Countless words are written daily about the importance of education. Indubitably, education is the only valuable asset humans can achieve. Human evolution over eons is a result of education both formal and informal.
Further, education is the sole basis on which future of the human race depends. Our quest for knowledge is unending and will continue till planet Earth exists.
Understanding education
Everyone speaks about education and its importance. Hence, let us understand what defines education. Briefly, education means acquiring knowledge.
In broader terms, education means acquiring various skills in diverse fields that are vital to our life and very existence. These skills can be acquired by classroom training and during course of our life.
Classroom education is generally deemed as formal education. Whatever we learn and imbibe during our lifespan is informal education.
Furthermore, knowledge and the innate human capability to learn continually distinguish us from other living creatures that inhabit this planet.
Essays about importance of education
This is something extremely important. Hundreds of organizations worldwide ask job seekers to write essays detailing importance of education. The topic appears deceptively easy.
However, it is very difficult to write a comprehensive essay about the importance of education due to sheer vastness of the topic. Mostly, people write about empowerment that education bestows upon us rather generously.
Remember, empowerment through education is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Importance of education covers myriad complex topics and their implications upon all of us.
150 Words Essay on Importance of Education
Education is very important for every country. Education begins at home and continues throughout our life. There are many reasons why people need education. It helps them to learn new things, find good jobs and lead a respectable life in the society. The more educated a person the higher is the chances of her or his success in life.
Education is also important for other reasons. Education helps us to lead a good and healthy life. Education helps us to know uses of various types of food and how to consume them. It also educates us about how to protect ourselves from diseases and stay away from bad habits. Education is also important for us to defend ourselves and our country.
Our first teachers are our parents. They teach us how to speak our native tongue and identify things around us. Teachers and professors play a very important role in our life by teaching us various important and specialized subjects. Education helps us to know rules and regulations and makes us responsible citizens of our country.
250 Words Essay on Importance of Education
Everyone knows that education is very important for our life. With education we can do lots of things. Education is the basic requirement nowadays for everything that we wish to do. If we need to work, our employers will ask about our education.
When getting married, the bride or groom’s family will also ask our educational qualifications. To succeed in life and make money too, we need education.
There are several reasons why people need education. The main reason being, we need to be alert and aware of things that affect our daily life. It is the need of all human beings to know about what is happening so that they can plan for future and take any steps to counter immediate problems and situations.
Nowadays there is a vast choice of education. People can study to become engineers, doctors, accountants, computer experts, government servants and many other professions.
The importance of education can be understood from one fact that educated people live happier life than those who are uneducated. With good education we can make a great career and get more money.
The importance of education can also be seen from the fact that less educated people do smaller jobs and earn lesser salary.
All great leaders of this world, scientists, doctors and engineers are educated people. Therefore, we can see that education also helped shape the modern world as we can see it today.
Without education, all the comforts and luxuries we enjoy today would not have been possible. Education is very important in our life because we require it everywhere- from the time we wake up till the time we sleep.
400 Words Essay on Importance of Education
Imagine a world where everyone is uneducated. We would perhaps never have worn clothes or eaten delicious food.
Possibly, we would be walking around in the forest and climbing mountains, hunting for wild animals for flesh accompanied by leaves, roots and fruits. Above all, you would not be reading this article.
As we can see, education is very important. It is the most important thing in this world. Education is an ongoing process as we call it. What we learn during our childhood stays with us all life, even if we forget complicated lessons taught in schools and colleges.
Skills that we learn during our life can actually help us to stay alive. This can be anything simple from sewing a button on our dress or taking medicines for illness.
Nowadays, many people say that education and wealth are closely linked. This is not entirely true. Education does not merely mean a good degree of some great university.
Education actually means how we see and perceive things. Above that, education also means how we respond or react to situations.
Education from schools and colleges is important because it helps us how to live in a civilized society and respect one another. It shows us how to obey laws of the society and laws of the land we dwell.
Education is very important because it also helps us become rich. It teaches us how to recognize and utilize our skills and use them for a job or business.
These skills can be used for betterment of the society, our country and the entire world. In fact, every innovation, invention and discovery made by mankind was due to education.
The importance of education can also be understood from the fact that education decides the behavior of humans towards animals. In a civilized and well educated society, all animals are treated humanely. They are cared for and fed.
If needed, educated people give medicines for animals too. In sharp contrast, uncivilized societies sometimes show lesser respect to animals.
Nowadays, education is important because there are thousands of things around us that are made with modern technology. We require education to use these modern gadgets and get the best benefits of technology.
Education also teaches us how to respect other human beings. It is because of education that every country has laws that tell people what can be done and what should be avoided.
