What is Education?

“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” -Rabindranath Tagore. If we look in the dictionary for the meaning of education, it will say ‘It’s a process of transferring knowledge and skills.’ A process that brings about a positive change and refines the mind with an ability to think and act in a sophisticated manner, is what education actually means.

Dating back to ancient times till today, one constant debate that has the world divided with its opinions is the question of “What is education?’.  Targeted to bring a natural behavioural change within the mind and soul, education helps us differentiate between right and wrong while striving to achieve the goals we set for ourselves.

Understanding the Meaning

“Some of the brightest minds in the country can be found on the last benches of the classroom”- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Does it mean passing the school and acquiring a degree with high marks, or is it something else? Also called the ‘passage to progression’, education brings a permanent change in the thinking abilities of a person and makes them able to do certain things while differentiating between what is right and what is wrong. The true essence of education lies in inculcating certain values and information in individuals. Anyone who understands this concept will understand that quality education comes with repeated exposure and not hearing a mere lecture about materialistic topics. This is why Albert Einstein rightly said, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

Also Read: Top Educational Quotes to keep you motivated!

Etymology

Education’s etymology may be found in the 1530s, when it first appeared in the English language with the meaning “kid rearing, the training of animals.” The Latin word educationem, which meant “upbringing, training,” was the source of the Middle French word education, which gave rise to the English word education.

Definition of Education by Different Authors

Many educationists, philosophers, and authors have provided definitions of education. Since education is regarded as the most important activity in any culture, we hear the word frequently in daily life.

Aristotle – Education is the process of training man to fulfil his aim by exercising all the faculties to the fullest extent as a member of society. 

M.J. Langeveld – Education is every interaction that happens every association that occurs between adults with children is a field or a state where the educational work is in progress.

Prof. H. Mahmud Yunus– Education efforts that are deliberately chosen to influence and assist children with the aim of improving knowledge, physical and morals that can gradually deliver the child to the highest goal. In order for the child to live a happy, and all that dilakukanya(he did) be beneficial to himself and society. 

Socrates– Education means the bringing out of the ideas of universal validity which are latent in the mind of every man.

Big Indonesian Dictionary (1991)– Education is defined as a learning process for the individual to attain knowledge and understanding of the higher specific objects and specific. The knowledge gained formally results in an individual having a pattern of thought and behaviour in accordance with the education they have gained. 

Stella van Petten Henderson– Education is a combination of growth and human development with social legacy. Kohnstamm and Gunning (1995): Education is the formation of conscience. Education is a process of self-formation and self-determination ethically, conformed conscience. 

John Dewey (1978)– Education is all one with growing; it has no end beyond itself. (Education is everything along with growth; education itself has no final destination behind him).

H.H Horne- In the broadest sense, education is the device by which a social group’s continued existence renews itself and defends its ideas.

Also Read: Masters in Education

Importance

Can we really live without having a language to communicate or knowing how the world works around us? No, isn’t it? Merely reading a book and understanding the information does not always mean that you have been educated, unless and until you do not integrate it into your memory and opinions. The process of education which is responsible for the personal, social and economic growth, not just for us but for the nation as well.

Back in the 19th and 20th centuries, Jean Piaget, a Swiss Psychologist and Philosopher defined education as, “The principle goal of education is the schools should be to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generation have done.”

Another French novelist and poet, Anatole France said, “An education is not how much you have committed to memory or even how much you know. It is being able to differentiate between what you know and what you do not.” 

The Notion of Education in Contemporary Times

“There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” – John Adams

In a student’s life, Education is nothing but a constant pressure in the current scenario. With the continuous stress of completing the given assignments before the deadline or preparing projects which are really not that useful for us, children and their parents and teachers often tend to forget what is education, the importance of education in life and how to impart education within the minds of the students rather than just making them fill their notebooks like a robot.

Though the education system all over the world has taken a great leap and includes various methods of creative learning for students, the present education system entails a lot of drawbacks. Even with the grading system being introduced to almost every other country, students still chase behind scoring parameters rather than focusing on the essence of learning.

Listed below are a few points which show the weak points of the contemporary education system.

• Owing to the increasing competition, the students remain under constant stress to not lag behind their peers.
• More than 90% of the subjects taught to school students are theoretical in nature. Practical learning as a part of every curriculum is the need of the hour.
• The education system is based only on bookish knowledge and hardly are the students taught about values and what is right and wrong.
• In the end, scores matter more than knowledge. Moreover, education must not be imparted on the basis of marks or a scoring system but through mapping what the student has essentially learned. 
• Students are discouraged to experiment and learn on their own from their mistakes. The first and foremost thing every child must be taught is to ask questions and feed their curiosity through continuous scrutiny.

Also Read: Best Education System in the World

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Acquiring education helps bring about positive change within ourselves and how it makes us better people, personally and socially. We at Leverage Edu believe that every individual has the potential to make it big in their lives given the proper set of information and making them understand the values and beliefs entailing it. If you are someone in need of educational counselling or expert career guidance, then reach out to our experienced counsellors and mentors and we will lend you a helping hand while supporting you at each and every phase towards your professional journey. You can also book your 30-minute free career counselling session with our counsellors and get all your queries and apprehensions related to your future and your career answered within minutes.