[stevecooperorg]

> All it takes is a seed. A seed of literacy.

[citation needed], really. I don't think education was the determining factor in jumpstarting the South Korean economy. South Korea recovered due to external cash and infrastructure investment:

"Much of the country's infrastructure was destroyed during the Korean War that followed in 1950-1953. After the war, South Korea became heavily dependent on U.S. aid." -- http://www.southkoreagovernment.com/economy.htm

I do think there are situations you can't think yourself out of, or be educated out of. Examples are sickness or lack of infrastructure. It's no good having mobile internet access to the wikipedia article on malaria if your child has the disease, you've never been to school, there are no healthcare workers, no available vaccines, and there is no power socket to charge your phone...