Through the years of my life, I've been a students at every turn, from primary to tertiary in search of the unknown. But why education? What purpose does it serve? Education is the search for knowledge, a colleagues defined it to me. He couldn't expatiate. But through life I've come to realise education leads us to learning laws upon which nature operates, and there are thousands of laws out there, written and unwritten, most unwritten. Laws ensure every event can be replicated if all conditions are met, in any field.
All laws of nature have similar results, and have been built into the various systems of the world, and are independent of each other. For example, the digestive tract operates in a unidirectional movement and it's true in animals. All animals passes feaces through an anus. This law is built into the physiology of the GIT, and so, sustains it. Laws such as Newton's laws of motion, Hooke's law of elasticity, and those in chemistry are all well established. Without these principles, all structures and systems will collapse instantly. And our success is dependent on our abilities to obey these laws. In short, nature examines us based on our knowledge of them. King David once said
" Because I know Thine laws, I am wiser than my teachers, and I have more understanding than elders" (Ps. 119:99-100). The knowledge of laws actually makes you wise, wiser than your teachers.
The rise and fall of currencies are dependent on financial laws, and I'm not talking about policies. Even in institutions, examinations are made to assess students on their knowledge of laws pertaining subject areas. And because natural laws are universal, an external examiner will also assess students based on the laws that were taught the students.
From your post, it seemed to me that you reduce education to the study of the laws of nature. But no less important component are the laws of society. And it is this goal that seems to me to be more important for development in the modern world. A modern person can do without active knowledge of the physiology of the GIT, especially given that this information can be found and studied at any time. But without theoretical and practical knowledge of how society and individual communities function, change, and adapt, life is difficult.
Knowledge of social patterns helps people understand how the world did and does function and what rules and principles control various aspects of life. It enables people to better understand and use the resources at their disposal and helps them make better choices and make informed decisions in various areas of life, from personal financial planning to civic participation and activity.