Education is the process by which people acquire knowledge, skills, habits, values, or attitudes. The word education is also used to describe the results of the educational process. Ideally, education should help people develop an appreciation of their cultural heritage and live more satisfying lives. It should also enable people to become productive members of society, both as citizens sharing in democratic processes and as workers in the economy. The most common way to get an education is to attend school. But much education takes place outside the classroom.
Education involves both learning and teaching. Sometimes, people learn by teaching themselves. But they also learn with the help of other people, such as parents or teachers. Parents are a child's first and perhaps most important teachers. But few parents have either the time or the ability to teach their children everything they need to know. Instead, parents turn over many educational responsibilities to professional educators.
Teachers and administrators have the chief responsibility for education in schools. The organized instruction they provide is called formal education. Learning that results from less-organized instruction is called informal education.
Formal education is given mainly in schools. But many other institutions and agencies also provide education. Churches, for instance, educate their members through church teachings. Such organizations as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and 4-H provide educational activities in many communities. In addition, television, radio, newspapers, and magazines may offer educational programs and articles. Since the late 1900's, computers have become increasingly important in education. The ability to quickly search for information on the Internet has greatly influenced the way education is provided.
Nations vary greatly in the kind of schooling they provide and in their manner of regulating and supporting education. Most developed nations, including most of Europe, have long-established educational systems. Such nations usually have high literacy rates (percentages of citizens who can read and write). Less developed countries, on the other hand, generally have low literacy rates. Many less developed countries have a severe shortage of teachers and classrooms.
A modern society cannot survive without education. Education helps people acquire the skills they need for everyday activities, such as reading a newspaper and managing their money. It also gives individuals the specialized training they may need to prepare for a job or career. For example, people must meet certain educational requirements and obtain a license or certificate before they can practice accounting, law, or medicine. Education also helps people acquire skills that make their lives more interesting and enjoyable. Such skills include those needed to participate in a sport, paint a picture, or play a musical instrument.
Some educators study the objectives (goals) of education. This has led to the classification of educational objectives into three areas: (1) the cognitive area, (2) the affective area, and (3) the psychomotor, or locomotor, area. The cognitive area aims at increasing a person's knowledge and intellectual skills. It deals with the ability to think and reason effectively. The affective area deals with feelings, values, and appreciations. It promotes the development of moral and spiritual values and healthy attitudes and emotions. Education in this area is often called character education or citizenship training. The psychomotor area involves the development of a person's muscular or mechanical skills. These skills often include handwriting, speech, physical education, and technical abilities.
Countries throughout the world invest large amounts of time, money, and other resources to provide education for their citizens. Millions of people throughout the world are directly involved in education as students or teachers. Millions more hold nonteaching jobs related to education. Such jobs include school cafeteria workers, nurses, and secretaries; school bus drivers; textbook publishers; and producers of educational materials and equipment.