The wheel and education
Nobody can rightfully claim credit for discovering or inventing the ubiquitous wheel. However, research and archaeological findings vaguely indicate, primitive wheels made their appearance around circa 9500BC.
Rather, some 11,500 years ago, while humans were evolving as predominant species on this planet. The wheel was directly responsible for spawning education. Prior to the wheel, humans traveled on foot.
Hence, their knowledge was limited to things seen, heard and experienced within a specific geographic area. Wheels made it possible for humans to cover larger distances.
Consequently, our ancestors began gaining knowledge about wider areas around their dwellings. Furthermore, wheels began playing major roles in shaping primitive instruments, weapons and utensils.
Wheels made humans more curious to learn about various elements around them, culminating into education as we know it. This perhaps, is the reason why the prosaic wheel finds mention in holy texts of every major religion.
Education means curiosity
Indisputably, curiosity is the sole precursor to education. As humans, we have inherent curiosity about everything. Primarily, we all wish to know about things that directly impact our otherwise mundane lives.
Furthermore, we also love to pry into stuff that is largely irrelevant. Yet, curiosity prods us to learn more and imbibe knowledge. Thus, information forms basis of our education.
Bereft of this curiosity, we are nothing more than vegetative beings. Other living creatures are curious too. However, their curiosity is limited to things that directly impact their life and wellbeing.
On the other hand, human curiosity has no bounds. When channelized or given right direction, this infinite curiosity manifests as education.
Education signifies survival
Survival is a primary basic instinct of us humans. None of us would have survived thousands of years of evolution sans this instinct. Undoubtedly, our existence as a species was threatened over the centuries by natural and man-made elements.
Yet, we survived because of education. Regardless, that primordial education was mere imbibing knowledge from experiences and our five senses.
Paleontology proves that hundreds of living creatures could not survive on Earth, despite being physically stronger than humans.
Education helps us overcome this inborn physical frailty. It gives us an edge for survival, over other living creatures.
Education offers adaptability
Once again, curiosity helps all animals, including us humans, to learn new things. Yet, we differ in one primary function. Humans have natural capability to receiving, processing and storing data we gain from experiences or the five senses.
Furthermore, we humans can utilize, adapt or exploit our data to suit our requirements. This inherent capacity to process raw data from our senses and experiences translates as education.
Thus, we are able to adapt our needs according to prevailing conditions at any point of time.
Education encourages communication
The link between education and communication is unequivocal. In fact, the need to educate others is responsible for development of languages.
Without languages in any form, education could never be achieved. Thus began the human journey towards developing communication, tools and written languages.
Ancient forms of education
As we began evolving, so did education. Here we look at some of the ancient forms of education. Notably, some of these continue today, though in a more developed manner.
Personal training: Usually from parents to child. Since times immemorial, moms and dads have been a child’s first educators. They impart vital life skills such as walking, eating, speech and learning.
Stone carvings: This form of education began around Stone Age. Prehistoric humans began using stones to make weapons and other useful implements. Dwellings were in caves. Further, prehistoric humans carved their experiences on cave walls. Their purpose being to educate others about an experience such as encounter with ferocious animals.
Cave paintings: Humans began painting on cave walls instead of carving. These paintings also educated successors to learn about experiences.
Hieroglyphics: Ancient humans were responsible for developing a rather sophisticated form of education using hieroglyphics. Only qualified people could decipher these.
Religious texts: The Vedas and Upanishads of Hindus are goldmine of ancient science. They were handed down over generations to educate successors. Texts of every religion contain education about way of life to be followed by believers of the faith. Examples are Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, Torah, Talmud and other Jewish scriptures, Holy Bible and the Noble Quran.
Gurukul: In ancient India, students would board at a school. This educational facility, known as Gurukul, educated students, mostly male, in various life skills. Examples of teachings include art of war, essentials of trade, methodology of teaching, medicine and others. The system was similar but more advanced than Western monasteries and hermitages.
Selective education: Fearing vital skills would fall into wrong hands and get misused, ancient humans chose a successor. The successor would undergo extensive training in a particular discipline.
Education as we know it
Meanwhile, modern day education is something we are aware of. Other than some ancient practices, education nowadays is available from
- Schools
- Colleges
- Universities
- Military training institutes
- Places of worship
- Finishing schools
- Private tuitions
- Internet and online resources
Salient features of education
Without doubt, education empowers everyone. Some of the areas where education helps include:
- Poverty alleviation
- Busting myths and superstitions
- Forging relationships
- Scientific research in every sector of life
- Financial transactions
- Safety and security against crime
- Prevention of wars, terrorism and strife
- Space exploration, search for extra terrestrial life
- Commerce and trade
- Law and order
- Governance
- Empowerment of women
- Uplift of economically weaker populace
- Arts and crafts
- Communications, including use of the Internet
Importance of education for you
- Education helps realize your inborn skills. You can bring all your talents to fore with proper education.
