Defining Education

Education, the word may ring a familiar and contemporary bell of mass discord discontentment in the field of educational concepts and precepts, theory and practice, art and science, so characteristically representative of educational scenario today, except that these word were uttered by Aristotle thousands of years ago, when he confronted a similar scenario that we experience today. With the advancement of Science and Technology, a corresponding change occurs in one’s perceptions inversely affecting values, virtues aims and aspirations, objectives and approaches, at any given point of time? Education, therefore, is the mirror of a society and is its characteristic manifestation.

Education is the process of development which consists of the passage of the human being from infancy to maturity and, the process whereby he adepts himself gradually in various ways to his Physical, Social and Spiritual Environment. But even in his social process, the child needs support and freedom from an Economic pressure. And that is why education requires long period of social as well as biological infancy when the young would live of the labor of others be released of self support. Here, child should not become a parasite. He must pay back by realizing the goals and objectives that education sets for him up to his optimal capacity, sincerely and honestly. Education must focus on total and optimal development of human resources.

The word ‘EDUCATION’ has been interpreted in many ways .This word has been derived from a Latin roots:

(1)   Educatum – To train, Act of teaching, or Training

(2)   Educere    - To lead out, To draw out

(3)   Educare    -To bring up, To educate

Education means to train: ‘E’ means from insite or inside,

‘Duco’ means to draw out  or to bring up.

When we combine these two words we get “To draw from inside”. Developing process of drawing out from within, to make explicit what is implicit, education is to draw out and develop powers and capacities to the optimal. Educare and educere also mean it is essentially a process of developing a child’s inner dispositions, capacities and abilities to full use. It is a process of developing a Continuous process of continuous development.

So we can say that:

a.      Education is a process of drawing out innate powers.

b.      Education is a process of development of individuality

c.       Education is a process of producing change in a group.

d.      Education is a process of adjustment to environment.

Another explanation of education is given by Adams, he said education is a Two polar

process between student and tutor . however according to John Dewey education is a 
Tripolar process. it has three components, student, tutor and content.

Hence, education is a tri polar and interactive process in which the instructional interventions bring in the desired behavioral change in the student. We can get the content from our society, culture, customs, religion, values and ethics etc. Society is dynamic: it grows and decays, springs up again with renewed and stronger vitality, permeating into entire social edifice of which education is an important part. Society and education grow together, one leading the other in a cycle fashion: Society calling upon education to cater for what it considers desirable and worthwhile; Education, in its turn, throwing back its perceptions and experiences by way of its feedback, In a sprit of mutual inter- dependence, to harmonies social aspirations and expectations. Education and society are, therefore, inverse related: any change in one wills necessarily lead to change in other.  Education, in this sense, is the manifestation of social pursuits and longings with common basic framework. In other words, both are the two sides of same coin.

There are so many quotations in favor and that makes the term education easier.

  According to Mahatma Gandhi, “By education I mean an all round drawing out of the best                                                                            in child and man: body, mind, and soul”

According to Socrates “education means the bringing out of the ideas of universal validity which are in the mind of every man.”

According to Frobel,” education is a process by which child makes his internal external he same coin.

To sum up, education is a purposeful conscious or unconscious celebrate or spontaneous, psychological, sociological, scientific and philosophical process which brings about the all round development of individual to its fullest extent in the best of his social interests in such a way that he enjoys maximum happiness and prosperity.

Written by: Pooja Sharma