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Education is essential for the development and progress of any nation or civilization. History shows that no nation can achieve greatness without educating its people. Wars once devastated Japan, Singapore, and China. Education is propelling these countries forward at breakneck speed. Countries that have ignored the education system are weak in all aspects of life. Because of their poor education systems, Ghana and many other African countries lag behind developing countries. They have not recognized the significance of education, and as a result, other socioeconomic and political sectors have not progressed.

Merits of education:

1. Social benefits:

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On the social front, education promotes women's empowerment, instills civic awareness in the masses, and provides better life opportunities. It contributes to the advancement of culture and civilization in society.

2. Economic benefits:

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Education promotes social mobility in a knowledge-based economy. After the agricultural revolution and the post-industrial revolution, the knowledge-based economic revolution is the most significant development. Its main highlights are the power of knowledge and human development through a knowledge-based economy. However, social mobility is a problem. The poor cannot mobilize themselves because of a lack of better education facilities, whereas the elite class is self-reproducing because the same students provide the same opportunities to their children. As a result, the elite class is becoming increasingly wealthy, while the poor become increasingly impoverished.

3. Political benefits:

Education has numerous political benefits. It instills political awareness in the masses. Political knowledge leads to a more informed choice of political leaders. It improves the suffrage ratio and, ultimately, democracy in a democratic society.

4. Religious benefits:

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Education protects against religious extremism and dogma. Religion has always placed limitations on certain activities. However, society shapes the facts to suit its own purposes. People use religion as a tool to achieve self-motivated goals. Education, on the other hand, promotes religious tolerance in society.

5. Cultural benefits:

On the cultural front, education aids in the development of culture and civilization. It is only through education that Athenian civilization continues to rule the hearts and imaginations of mankind. Athenian philosophers reflected civilization through education.

Problems faced by the education system :

* Extremism:

Education's biggest challenge is extremism. Where religious extremism is prevalent, the educational system cannot thrive. In Ghana, an attack on an Army public school was followed by the killing of hundreds of innocent children. The agenda of slipper cells and extremists is to limit education in specific areas in order to keep them backward.

* Agenda-driven curriculum:

Education has become an agenda driven by prominent self-interests. For example, in Ghana, a prominent leader, changed Ghana's national curriculum and emphasized religion. In the long run, it contributed to the spread of extremism in Ghana. Because it fostered a conservative mindset in society and intolerance for other religions and cultures.