Understand what education is about: its purpose, forms, and modern challenges

The profound changes in education over the centuries have been fundamental for the preservation of culture and the teaching of knowledge that enables the preparation, adaptation, and development of the individual. From time immemorial to the complex modern educational networks, education has journeyed the path of fostering individual knowledge, developing one's judgment about what is taught, and promoting the reflection of a living testimony of humanity's evolution.

The functions of education serve as progress for society because they improve employment levels in the country, develop scientific and technological innovation, guide and shape the values and identity of society, and diversify the development of the young generation.

 Content

🤔 What is education?

📌 Contexts

🔍 What is education for?

😑 Criticism

🔖 Conclusions

What is education?

There are many concepts and definitions that various authors have given about education, but they all agree that education is the formation through a continuous, practical, and methodological process in which the intellectual, moral, and physical faculties of the individual are developed so that they can incorporate into society in a more effective way.

But we can explain it in a more holistic and feasible way for you by saying that education is acquiring knowledge, skills, beliefs, values, or habits. It is a vital process that helps us grow, learn, and adapt to our environment. It is the action exercised by the "adult generation" on the young one to transmit and preserve its collective existence. In short, it is preparing man for work and social life.

Education can be had in three different contexts:

Formal education

It develops in different stages, such as preschool education, primary education, secondary education, pre-university education, and university. Upon completing this ladder of challenges, a document or certificate is issued that allows for job placement.

Non-formal education

This refers to courses, academies, and institutions that are not governed by a specific curriculum of studies. They aim to educate, but they are not recognized through certificates.

Informal education

This refers to informal education, which is primarily acquired in social contexts throughout one’s life and occurs without any educational intent.

What is Education for?

Education serves for the social-economic development and quality of life of a person, a country and the world. It is achieved through the improvement of skills and knowledge necessary to solve problems, compete in the labor market, interact with the environment and make decisions. Likewise, there are many countries that use education to indoctrinate and fill students with ideology.

Criticism of the education system

In today's world, in which complex modern educational networks are increasingly present, education is changing the way it is taught and learned with a more configurational approach. Where the importance of the skills and competencies that make us more human is recognized, such as: critical thinking, empathy, creativity, communication and teamwork.

These skills and competencies cause teachers to have to rethink their new role and their new social function. And at the same time, education also needs to reinvent its objectives, priorities and once and for all change the old and obsolete methodologies that privilege the student's rote learning and give priority or enhance critical thinking as the guide of the skills that make us more human.

Many philosophers severely criticize the current educational system, stating that governments should develop radical changes, taking into account the needs of students and not being manipulated and influenced by the current regime. It is desired that hidden curricula not be imposed on them in which the ideologies and true intentions of education are hidden in these situations.

It is necessary to train individuals based on their freedom, taking into account their desires and interests so that they acquire critical thinking, in order to achieve a more just and equitable society.

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🔖 Conclusions

Any experience that has a formative effect on the way the individual thinks, feels, or acts can be considered educational.

Education is an important driver of the development of society to reduce poverty, maintain equality, inclusion, progress and stability of the population. It is one of the most effective instruments to achieve peace, health and wealth.