What Is Education?

There are lots of descriptions of what education is. Some definitions are quite specific and very scholarly. Very scientific.

The following definitions are designed to be reference points and it is not an authoritative study based on anything other than common sense. We need reference points to measure activity. How do know if we’re educating anyone?

The purpose of school might be to produce someone who:

• is Literate and Academically Competent and has the Ability for continued Self-Education

• is Career Ready, has Skills, Work Ethic and Contributes positively to the Economy

• can be a Responsible and Active, Good Citizen and Make the World a Better Place

• is knowledgeable of World Culture, Arts, Politics, Science, Economics, Religion and Geography

• can Think Critically and can be a Creative Problem Solver

• has Social Skills and can Interface Personally with others

• can Develop and Hold Core Values and be Ethical, Moral and Virtuous

• has Judgment, Compassion and Wisdom and can use Conflict Recognition, Handling and Resolution

• can Help Others and Understands and Promotes Human Rights

• can Survive well as an individual, as a family member, in groups and as a part of Mankind

Some of these are objective and tests can tell you if you succeeded in teaching it or not. Others are subjective and harder to recognize. Some might say the bar is set too high and others might say it is good to have lofty goals. In any event, these are non-scientific and not arrived at by a lot of pedagogical studies – they just seem right and seem like good reference points.

Education is how we pass on knowledge and our culture to future generations. It's an essential part of progress and life.

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