The Great Education Paradox Science

Education is a universal public good that can shape individual lives and society as a whole. It underpins income, health, productivity, equality, social cohesion and the ability to adapt and remain resilient to changes ranging from environmental to economic. Yet, despite such gains, a gap remains between its enormous potential and reality – a lack of adequate resources and political will to prioritize education. The What Works Hub for Global Education estimates that increasing basic education (the basic literacy and numeracy skills that children should acquire by age 10) to near-universal levels could generate an additional US$196 trillion in GDP in 114 countries by 2050. These findings show that basic education is one of the most powerful long-term engines of prosperity and human development.