In developing countries, some people believe that governments should give people access to new technology in order to improve their lives, while others think governments should offer free education. Discuss both ideas and give your own opinion.

Developing countries have many challenges that make it difficult to improve the quality of people’s lives. Probably the largest barrier to improving the quality of people’s lives is the political and legal systems in developing countries. Only if fair political and legal systems are in place will governments focus on improving people’s quality of life through education and technology because this will ensure that money is used to benefit the country rather than those in power. In this essay the methods of assisting countries will be discussed. One of the major problems facing developing countries is their political and legal system. The political system in these countries is often above the law resulting in leaders being unaccountable for their actions. As a consequence leaders of developing countries are often corrupt and use the countries money to build their personal wealth rather than assist the population. This problem is widespread and leaders in countries as diverse as Libya, Zimbabwe and the Philippines all have current or previous leaders that have made themselves exceptionally wealthy at the expense of the wellbeing of their citizens. Corruption also limits the aid that can be provided from outside the country by governments and individuals as there is a risk that any money that is provided will ultimately finish up in the hands of the countries’ leaders and not benefit the general population. If issues of corruption can be overcome then education is one of the best methods of improving the economic situation of a country as well as the wellbeing of a country’s citizens. Education not only gives people access to information but also helps develop thinking and creativity allowing people in poorer countries to develop better solutions to their problems and more efficient methods of producing goods. There are also further benefits in that people’s lives are generally improved by education because through education people generally become more tolerant, have access to ideas through books and learn to better appreciate the world. In the initial stages of a countries development, providing technology is an ineffective way of developing countries as widespread use of technology is expensive and unaffordable. It is only as a country develops through education and begins to become wealthier that technology becomes available to many people. In summary, a country’s political and legal systems are the most critical factors in ensuring that it can develop. Once these are in place, money is much more likely to be spent on education which can help countries to improve. As a country develops and becomes wealthier, it will gradually be able to access better technology.