The Role of Higher Education

The role and purpose of education have changed over the millennia. As societies strived to achieve social equality, education became more and more accessible. Education is now everyone’s right and no longer just a privilege.

However, due to the numerous changes and rapid developments that the world continues to go through, many people start to question the relevance of higher education in society today. Is it simply a means to gain access to financial security or a necessity for intellectual growth and development?

Those who say that going to college ensures financial stability emphasize the importance of getting a degree. Employment opportunities that are available to high school graduates are almost always very slim. They usually get confined in a lifetime of switching jobs, from one low-paying job to another. They need a lot of luck to change their living conditions.

Furthermore, a college degree can give a person a sure shot in landing a job that he or she is passionate about. It is a person’s ticket to achieving his or her dreams. Otherwise, it may be difficult for one’s dreams to translate into reality. This means that a college graduate who carries a diploma may be favored by employers over a high school graduate who has mere potentials.

Also, from a bigger perspective of how much the purpose of education has changed over the years, people no longer go to college to search for ways to improve human condition and elevate society. The world has changed so rapidly that students go to college to meet globalization’s workforce needs.

On the other hand, higher education offers so much more than monetary rewards. Many people still say that it gives people access to a wider and deeper understanding not only of the society that they are a part of, but also of the world they live in.

Moreover, getting a degree is not just about enriching one’s material conditions but a way to elevate one’s mind and character. In fact, many people who are already financially stable still get higher education as a way to self-improve and self-actualize because secondary education teaches only the basics.

Lastly, education is not just about training and enhancing one’s skills for practical purposes and employment readiness. Education is needed by any society to produce not just money-making but more importantly, moral citizens. That is why it is an important institution that teaches not only theories and concepts but cultivates students to become highly developed humans who will contribute to a highly functioning and literate society.