ABSTRACT
The study of the relationship between education and national development has interested educationists for a long time. According to UNESCO (2015), education for sustainable development should promote such competencies as critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way. UNESCO also holds that there are clear linkages between education, poverty reduction and sustainability. UNESCO claims that gender-based discrimination in education is 'both a cause and a consequence of deep-rooted disparities in society'. A number of theories exist regarding how development takes place and the role of education in the process. Education is assumed to be a good means of doing this, instilling skills, knowledge and motivations for economic productivity. Working-class children often receive a different education from those of the middle- and upper-class homes, as a result of settlement patterns, selective entry, private education opportunities or streaming within schools.
