@Prarthana Sanghvi
“Education is a process in which and by which the knowledge, characters and behavior of the human being are shaped and molded”.
– Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Fundamental Human Rights).
It is a critical investment which gives the highest returns. In this competitive world having a good education is vital because it is a weapon to conquer the complex world.
Education helps an individual to survive in this world, by making them self-dependent and sufficient. It is fundamental to economic development and growth because one educated person educates several others, so the sharing of knowledge never ends, it is indeed a circular flow.
An Insight into Education and Knowledge
There is a fine line between Education and Knowledge:
- Education is the process of gaining knowledge through formal institutions like schools, colleges, universities, etc., while knowledge is a lifelong learning process.
- Education is curriculum and time based, but knowledge is gained from experiences and is limitless.
- The periphery of education is very limited but knowledge has no boundaries, for it, the world is a school. It is something that is ever changing and cannot be standardized in any manner.
However, I believe that education is incomplete without knowledge, that it goes hand in hand and only together, it leads to the enlightenment and upliftment of mankind as it brings into action the potential in a man. It shapes an individual’s true personality and makes them who they are. Hence, it should be omnipresent and boundless, as it can be acquired from anywhere and everywhere; from places, people, experiences, failures, accidents, the environment, etc. It has the power to bring a person from darkness to light.
Why Educate? How can it rule the world?
“Education is the key to eliminating gender inequality, to reducing poverty, to creating a sustainable planet, to preventing needless deaths and illness, and to fostering peace”. And in a knowledge economy, education is the new currency by which nations maintain economic competitiveness and global prosperity.
The UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of providing universal primary education to all and eliminating gender inequities, has propelled many nations and multi-governmental organizations to boost educational spending. Therefore, it is fundamental to economic development and growth.
Education is the foundation of peace and prosperity
Education is a process which enables an individual to distinguish between the right and wrong, the good and bad, the right conduct and the evil doing. Blind faith and superstitions are what bog down a society. People misled by false beliefs do more harm than good to society. Education helps us question these beliefs, gives us an analytical mind and helps us reject superstitions.
Eradicates Poverty
Lack of education is considered the root cause of poverty. Learning improvements outlined by the Education Commission could help reduce absolute poverty by 30%, which will further allow people to earn a higher income.
Eliminates Gender inequality
Education is one of the greatest equalizers. In order to ensure that there are equal opportunities for everyone regardless of race, gender or social class, equal access to education is necessary.
Education helps in ruling the world, it gives an individual an edge in life
It empowers people, helps them improve their decision making capabilities, makes them more mobile and gives them access to social networks, altogether helping them prosper in their lives.
@Prarthana Sanghvi – Let me share my personal experience, once while traveling I saw a kid throw garbage in the surrounding and instantly I scolded the kid for doing so, however, I realized that rather than scolding what was more important was to share the knowledge and educate him about why it was a wrong action.
Hence, if you are educated nobody can fool you in any manner and you will not tolerate any mistreatment from people because you know the difference between the right and wrong.
Also when it comes to voting, educated people have enough knowledge to carefully choose the candidate. One will know what to consider in choosing the right candidate to serve and protect our country. One will be able to understand the social issues that the country is facing and will be capable to help in their own way.
Considering all the above benefits, it is apparent that education acts as a key factor which fuels the development of an economy and the world as a whole.
It is not the sole factor which can rule the world rather it can help a person rule the world in a right and an ethical manner.