- Furthermore, education gears you for success. Nowadays, you cannot get a job sans education. However, a good education will fetch dream job.
- Additionally, your financial success and stability depends upon education. Other than a great educational degree, you have to be financially literate
- Incidentally, people with good education live a relatively better family life. Educated people are less prone to indulge in domestic violence and other evils. They enjoy healthy relationships.
- Good education helps you take better, informed decisions. Automatically, this translates into happier, stress-free life.
- Moreover, education is billed as the only way to prevent people from falling prey to terrorist networks. Generally, terror networks recruit poorly educated people who lack will to question dubious doctrines. Such people are prone to brainwashing.
- Another important feature of education is the use in science and technology. No scientific progress would be possible sans education. All modern gadgets you take for granted are product of education.
- Your education also means you are less susceptible to being cheated or becoming a victim of scams. Education allows you to see through dubious ploys and schemes.
- Additionally, your health depends upon your education. The importance of education is obvious by the steps you take to prevent disease both for yourself and the society at large.
Flipsides of education
- Ironically, the valuable asset of education is not free from its own inherent negatives. You need to be careful and steer away from these flipsides.
- Pursuit of education often kills innate skills and natural talents.
- Sadly, parental pressure over education leads to suicide by thousands of students worldwide, every year.
- In many countries, corruption has seeped into education. Agents offering seats for higher education colleges and universities charge hefty fees to ease in undeserving students.
- Schools and colleges force parents to cough up huge amounts of money under the guise of ‘voluntary donations’ to enroll a child for education.
- Incidentally, educated people are more prone to psychiatric disorders, substance and non-substance addictions over those with negligible education.
- Education is the single largest contributor to unemployment. Generally, educated people are less likely to venture into business. Merely because they prefer well paid, fixed-hour jobs.
- Education deceives people into living a higher lifestyle. Often, such people strive for living a life they can ill afford. However, they do so to counter societal pressures.
- Paradoxically, education is also a contributor to marital discords, separation and divorce. Better educated spouses try to dominate the weaker partner, causing dysfunctional marriages.
Importance of women’s education
Unfortunately, the importance of education for women is not getting the importance it deserves. Statistics from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Labor Organization (ILO), World Bank and International Monetary Fund are clear indicators that women are missing the education bus.
The importance of education for women cannot be underestimated. Once again, statistics indicate, countries that lag behind in development have the highest number of uneducated or undereducated women.
Sadly, uneducated women are more susceptible to falling victim to human trafficking and flesh trade. Shockingly, case studies in Africa reveal, incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was higher among uneducated females engaged in commercial sex.
Why women lag behind
Once again, there are several factors why millions of women miss education despite its importance and significance. Prime among these is myth and traditions. Age old belief that males have to remain bread winner is one of the culprits.
Parents prefer to educate a boy rather than their girl child. Another is chauvinistic approach that women can be relegated to the roles of domestic chores and childbearing.
Thirdly, educating women is a taboo and sometimes deemed blasphemy in certain ethnic and religious groups. Despite understanding the importance of education, parents suppress a girl’s education to avoid wrath from their community.
More disgusting is the false belief that women lack the intelligence of men. Or, that females are physically weaker compared to males. Generally, people subscribing to this bogus theory, deprive girls of education.
Education for transgender people
Recently, countries like India are taking initiatives to open education for transgender people. However, the task ahead is uphill in a country where myths sometimes rule supreme.
The initiative is however laudable since it signifies the importance of education. An increasing number of transgender people are now waking to benefits of education.
Progress is slow but expected to gather momentum over the next few years. Educating transgender community is vital since it will help assimilate them into mainstream society.
Secondly, education will also obliterate their traditional dependency on income from begging and lewd entertainment.
Threats to education
Despite inherent advantages, education worldwide stands threatened by several factors.
- Poverty is the biggest enemy of education. Impoverished families in poor countries consider education as unnecessary.
- Radical groups including Taliban, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) oppose learning anything except religious scriptures. Such groups are usually terror networks. They fear education will lay bare their propaganda causing shortage of new recruits and funds.
- Lack of funds and resources inhibits several countries from offering free or subsidized education for their populace.
- Terrorism and conflicts, wars, natural disasters cause huge population movements. Displaced people- or refugees- lack resources and facilities to educate their youngsters.
- Poor nutrition is also cited as a threat to children education. For obvious reasons, malnourished children miss education. Free midday meals are offered to entice children into attending school.
