Some say that the main goal of studying is to be a useful for community, while others think subjective success is more important. Personally, I believe that maintain a balance between these two options is possible, so people can give benefits their environment while fulling personal goals.
On the one hand, the reason that education is be free for public in a lot of countries that improve the education level of society, so they can payback profit to collective. Especially in third world countries governments try to increase educated number of individuals in the fields which they need help during improvement of situation. For example, Azerbaijan has a natural resource such as oil. Therefore, country administration offers special scholarship opportunities in this field for future plans since they need more professionals to upgrade economy of republic with help of them.
On the other hand, for a lot of people learning is a way of to reaching their own personal dreams. Many think it is important to focus individual desire more than being helpful for the social order since it is the only one life we have. Being an artist may seem useless in some cultures, especially if more doctors or such an advantageous professions require in their location.
My personal view is that whether needing high number of knowledgeable people to build better society, it must be volunterry. For example, during Soviet era, there was a strong emphasis on youngs to study in the field that were essential for the needs of the state. Education was a menas of serving the collective interests. And in the result there were big group who were professinals in their respective fields but may not have felt a happinnes in their work.
In conclusion, while education undoubtedly plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and driving societal progress, it is equally important to honor individual passions and dreams.