THE ESSENCE OF EDUCATION

THE ESSENCE OF EDUCATION 

There is undoubtedly no question about the fact that the most effective tool of development in our contemporary society is education. The absolute relevance and the significance of education to the growth and development of any society need not be overemphasized. It’s impact is much felt in all spheres of life and in all areas of human endeavors. It has enabled man to find answers to some critical questions – not only about himself – but also his world. The great advancement in development that has so much characterized our contemporary world is owned to nothing but education. The major inventions and discoveries that are being made about the world can never be possible without the effectiveness of education. And I believe vehemently that if we are going to experience greater development in our individual lives and our society, in which we live, at large, education must be given the greatest priority. 

However, there is this ignorance of what education is all about, which I have lately discovered. And this has, to a great extent, hampered our growth and development Individually. So many of us do not really understand the essence of education, and, so our understanding and orientation of what education is, is very limited and myopic. There seems to be a great misconception about the philosophy and the essence of education. This actually forms the basis of discussion in this write up. 

Education, according to the Oxford English learners dictionary, is defined as an art of impacting skills, knowledge. In other words it is the facts, skills and ideas that have been learned either formally or informally. Looking at the subject from this perspective, it can be inferred that education is never meant to be an end in itself, but a means to an end. If education is the art of impacting skills, knowledge and ideas, then those things – skills, ideas, etc. – that are acquired in education are meant to be applied by the individual in order to solve practical problems in his world. The knowledge and skills that are gotten do not, themselves, make the individual; it is their application in finding answers to the basic and various questions of man that actually make the individual. So, we see that education only prepares and equips us for what lies ahead in the pursuit of our lives. It is meant to enable you acquire the right knowledge and skills which provide you the resources needed for you to get the best out of life. 

It is, however, sad to note that many do see education in this way. They only see education as an end in itself, and, not a means to an end. This, therefore, makes them to believe that education can only be gotten in the classroom, and that what is needed for you to be educated is only limited to what the teacher or lecturer teaches within the confines of the classroom. This is nothing but a misconception of the essence of education! The essence of education is to teach and equip us with the necessary skills, and knowledge needed for us to navigate our ways in life. It is to enable us acquire the right resources needed for one to effect positive changes and development. Without education, one can hardly make the most of one’s life. So, anything that tends to impart knowledge and skill – not necessarily schooling – is education. 

This, therefore, brings us to the realization that learning is the most critical and fundamental key to education. The significance of learning, as far as education is concerned, cannot be overemphasized. Without you having to go through some stages of learning, you can’t acquire the required skills and knowledge needed for us to make visible impacts in the world. Knowledge, they say, is power. But, it can only be gotten through learning. It is what you learn that you know, and it is what you know that makes you educated. As a matter of fact, your level of education is not determined by how fluent and articulate you are in speaking the lingua franca of your country; for that’s literacy – the ability to read and write in the general language of an organized society. One’s level of education can best be evaluated on the basis of what one knows – knowledge. Your depth of knowledge in any subject determines how educated you are about that subject. And knowledge, like I said, is gotten through learning. The opposite of education is not illiteracy, as some people think, but  ignorance. 

The main thing I like us to take cognizance of is this: having made us to realize that learning is absolutely crucial to education, this learning is not limited to schools alone. Learning is for a lifetime while schooling is for a period of time. Don’t ever think that education only has to do with what you acquire from your teachers, alone, in schools. Learning is most productive when it is actively, not passively, engaged in. The reason I’m bent on saying this is that we daily find ourselves in situations where we need to learn but we don’t. There are so many things that we are ignorant of, and which we need to learn if we must really make the best of our lives, but we don’t bother to learn them, thinking that all we need to learn can only be gotten in school. 

I like you to break free from this cage of limited understanding of what education is all about. Begin to think out of the box. Learn new things. Acquire new knowledge, new ideas and new skills. Maximize yourself and enlarge your scope of understanding. Add to your knowledge base and try out new things. Begin to attend seminars, conferences, symposium, talks, etc.  Schooling can’t do it all. Learn! Learn! Learn! These are the things that get you educated. Ironically ,many students are in school but they are not getting educated. Schooling, actually, is very much indispensable to education, but the fact remains that: education is beyond schooling. 

Education prepares you for the future, and it enables you to create your tomorrow. It is what you need to maximize your life and stay relevant in this highly competitive world. The essence of education is to get you adequately prepared in order for you to be able to create your own world. Education is the most powerful weapon to not only change your world but also to create a new world. 

© OLAKUNLE PAUL