Education equips people with the necessary skills and knowledge that are needed in the running of a country. For that matter, I second the opinion that education is the single most important factor in the development of a country.

There is no doubt that the development of a country relies on different factors, but all those factors are in one way or another dependent on education. According to Dritsakis and Adamopoulos (2010), there two main groups of factors that shape a country’s development: economic and non-economic factors. Labor (human capital), power (governance), natural resources, and transport and communication are the major economic factors. When looked at keenly, these factors cannot be of help without education. Education is required to equip people with different skills. These people form the human capital that is needed to drive the economy of a country. Skilled people are needed in every sector of the economy including governance and labor market, and for that matter, without education, any country’s development will come to a halt.

Similarly, religion and culture are the non-economic factors that shape a country’s development (Afghah, 1998). The full benefits of these factors can only be realized when they are tied to education. Through education, learned people can engage in constructive reasoning and shun retrogressive religious and cultural practices. For example, education helps people get rid of myths and beliefs that are untrue. In essence, education acts as an eye-opener for people to embrace new ideas and practices. Education equips the society with problem-solving skills that are needed to steer the country in the right direction.

In conclusion, education has both a direct and indirect influence on economic and non-economic determinants of development.  For that matter, education is the underlying factor for any country’s development.