WHAT IS EDUCATION?

                                 

EDUCATION is the wealth of knowledge acquired by an individual after studying particular subject matters or experiencing life lessons that provide an understanding of something. Education requires instruction of some sort from an individual or composed literature. The most common forms of education result from years of schooling that incorporates studies of a variety of subjects.

Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, but learners may also educate themselves in a process called autodidactic learning. Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational.

Education is commonly and formally divided into stages such as preschool, primary school, secondary school and then college, university or apprenticeship. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

• Formal Schooling

Most people associate education with schools and classrooms where trained teachers present information to students. Classroom learning generally starts when a child is relatively young — around age five in most countries — and continues until the teenage years. The purpose of most classroom learning is not to prepare a child for a specific job, but rather to help him or her develop critical reasoning and thinking skills. Reading, writing, and math are very common lessons for young learners. As students progress in their schooling, they often come into contact with more challenging subjects like written composition, history, and advanced sciences.

• Educational Structures Around the World

Different countries place different emphases on education, though some form of schooling is mandatory for young children almost everywhere. Requirements are usually based on the belief that an educated population is best suited for advancement, both internally and internationally. In most places, childhood schooling is offered free of charge; university training is also underwritten with government funds in some places.

• Life Experiences and Informal Learning

While book learning is very important, it is not the only form of education. Some individuals are self-taught, which means that they pursue knowledge on their own outside of a formal classroom. Many of these people may have read extensively or may have become experts within a given field. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, for example, was a college dropout. Most of what he learned he taught himself.

A range of “life skills” — things like self sufficiency, independence, and discipline — also frequently come within the broader umbrella of education. Cultural adaptation and the skills needed to engage in society can also be thought of as educational. In most cases, any time a person acquires a new skill or learns to act in a new way, he has been educated in some form or another.