Education: Meaning of Education
Education is a process of training and instruction. It is a process which promotes intelligence, enables an individual to be industrious and ensures progress. the concept of education is dynamic and so its meaning also changes according to the need of time and situation. As such the meaning of education is interpreted by different philosophers and educational thinkers from their own standpoint. It is also influenced by the goals, ideals and aspirations of the nations.
The word ‘Education’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘Educare’ which means to bring out or nourish; ‘Educere’ which means to lead out or to draw out; ‘Educatum’ which means act of teaching or training. So education can be termed as a process of drawing out inner capacities or potentialities of the people.
Being an important social activity, education is highly dynamic and its meaning has been changing through the ages, due to change in physical and social conditions. different educationists, therefore interpreted it differently at different times.
Education: Its Definitions
Although it is very difficult to provide a generalize definition of education, however some of the important definitions have been listed below.
Ancient Definitions of Education
a) According to Rigveda, “Education is something which makes a self reliant and self-less”.
b) According to Sankaracharya, “Education is the realization of the self”.
c) According to Upanishad, “Education is for liberalization”.
d) Aristotle defines Education as, “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body”.
e) Socrates says that, “Education is what helps us to dispel error and discover the truth”.
Modern Definition of Education
a) According to Frobel, “Education is the process by which the child makes internal, external”.
b) According to Pestalozzi, “Education is natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers”.
c) According to Herbart Spencer, “Education is the preparation for complete living”.
d) John Dewey, “Education is the process of living through a continuous re-construction of experiences. It is the development of all those capacities in the individual which will enable him to control his environment and fulfill his possibilities”.
e) According to Rabindranath Tagore, “Education is that process which makes one’s life in harmony with all existence and thus enable the mind to find the ultimate truth which gives us wealth of inner light and love”.
f) According to Swami Vivekananda, “Education is the manifestation of divine perfection already existing in men”.
g) Mahatma Gandhi defines Education as, “By education I mean an all round drawing out of the best in child and man- body, mind and spirit”.
Comprehensive Definition of Education
Redden provides a comprehensive definition of education as, “Education is the deliberate and systematic influence exorted by the matured person upon the immature, through instruction, discipline and harmonious development of physical, intellectual, aesthetic, social and spiritual powers of the human being, according to individual and social needs and directed towards the union of the educand with his creator as the final end”
