Education; a public good

Principal of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus (UWI FIC),
Professor Densil Williams, has been sharing his philosophical view of education.
Speaking at a recent function at the university campus, Prof. Williams described
education, particularly higher education, as ‘a public good’.
“I am of the view that despite the private benefits from education, the social
benefits you get from education is greater than the private benefit, and as a result
of that, education automatically becomes a public good,” he stated.
He added that one must not look at education as a ‘private enterprise’ for the
individual pursuing the higher learning, rather education is a public good where
everyone benefits; “because when you look at the economics of education,
although I, Densil Williams may have some private benefits that I gain by
investing in tertiary education, and I may have the best house, the best car, when I
do my research and my research informs policy and policy changes, the lives of
thousands of people, that the public benefits is greater than the individual private
benefit I get,” he stated.
According to the UWI FIC Principal, when one looks at the externalities you get
from education, it is true that from a pedagogical point of view education is indeed
a public good.
“So if we take that kind of interpretation of education, we will see why the state
must invest in education, because the public gain is greater than the private
benefit,” he emphasized.
He added that this is the type of discourse that needs to start happening in the
OECS states, as education needs both public and private funding to improve access
to higher learning. Otherwise, he added, many persons ‘will be left behind’.
He noted that only two out of every ten persons in the OECS move on to higher
education. This he added, is too low a percentage to provide the human capital
necessary for the advancement of the region.