Education : The Way Of Life

The Term "Education" has been derived from the Latin word "Educatum". Educatum
means to train or mould. The term "Educatum" denotes the act of teaching. It
throws light on the principles and practice of teaching.
Generally, Education is used in our society in the sense of knowledge, subject
and a process. When a person achieves degree up to a certain level, we do not
call it education. As for example if a person has secured a Bachelor's degree
then we utilize education, it is very narrower sense to call that the person
has achieved education up to Bachelor level. So in the narrow sense Education
means the acquisition of knowledge and according to it education is a process
by which knowledge or information on a subject is acquired. But many Educationists
have criticized this view and according to the emphases on knowledge makes
all schools and colleges to knowledge are not the only or supreme aim of education,
yet it is one of the important aims of education.
In a broader sense Education is the all-round development of the mind, health and
character. It is the total development of personality. In this sense, Education
consists of all those experiences, which affect the individual from birth to death.
So Education is a life long process of personality development. As Mahatma Gandhi
says, "By Education, I mean the all-round drawing out of the best in child and man's
body, mind, and soul. " As Rabindranath Tagore defines, " The highest education is
that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with
all existence.

Education is not merely a collection of some information. It is the acquisition of experiences

through life in the social and natural environment. It includes all the knowledge and
experiences acquired during infancy, childhood, boyhood or old age through any
agency of education - the press, the club, the travels, schools, colleges, nature
etc. Thus, Education becomes the sum total of all experiences that a child receives
either in the school or outside. In this way, life is education and education is life.
It is a way of cultivation of the individual's human capacities for 'self-realization',
for love, justice, joy and feel spirituality. This is the need of time to promote
education in the society and in the world for universal brotherhood, peace
and development.