MEANING AND CONCEPT OF EDUCATION: SYNONYMS OF EDUCATION : DIFFERENTIAL CONCEPT/APPROACH...

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MEANING AND CONCEPT OF EDUCATION

Education is as old as the human race. It is a never ending process of inner growth and development and its period stretches from cradle to the grave. Education, in real sense, is to humanize humanity, and to make life progressive, cultured and civilized. It is very important for the progress of individuals and society. It is through education that man develops bis thinking and reasoning, problem solving and creativity, intelligence and aptitude, positive sentiments and skills, good values and attitudes. It is through education that he is transformed into human, social, moral and spiritual beings. Man learns something everyday and every moment. His entire life is education. Hence education is a continuous and dynamic process. It is concerned with ever-growing men in an ever-growing society. Hence it is still in the process of evolution.

There is great controversy in regard to the meaning and definition of the term "Education" Divergent views have been expressed by different thinkers, philosophers, psychologists, educationists, teachers, statesmen, politicians and priests according to their own outlook on life.

Synonyms of Education

• Pedagogy: The word "pedagogy," which means to lead the pupil, is sometimes used to describe education. In other words, pedagogy is a science of teaching designed to guide students.
• Shiksha: The word "shiksha" is often used to describe education. The word "shiksha" comes from the linguistic root "Shas" in Sanskrit, which means "to discipline," "to govern," "to instruct," or "to teach."
• Vidya: The word "vidya" is occasionally used to refer to education. The word "vidya" is derived from the verb "to know," which is "vid."

Differential Concept/Approach

1. Education and Instruction: In instruction we impart the knowledge of a particular subject to the student in a systematic, planned and logical way. We, of course, include this knowledge in education, but we have to look to something else. A person may be well informed but he may not be an educated person. Education is more than -instruction as it implies acquisition of knowledge and experience as well as the development of skills, habits, and attitudes which help a person to lead a full and happy life. It is the complete development of a student's personality.
2. Education and Training: Training is given in a formal way as it implies B preparation under supervision and in a certain framework of rules and regulations. Education can be given in a formal as well as in an informal way. Training is merely a part of education.
3. Education and Schooling: No doubt schooling is wider than instruction as it includes academic activities and programmes, other than class-room instruction of comunicated information. Co-curricular activities like educational trips, social service camps, community work and hobbies form an important part of schooling but they are not included in the scope of instruction. But education is still a wider term than schooling. Schooling is confined to the period for which a child remains on the rolls of an institution. But education is a life-long process. It starts when the child is born and continues up to the last moment of death.
4. Education and Teaching : Education is not teaching. Education and teaching are not one and the same thing. We may not educate children even if we teach them a particular subject. Teaching is only one factor in education. In teaching we impart knowledge of a particular subject to the students. We, of course, include this knowledge in education, but education cannot be confined to teaching only. In fact, it is the all-round development of the student's personality and the teachers should be prepared to contribute to this type of development of personality instead of only imparting knowledge of a subject to children.
5. Education and Information: Education is not a mere collection of information. Information may be helpful in the course of education, but it can never take the place of education. Whitehead has remarked "A merely well informed person is the most useless bore on God's earth." Sometimes we learn many absurd things in the name of knowledge and we are in a hurry to impart these meaningless things to our students. Much of our knowledge is informational. For example, 'China is our neighbouring country-is mere information. We impart many pieces of information in the name of History. For example, my father is the son of S. Bhagat Singh and was born in the last decade of the nineteenth century- this is a kind of information. Ashoka, the son of Bindusara, was born before Christ'-this also is a similar kind of information. We get many types of information in History. Perhaps the information of neighbouring countries and Bindusara may not be as interesting to a child as we think. In confusion we think information is education. It is confusing to say that one has received education in History. Education is something which covers a wider canvas than History.

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