Transition Education and Quality of Life

Abstract

Ortega Y. Gasset in his book The Mission of the University says that knowledge is the biggest achievement of the human being. Today's society is that of the third wave, when school and university are the main institutions of social fabric. Looking from a sociological perspective, education is the determinator of social mobility and achievement in a micro and macro context in a globalised world. The Republic of Macedonia is a small Balkan country that is passing through a long period of transition, where unemployment, vulnerability and social exclusion are typical elements of social reality. The number people living below the national poverty line increased from 4% of the population in 1991 to 20% in 1996. According to State Statistical Office data, in 2008 the percentage of poor people in the Republic of Macedonia was 28.7%, which is more than a fourth of the whole population. The survey findings of research done in 2010 (UNDP) show that 40% of respondents said that their financial situation was worse than average. The empirical part of this study is based on a survey (546 respondents) done in June-July 2012 in three regions inhabited mostly by the Albanian population, aiming to give a real picture about correlation between two indicators, education and life conditions.