Introduction: Education as an Investment in the Future

The document explores the link between education and economic prosperity, noting that each additional year of schooling is associated with a nearly 0.6% increase in long-term GDP growth. It highlights the varying trajectories of development in Europe, the US, and Asia, citing South Korea as an example of rapid educational advancement. For Africa, the text identifies significant hurdles, including the 'brain drain' of skilled professionals to higher-income countries and systemic issues such as overcrowding and poor student retention.

• There is a strong correlation between education and economic growth, where every additional year of schooling correlates to an increase of nearly 0.6% in long-term gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates, though the economic benefits are often delayed.
• The timeline for improving general education levels is typically very long; one study indicated it could take up to 150 years, or seven generations, to transition from 10% adult primary school completion to 90% secondary school completion.
• South Korea demonstrated that rapid progress is possible, tripling the mean number of education years from four years in 1960 to 12 years in 2015, eventually surpassing countries like Sweden and catching up with the UK.
• African nations face a significant 'brain drain' where highly skilled workers, including engineers, doctors, and nurses, migrate to richer countries. AfroBarometer data shows that sub-Saharan African nations represent eight of the ten fastest-growing international migrant populations since 2010.
• To understand education trends in Africa, the document identifies several critical areas for consideration: the quality of education, private education, gender parity, vocational versus academic teaching, the inability to retain students, and the pressure of annual child influxes on overcrowded infrastructure.

APA

Aikins, E. R., & Cilliers, J. (2026). Introduction: Education as an Investment in the Future. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Aikins, Enoch Randy, and Jakkie Cilliers. Introduction: Education as an Investment in the Future. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Aikins |first1=Enoch Randy |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=Introduction: Education as an Investment in the Future |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=21 April 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{aikins2026introduction, author = {Aikins, Enoch Randy and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Introduction: Education as an Investment in the Future}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }