Introduction
Education simply refers to the process of gaining knowledge or skills. It is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
Education is a self enlightening process. It is an important component of life. Education has a direct influence on our society across many levels. Actually, it begins at home during the pre-school years and continues on through the elementary years, junior and high school years. The pursuit of higher education is directly related to the future success of any country. Supporting education is a key component of maintaining competitive presence in any useful aspect at all levels.
Every individual has different interests and should pursue careers that compliment those interests. Parents and teachers can have a direct impact on encouraging young students to pursue their dreams. Parents should avoid an attempt to push their child in the direction chosen by the parents since this can end up to great disadvantages to the child. Identification of students’ interests and abilities can assist them to grow stronger in those areas. Providing information regarding future educational opportunities that are in line with students’ interest will promote higher education. People should be successful in their educational endeavors and understand the options available to them that will ensure that they become successful future adults.
The fact that education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world can be described by looking at various roles played by education in relation to social, political and economic aspects. This is simply by considering how education is important in those aspects and this can be described as follows:
Education and poverty reduction
Education is what people call human capital improvement. Educating someone is an important step in overcoming poverty. Education makes a person become able to perform a number of economic activities which improve his or her income thus reducing poverty. Denial of education leads to exclusion from the labour market and marginalisation into the informal sector or unpaid work. This perpetuates and increases poverty.
Education and cultural changes
In real fact, education makes people aware of bad cultural and traditional values which affect them in a variety of ways. The achievement of education can address some of societies’ deeply rooted inequalities which exist in the society and affect some of the people in one way or another. Improving educational opportunities for people especially children and youths helps them to develop skills that allow them to make decisions and influence community change in key areas. Education is also seen in some societies as an answer to the fear of change and now with globalization, the fear becomes even greater and this has changed many bad cultural and traditional beliefs. Education teaches creativity, patience, imagination and acceptance of others’ work.
Education and ignorance reduction
Education helps to reduce ignorance. Reducing ignorance helps people become able to do some of the things that cannot be accomplished under ordinary levels. Thus, accomplishment of one’s dreams is made possible. Education is something that cannot be taken from the one who has it. It brings people to great heights, generally where they wanted to be but were not because of ignorance.
Education, better health and awareness
Basic education provides people with an understanding of basic health, nutrition and family planning, giving them choices and the power to decide over their own lives and bodies. Education leads directly to better reproductive health, improved family health, economic growth, for the family and for society, as well as lower rates of child mortality and malnutrition. It is also a key function in the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS as well as other detrimental diseases.
Education, freedom and human rights
(See for example the article by the RIGHTtoEDUCATION project on the Importance of girls’/women’s education.)
The educational system has a direct influence on our society across many levels. It makes people become aware of their rights and freedoms. It helps men and women claim their rights and realize their potential in the economic, political and social areas. It is also the single most powerful way to lift people out of poverty as a result of being aware of their rights and freedoms. Generally, it plays a particularly important role as a foundation for peoples’ development towards adult life. It should be an intrinsic part of any strategy to address the gender-based discrimination against women and girls that remains prevalent in many societies. Education begins at home during the pre-school years and continues on through the elementary years, junior and high school years. The pursuit of higher education is directly related to the future success of any country. Any country must ensure its future leaders are equipped to succeed and this is through being aware of their rights and freedoms. Supporting higher education is a key component of maintaining the competitive presence of any country globally.
Education, imagination, creativity and inventions
Education makes people come out with basic ideas (imagination) which then lead to them being creative. Creativity is the basic need of every aspect of life. To study sciences for example, one needs to be creative with chemicals and basic experimental instruments. Education develops and nurtures the creativity which is responsible for every new invention. It helps people in inventing new ideas and doing old things with new methods. Imagination is the first for every invention and education aids brain abilities to turn imagination into practical inventions. Creativity is needed everywhere, in everything done whether at a local, regional or global level. Creativity makes people come out with (invent) new things which in actual fact may be very useful in economic, social or political aspects.
Effective performance of activities and employment opportunities
Having an education helps one to perform the day-to-day tasks of life more effectively like locating the right doctor, searching for a good investment, finding a new job, or working out family challenges. Performing daily activities in an effective way increases service provision and productivity in all aspects in the society. For the case of employment opportunities, it has been experienced in many countries that college graduates make hundred percent higher pay than high school graduates. Education is important because it leads to more job opportunities and a wider choice of jobs. Therefore, it is correlated with job acquisition and satisfaction.
Education and Clarity of Thoughts
Education helps people to think clearly and critically on various things and issues arising in the society. It helps more in understanding assumptions and concepts. Though people give priority to things that have direct or tangible benefits – education helps make them more logical and provides clarity in thoughts by giving a visual image for every concept.
Education, Self-Esteem and Confidence
Education improves self-esteem and boosts confidence in people. It gives confidence to people in expressing themselves in a better manner. This confidence actually helps them in all aspects in the society. Every individual has different interests and should pursue careers that complement those interests. Parents and teachers can have a direct impact on encouraging a young student to pursue their dreams. Providing information regarding future educational opportunities that are in line with a student’s interest will promote higher education. Children should be successful in their educational endeavors and understand the options available to them that will ensure a successful future as an adult. Educating them makes them have confidence pertaining to their future carriers.
Education and experience
Learning is a key aspect of personal growth. Ongoing learning is essential for anyone who wants to live a life of prosperity. Generally, understanding the expected results of any educational path is needed in any academic carrier. If someone does not want his or her results, he or she will be supposed to look elsewhere for an education that delivers the results he or she desires. So, education is important because it largely determines one’s results and experiences in life.
Education and self-discipline
Education does not only help in improving brain power but also helps in creating patience and self-discipline. By giving some safe techniques of expression, education teaches self-discipline. It is important for people to learn safe and disciplined ways of expression, and education mostly helps in this. It gives control to extreme emotions and lets people know about safe ways of expression. Also, it improves strength of will.
Conclusion
The value of education depends on the type of education and ultimately its goals. Effective education involves assimilating information and putting it into practice so that it becomes knowledge. It is the basis of culture and civilization. It is instrumental in the development of our values and virtues. Education cultivates us into mature individuals, individuals capable of planning for our futures and taking the right decisions. Education arms us with insight to look at our lives and learn from every experience. It fosters principles of equality and socialism. Education forms a support system for talents to excel in life. Education opens the doors to brilliant career opportunities.
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