Basic purpose of education

Education is the process of receiving and giving of knowledge. It is an “Enlightening” process. It enlightens you about yourself, about this world and much more. It gives awareness about different ideas and things. It increases the intellectual sense and polishes you wisdom. It builds up the confidence level and gives you the power stand for yourself. But, unfortunately, people have made it just a mean of securing a ‘degree’ so that they could get a job.

Education must be more than having to go through endless years of technical knowledge. Everyone should be taught how to read, write, calculate properly, basic knowledge of their country, basics of proper social behavior, governance and environmental sustainability, basic life support, how to eat, finally and most important how to think.

The main purpose of education should be to strengthen your mind so that you can more easily learn to deal with specific challenges you will face throughout your life. Even though you will forget most of what you learned in school, the intense effort you spend struggling with difficult academic material tones your mind, just like how physical condition tones your body.

The education imparted in our schools, colleges and universities should be such as to mould the personalities of students, to enable them to face the realities of life with courage and confidence.

The main aim of education should be the all-round development of a student. Its purpose should be to develop a student into a full, whole and integrated person. Education helps in achieving and developing skills, abilities, insights and scientific temper. It aim should be at developing and bringing out the best of a student’s inner personality, without neglecting the outer and material aspects. It also means that students should also be made capable of standing on their own feet, to earn their bread and butter. An educated person is supposed to face challenges of life bravely and successfully. No person can be called properly educated if he or she fails in making a meaningful contribution to the society and country.

People have been considering education as a ‘job securing item’ since the very beginning. And this is a very alarming situation as it is losing its significance. We should not aim ONLY for securing job position but to gain true knowledge as well. Education is a way to learn, to explore and execute your ideas effectively. It helps you to discover your inner abilities. It gives you courage to think, to stand and to speak. Education is not just a path leading towards the little piece of paper which we call “degree”, it is alot more than that.
As an American philosopher, John Dewey said;
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”