It has been suggested that the world is overestimating the role of education in economic development. But, while education is not a quick fix for slow growth, it is virtually impossible to name a country that has sustained an economic transformation without advances in education.
LONDON – Some 236 years ago, a young governor from the American state of Virginia broke the mold on education reform. In his Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge, Thomas Jefferson called for “a system of general instruction” that would reach all citizens, “from the richest to poorest.” It was the first step in the creation of the American system of public education – an institution that helped to propel the country’s rise to global prominence.
LONDON – Some 236 years ago, a young governor from the American state of Virginia broke the mold on education reform. In his Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge, Thomas Jefferson called for “a system of general instruction” that would reach all citizens, “from the richest to poorest.” It was the first step in the creation of the American system of public education – an institution that helped to propel the country’s rise to global prominence.