What Is Education?

 What Is Education?

You are, by now, familiar with the term ‘education’, ‘educatedperson’ ‘educating’ and so on. You must have also used theseterms on several occasions in conversation with others. Whatdo we mean by education? Does ‘teaching’ or ‘instructing’

become education? Or is it learning in an institution? Doesdeveloping the child into good human being known aseducation? Is it possible to have one meaning of education?There are many more such questions that come to our mindwhen we attempt to understand the concept of education. The term ‘education’ has been interpreted by differentpeople in different ways. Some people refer to it as formal

schooling or to lifelong learning. Some others refer to it asacquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Some saythat education is nothing, but training of people’s mind in aparticular direction to bring about desired changes. If you aska statesman, anartisan, a teacher, a parent, a philosopherand a student about what education means to them, youwould be surprised to know the multiple interpretations andviews people have about education. This only shows thateducation doesn’t have one precise universally accepteddefinition. It has various meanings with various functions.

Analysis of these meanings would help us to understandwhat education really is. To begin with, let us look into howthe term ‘education’ has evolved and some of the views ofgreat thinkers that exemplifies the concept and meaning ofeducation.