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Since the global economic crisis of 2008, education is playing a greater role in society despite the many cutbacks in educational funding accompanied by increasing tuition fees.

Getting an education helps to develop skills that can be used later in life and can develop talents one never thought one had. The overall quality of education has improved in many parts of the globe over the years with better textbooks and teacher training and, in particular, the rise of the Internet and the integration of technology into the classroom.

Whereas educational systems used to focus on the memorization of facts and dates and the ability to reiterate those facts and dates successfully on tests, the educational systems of today emphasize critical thinking and finding solutions to challenges of increasing difficulty. This means the ability to gather facts and evaluate information in order to arrive at answers.

Students are encouraged to be open to new ideas and avenues of thinking so as to be better able to understand what they are being taught. This follows critical thinking in that it is important that students can process the information they are given and make it meaningful for themselves.

The importance of education is that it also teaches discipline. Students are now more involved in the educational process and making every effort on their part to succeed. The true rewards of a lasting education come from sustained effort and hard work.

Finally, the right education teaches students how to be better human beings and citizens in a society. Education is designed to build confidence in students and teach them how to relate to the world around them so they can face any obstacle or challenge or unexpected setback with knowledge, understanding and certainty.