What is education?

Per google dictionary, education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. It is the process of facilitate learning. We have mixed the concept of education with schooling. That’s why the literacy rate of many countries has boomed but not the intellectual level of the countries at the same rate. Is schooling or completing graduation equivalent to education?

There are numerous examples which exemplify that schooling or completing degree is not utmost necessary to succeed in life. Having one is really good. There is no harm in learning. After all education is utmost necessary to succeed in life.

One requires specific knowledge to succeed in life. Let me narrate an incident for better understanding.

During World War I, a Chicago newspaper published certain editorials and in one them it called Henry Ford, “an ignorant pacifist”. Mr. Ford objected to it and filed a law suit against the company. Henry was himself put in the witness stand and asked questions as “Who was Benedict Arnold?” and some general questions of that time. He didn’t know the answer to those questions but he had specific knowledge of automobile. The attorneys succeeded in presenting him as an ignorant person. But there after Mr. Ford got tired of the questions and blurted, “If I should really WANT to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer ANY question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts. Now, will you kindly tell me, WHY I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge, for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?”

In present world everyone of us have a row of electric push-buttons at our finger tips. In fact we carry it all along with us all the time. That’s internet for us or to be precise Google. We are just a google search away for most of the knowledge that we require. Any person is educated who knows where to get the knowledge when it is needed and how to organise that knowledge into definite plans of actions.

But the above discussion doesn’t mean we stop educating ourselves. We obviously need to continue to sharpen our mind because at times we need to decide in micro seconds and at that time googling doesn’t help. Education is a life long process. We just keep on learning.