& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Investment in Education Can Help Sustainable Development

Prof M. Shamsul Huq
Development is essentially a process of change embracing the whole gamut of inter-relationship of man. environment
ccptfon. man has been the central and principal actor in determining the character, di reel Ion and outcome of this tailer reluikMishfp. His choices in this regard are governed not only by his physical needs.— which are beyond doubt extremely important, but also by his social and cultural needs. For hundreds of millions who today live on the edge of hunger, the problem is essentially of creating an economic, social and political environment in which they can meet their economic and social needs and also lead a hilly productive and creative live in freedom and dignity. The recent mass upsurge in Bangladesh clearly demonstrated such an aspiration of Its people.
A similar aspiration was reflected in the epochal world wide resurgence at the end of World War II. The world was freedom leading to the emcr genee of new independr nt sovereign states. Emancipated from long colonial domination and exploitation, their aspire Uon to a life of human dignity was reflected in their efforts for planned devekipment
The emerging picture oi progress during the last four decades is one mixed with hope and despair. Between 1965 and 1985 consumption per capita rose by almost 70 per cent. Under-five-child mortality was halved. Life expectancy at birth increased to over 60 years. Primary health care was accessible to 61 per cent and safe water to 55 per cent. Educational attainments at various levels improved, adult literacy rising to 60 per cent.
These aggregated statistics, however, hide the wide disparities tn development among nations and within nations Especially distressing In I he ugly reality that In absolute terms the number of the world poor lias Increased.
Poverty Is now recognised as a major source of environmental degradation which is on the increase globally and has many manifestation TIk destruction of world's forests Is accelerating. Deserts continue to expand. Soil erosion 1s sapping agricultural produc Hon and livelihood of millions. Rapid extinction of plant and animal species is endangering man s biological heritage.
Significant parts of the earth’s land mass including a quarter of Bangladesh arc In danger of being submerged due to 'greenhouse effect’. If the environmental deterioration 1s not hailed, not only the third world countries but the world as whole faces the threat of the collapse of economic, social and political structures on which hitman civilisation rests.
Another factor which impinges on sustainable growth Is the elxiicc of nations in the allocation of resources to produr live use.
Currently, resources of the value of a trillion dollars annually are diverted to .non-productive use.—production of arms and maintenance of the military apparatus. On the other hand, external assistance to developing countries has gradually dwindled and a positive flow of 42.6 billion dollars In 1981 was reversed to a negative flow of 32.5 billion dollars In 1988. The problem for the developing coun tries was further compounded by the swelling of the external debt to over $ 1.3 trillion requiring • 200 billion a year In debt servicing alone. The quality of external aid was also affected by donors' choices tn which poverty alleviation often received a low priority.
The problem of sustainable development Is formidable. But. it can be met If the an tions are willing to make rational choices and adopt a par tlcipatory approach both at national and International levels in coping with the problem.
Policies to reduce poverty clearly Involve a politlr.il will and a sincere commitment the part of the government-attainable only in a truly democratic society where the peo pie has Ihe part let pa tory role. There ace of course, rare but commendable exceptions where private initiative has succeeded in making some dent Into the problem of mass poverty. Notable among them Is the “Grameen Bank" in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh need not be deterred by the constraint of resources tn effectively ap proaching the problem of poverty alleviation. But. its choice of policy and priority must truly reflect the goal of sustainable development which ., human development In harmony with the environm< nt. Such a plan-policy docs involve a trade off. But. the lrad< off 1s not between growth arid poverty alleviation but between two growth strategies. It Im plies a shift tn strategy to efll cient labour-intensive patterns of development and more In vestment tn human capital of the poor through more investment In education, health and creation of Income earn Ing opportunities. This is fully consistent with faster longterm growth. In the snort run. the trade-off Is largely between the interests of th? poor and those of the non-poor
Man's knowledge and creativity have In contemporary times proved to be the main engine of growth In Asia. Europe and North America There are now overwhelming evidences that investment In human capital Is an Important key tn both growth and poverty alleviation. Hopefully, the plan policy of the new government of Bangladesh will appropriately reflect this development strategy.
The principal asset of the poor Is his latent power and labour time. Well-designed education increases the productivity of this asset resulting In higher income. In addition, there arc many other benefits, some tangible and some not so tangible, that flow from education and the blossoming of the creative talents of the people.
[National Professor M. Shamsul Huq read out this paper at a seminar organised by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. (ESCAP) and the Forum of Environment Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB) in Dhaka last week. J