[2] The production of knowledge before the Scientific Revolution had little economic impact and was practiced on a small scale.
Since that time knowledge has become one of the largest and most important industrial sectors in world commerce.
[4] As a knowledge industry, education accounted for around 30% of the Gross National Product in the United States in the late 1960s.
[5] Schools contribute greatly to both the production and intake of knowledge and play a large role in the economy.
[5] Additionally, as globalization has increased its influence in all aspects of the economy, higher education has become more tuned to supporting commercial goals, often to the detriment of the non-profit and public sectors.