Education in the sense of receiving or acquiring knowledge - the stuff we usually do at school or college - is considered important because in today's world we need an education to get a job, earn money and have a secure future.
But there's more to it really. Education is important because through it we learn about the world, other cultures, other people. We can change things for the better if we are educated - and we can learn about past mistakes and not make them again. It gives us the ability to be useful to society and helps us to be independent.
I worked for many years with a community where there was a lack of education and I can assure you that most of those people - some clever and inventive - were always going to be at the bottom of the pile.