Education: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, good judgement and wisdom. One of the fundamental goals of education is to impart culture across the generations (see socialization).

Overview

Education begins the minute a baby is born and is life-long. Education may even begin before birth as evidenced by some parents playing music or reading to the baby in the womb in the hope it will influence (educate) their child before birth. For some, the struggles and triumphs of daily life are far more instructive than formal schooling (Thus Mark Twain: "I never let school interfere with my education.") Family members have an educational effect which is quite profound — often more profound than they realize — though family teaching techniques may be highly informal.

Formal education occurs when society makes a commitment to educate people, usually the young. Formal education can be systematic and thorough, but the sponsoring group may seek selfish advantages when shaping impressionable young scholars.

Life-long or adult education has become widespread. Many adults have given up the notion that only children belong in school. Many adults are enrolled in post-secondary education schools, both part-time and full time, where they are often classified as non-traditional students in order to distinguish them administratively from young adults entering directly from high school.

Computing devices can change when and where we learn. This is the computer based or networked learning structure, in which people contribute to each others' education. It is defined as online education (a subset of distance education), the European Graduate School as a University operates during the summer, it serves as a meeting point for people that has participated in online forums through the academic year, this methodology is a break to the traditional educational system.

Classical education – Reading – Math – Language – Science – Ethics – Physical education – Religious education – Music education

In well-developed countries

• The entertaining world distracting the student's attention

see Current issues in teaching

• Program Evaluation Answering questions such as does education "work", or how to improve education.

In developing countries

• Small incomes of teachers
• People unaware the importance of education
• Economical pressure of parents who want their children to work as laborers
• Program Evaluation

Early childhood education – Primary education – Secondary education – Tertiary education – Quaternary education– Higher education – Vocational education – Post-secondary education – University – College – School – Further education

Student activism – Student-led school change – Student Developed Education Policy

Literacy – Testing & policy– Education reform – School choice – Charter schools – Meaningful student involvement – Student voice – Student Developed Education Policy – Social promotion

Early instruction – Home schooling – Unschooling – Lifelong education – Democratic Schools – Alternative school – Montessori method – Waldorf school – Online education – Distance education – Museum – Planetarium – Nature center – deschooling– political education

Academic Decathlon – University Interscholastic League (UIL) – International science olympiad

Philosophy of education – Teaching method – Instructional theory – Learning theory – Learning disability – Instructional technology – Education Psychology – Behaviorism – Problem-based learning – Active learning – Outcome-based education – Reggio Emilia approach – Cooperative education – collaborative learning – Transformative learning – experiential education – Situated learning – Adult education – Critical pedagogy – Institutional pedagogy – Pastoral care

Education by country – List of colleges and universities by country

• Parents' Rights Coalition
• British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life

• F. Matthias Alexander
• Catherine Baker
• Benjamin Bloom
• Garth Boomer
• Jim Cummins
• John Dewey
• Hermann Ebbinghaus
• Moshe Feldenkrais
• Paulo Freire
• Robert M. Gagne
• John Taylor Gatto
• Ivan Illich
• Maria Montessori
• A.S. Neill
• Seymour Papert
• Ivan Pavlov
• Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
• Jean Piaget
• Plato
• Neil Postman
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• B.F. Skinner
• Lev Vygotsky