# Spending on Education - significant math

By Murray Bourne, 30 Apr 2006

\$ spend on education does not equal quality, but...

#### Spending as a percentage of GDP

 Education Defence Somalia 0.4% 0.9% Nigeria 0.7% 0.8% Australia 4.7% 2.7% UK 5.3% 2.4% USA 5.4% 4% Singapore 6.3% 9% Japan 7.5% 1%

Shame, Australia, shame. Education should have a much higher priority than it does. Oh, that's right - Johnny (Howard) is more interested in spending on Bush's wars than he is on spending on Australian's education...

Meanwhile, Singapore's defence spending is very high. Some of it goes into an extraordinary programme of "operational readiness" - where each able-bodied man has to remain up to date with his military training. They will disappear from work for a week or so every now and then to do training.

I have to say that Singapore's education infrastructure spending is incredible. They have probably got amongst the best education facilities in the world. However, this has been pared back in the last few years, which is a shame.

Wouldn't it be great if military expenditure was not necessary? Think how the world could progress...

Sources:

• CIA
• Japan Ministry of Financce [no longer available]
• Singapore Ministry of Finance 2006 Budget [no longer available online]

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