Topic: Gerunds & Participles,

Best Answer Explained in Below-:

In the given sentence, "pressing" functions as a verbal adjective, specifically a present participle, which derives from the verb “press.” Unlike a traditional adjective that describes a noun, a verbal adjective retains aspects of the verb, while also describing the noun it modifies.

In this context, “pressing” describes the noun “need.” It conveys urgency or immediacy—indicating that education is not only necessary but also time-sensitive. While gerunds are also derived from verbs, they function as nouns (e.g., “Running is fun”), whereas verbal adjectives modify nouns and provide additional information about them.

Therefore, in this case, "pressing" is not acting as a gerund, pronoun, or falling into any other category; it serves to enhance our understanding of "need" by attributing a quality to it, which is characteristic of a verbal adjective. This distinction is crucial for accurately identifying grammatical functions and enhancing comprehension of the sentence's meaning.