What is Education?

What is education? In class this past week we tried to define what education is in small groups. I was surprised at how difficult this one word is to define. My first attempt to define education was that which helps lead people to become functioning members of society. However, the more our small group discussed this question, the more I felt this basic definition was lacking. I feel this single word needs more than just a sentence to really get at its meaning.

            My group discussed how education builds on itself. One cannot simply jump into the education process randomly. It starts at birth and as a child grows so does their education. Without first learning the alphabet one cannot learn to read or write and one cannot learn math without first learning numbers.

            We also discussed how education is not only found in a formal setting such as a classroom, but found throughout life. Education occurs everywhere someone goes. Every time a child or an adult experiences something new they are being educated.

            The last thing we had time to discuss was that everyone’s education is influenced by their support system and their willingness to learn how to become functioning members of society. I had to argue that these factors do play a part in one’s education but do not define their education. Someone can rise above a lousy support system if they are willing and determined (at least here in the US). Some people are not very willing to learn and do not appreciate education. I have known many people who felt this way including myself as a child. I did not want to learn and certainly did not appreciate it. However, I went through the motions and did all (well more like some) of the work and eventually started to appreciate it. One does not have to be willing to learn to gain the education that is required to function in society.