Improves Educational Attainment and its Relevance Family, Community and the State Influence Educational Culture Social Capital cannot Substitute for Financing of Education Education as a Source of Social Capital Downside of Social Capital in Education Societal levels of educational attainment are linked to levels of economic development. However, financial resources alone do not guarantee positive educational outcomes for students. In 1988, James Coleman contributed the first empirical evidence of a relationship between social capital and school drop out rates. This is attributed to the students in religiously based schools being enveloped within a community that reinforces the norms and values of the school. Social Capital Cannot Substitute for Financing of Education Successful public education systems require a unique combination of financial, human and social capital that reflects the particular needs of the communities they serve.
Financial resources are necessary for facility maintenance, materials, and salaries.
While social capital is an effective complement to material resources, research on Nigerian public schools warns that over-dependence on social capital as a substitute for public funding may jeopardize the relationships that make social capital beneficial.