Education is important because it directly affects our social quality of life, individual opportunities, national economic competitiveness, and other dimensions of life. Unfortunately, the true value of education is often only recognized by its absence. Although economic competitiveness is only one byproduct of national education quality, it does not present a tangible yardstick for comparing educational systems. There is no lack of concern or reform agendas for education, but increased public awareness is needed to garner lasting support. Chapter 1 focuses on the social value of education and describes it as a national investment in tangible and intangible terms. Earning power, intellectual stimulation, and greater personal freedom as rewards of personal investment in education are described in chapter 2. If adequate training and skills are not provided by public education, the lack of qualified applicants and retraining costs will cause hardships to businesses. Chapter 3 delineates the private sector's commitment to education. Chapter 4 emphasizes the need to educate for increased technological skill requirements that will appear in even the most basic jobs of the future. The need to champion a new spirit of education because of the costs of continued neglect is explained in chapter 5. (61 references) (EJS)