in schools or receive vocational training. Ultimately, this has positively affected literacy rate, health, and economic advancement.

Such education has made individuals more responsible and independent thus making the groups they are in to be strong. Moreover, it has also laid a good platform for further advance in the future as well since there’s always advancement in technology.

·        Value of Education for Social Growth

Education is very central to growth of any society in as much as it relates to economic, cultural and social change. It also provides education to people to be in a position to be part of the economy, build and develop the economy. It also sustains and cultivates cultural assets that are relevant to the people’s identity and the formation of societies.

When we look at education from economical perspective we can see how it helps in terms of earning, employment and economic development. For example, a study carried out by the World Bank found out that each additional year of learning would increase an individual’s earnings by about 10%.

Besides, the fact of learning as an impact of learning on social evolution is accompanied by references to socialization, the decrease in criminality rates, and the civil society’s strengthening. Therefore, by advocating for education in the society there are possibilities of enhanced distribution of resources, leadership and governance, and, of course, social development in the society.

There is therefore need to appreciate the role of transformative power of education as it is one of the most basic tools that can be used to effect the change.

Education’s Influence on Social Advancement

       I.            Educational Influence on Progress

Education is one of the most effective weapons for the change of society. In most of the cases, the education level of the people shows the potential of the community. Education also aids in the reduction of the inequality that is characterized by the social statuses of a person since through training people can enhance their standards of living and be useful to the community.

Educational influence on progress is clear if we take a glimpse at history. In the European Enlightenment people were given education and there was encouragement of reason, science and technology. Consequently, it aided in the formation of democracy and technological inventions.

In the same way, the societies, after the Second World War, applied education to make large changes in the society. It was done to restore and develop themselves. These historical periods demonstrate that education is the key in development of societies. Education is a tool that helps in raising individuals up and as a result, it also helps to transform communities.

   II.            Role of Education in Social Advancement

Education is not just self-actualization process, it is a social process initiating change and development and growing responsible individuals and leaders. This makes it people enable to reason, and exercise ethics in their conduct in preparation for future leadership roles in the business world and government.

Social progress also has a major role in education where it is the duty of society to offer such chances. University graduates, or those who have been given the opportunity of going to further their studies to universities are indeed more involved in democracy. They are likely to defend the rights of others, fight for change and ensure that their societies are becoming better places to live.

But there is a giant that we still have to conquer—inclusive education. If we desire to make an actual social change all people regardless of the color of their skin should have equal rights to education. Thus, it becomes possible to eliminate social injustice and provide everyone with equal opportunities.

The importance of education in enhancing innovation and the spirit of the people in the society can go a long way to explain why education is crucial in the society’s development. All in all, the promotion of an inclusive education system is the only way to open a society’s possibilities and create change.

Effect of Education on Community Development

Education plays a very significant role of informing the society on how individuals should live, work and even interact in a society. Education’s contribution to community development is thus immeasurable since apart from training people to work and think properly, it also brings about social interaction.

Education also aids in the development of proper culture in the societies to embrace the diversity hence enhancing social unity of the communities. Moreover, education can contribute to the reduction of social injustice because it provides an equal opportunity for any member of society without regard to his or her social class.

Thus, inclusive education assists the communities to fight for equality in the society and for every group to be allowed to grow and develop.

Role of Education in Societal Growth

Role of education in societal growth cannot be ignored. In fact, the level of education in a particular community can be used to gauge the wellbeing of the said community. They are healthier, earn more income, and make significant and more connected contribution to society particularly those with high level education.

Education enables people to make right decisions, choose their careers and be law abiding citizens in the society. The returns to educational investment are infinite and they have both short run and long run implications and promote equity in the society.

What education does is that it gives a roadmap for further advancements, inventions and creating a better society. Not only future generations are benefited in terms of material possessions, but they also get the opportunity to feel wanted and needed in the society. Educational impact on societal growth should go further and we should provide everyone with an opportunity to be educated. It is about change for the better as well as placing the foundations for a better society for everyone.

How Education Shapes Society

Ø  Education’s Role in Shaping Society

Education is a tool that has the capability of changing the society for the better. It has the capability of transforming the prevailing norms and values that may be negative and provide room for the positive ones. Education enlightens the society through dissemination of knowledge, fosters the right approach to critical thinking and changes the way people handle each other and in turn helps to steer communities in the right direction.

Perhaps one of the best results of education is the contribution it brings to the society in terms of creating a better society that is more courteous. It enables one to learn how to accept the views of other people, learn how to own up to the mistakes that one makes and also learn how to consider the impact of the mistakes that one makes on other people. Thus, education contributes to the creation of such society but with ethical standards supported by social justice system.

For this reason, social change has to be based on equality and human rights education as the key to that change.

Ø  Influence of Education on Social Structure

The most effective way to fight poverty is through education because it has the potential of helping people escape poverty. Education enables people to gain knowledge and skills that enable them to secure better paying jobs and therefore become self-reliant and contribute to the growth of the economy of their respective societies.

However, influence of education on social structure also helps to promote justice in the society. It provides us with the means by which we can stand up against discrimination as well as for the rights of minorities. Education also transforms the society and influences the enhancement of social reform, the improvement of the standard of living, and the transformation of people’s lives.

In its essence, education is the means of redressing social injustices. It helps to guarantee that the poor as well as the rich all get a chance to succeed in their endeavors. Thus, education plays an important role in ensuring that society becomes more stable, egalitarian and prosperous for all the people.

Conclusion

The education system has to be recognized as one of the most important and powerful assets of our communities. In fact, it is the motive behind economic development, societal advancement, and in some cases cultural change. As noted, the significance of education in community goes beyond the individual level of changing people’s lives. It assists individuals in getting closer while at the same time helping individuals to advance their position in society and at the same time making society more equal.

Thus, education at all levels needs to be considered as the primary priority to continue the progress of society. We have to design it in a way that is cheap and can be acquired by all people without the exclusion of any of them. Education is one of the agents that could play one of the major roles in the society, providing everyone with an opportunity to have a successful and happy life in the society that implies all people’s welfare.