Relevance of Formal Education to Third World Countries National Development

Abstract

The relevanceof formal education to Third World economies has been a subject of debate for a long time. Most Third World Countries (TWC) inherited colonial education and did not do much in terms of transforming the educational systems so that they would be relevant to the needs of their respective communities. Zimbabwe introduced vocational education from Grade 8 to 12 as a parallel programme to the academic Form 1 to 6. Though the vocational education laid a sound foundation for the development of practical skills in students, most parents had the misconception that vocational education was inferior to academic education. This research paper highlights the challenges that TWCs continue to face due to inheriting a colonial type of education. After independence, most TWCs embarked on a massive expansion of education. Universities were also expanded but these institutions of higher learning have failed to transform the lives of their communities. The economy of Zimbabwe is deteriorating, 86% of the population is unemployed. Although most Zimbabwean are educated, this education has failed to transform the lives of the people for the better.