WHAT EDUCATION IS!

It was the former Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the Fourth Republic i.e. from 1999, DR CHUBA OKADIGBO (LATE), who made this famous remark in his political speech below: "If you are emotionally attached to your tribe, religion or political leaning to the point that truth become secondary consideration, your education is useless. Your exposure is useless. If you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind". The quote provides a great insight on the invaluable and indispensable nature of education in the society. The misunderstanding of the subject informed a related post titled "What Education Is Not!", which explains in details what many pursue in the name of education, ignorantly leaving out the 'main thing'. Identifying and elucidating that main thing, is the crux of this piece, where practical understanding of the subject is made simplified.

Now, the big question is, what does education mean? Away from the usual bogus theories which may not always be in tandem with existing social realities, how can its practical understanding be illuminated in a way that will reflect the ideals and essence of the subject. Education ideally, is concerned with the following, and shifting away from them, perhaps to what education is mainly not, is a complete digression and a total misnomer:

1. The character.

2. The mind (cognitive or mental state).

Education may be defined simply as socialization or learning socialization, which means the transfer of knowledge from one era to another. In other words, the act of transferring the knowledge is learning. Education can also be defined as cultivating or learning the norms, conformity and standards of the society. It can also be viewed from the perspective of imbibing social maturity, social adjustment, and social tolerance. Making reference to a related post titled "THE IMPORTANCE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION", will offer more insight on the subject.

THE THREE (3) BASIC ASPECTS EDUCATION CAN BE VISIBLY PROVED

1. Education As Socialization (Learning and Transferring of Knowledge)

An important aspect of education is acquisition of knowledge. It is the knowledge acquired, when put to use or effectively applied, that the mind will experience development, leading also to reshaping and remolding of character. It is on this basis, an individual can be said to be educated, learned or literate - in a related post titled "THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A LITERATE (EDUCATED) SOCIETY", a well detailed explanation is provided, that can help to understand better how character formation or development affects the society.

2. Education As Character Formation/Character Development.

Character formation or development signifies that education has succeeded in reshaping and rebuilding character in such a manner that the personality and temperament of an individual become thoroughly bred, well trained, and well cultured in a manner that will express willingness in conforming to social norms, making an individual responsible and law-abiding citizen, which the multi-plier effects are orderliness, peaceful co-existence, and social stability.

3. Education As Cognitive/Mental Development 

The mind is trained, developed, and become useful in the society, by thinking, reasoning and acting differently, in a positive, responsible, disciplined, and cultured manner. Such developed mind can significantly contribute to social development, because of the effective and efficient capacity in solving social problems.

THE BENEFITS OF EDUCATION 

The aim of education is to remould, reform, rebuild, reshape and develop a man, which in turn, will build the society. What does it build or develop? The mind (cognitive or mental state) and character. So, outside the man, education is totally meaningless and non existing. Referring to a related post titled "THE TWO KEY DEHINING FEATURES OF EDUCATION" will provide better insight in understanding the break down of the benefits of education below:

1. TO THE INDIVIDUALS 

At this level, education provides personal development, which is basically concerned with cognitive or mental development, and character formation. The resultant or multi-plier effects of these are quite enormous, including having memory capacity to accommodate ideas, being responsible and law-abiding citizens, adequate exposure, being upright and truthful, liberal and open-minded, civil, cultured, disciplined, humane, because the education acquired has succeeded in transforming the cognitive state and character, into a refined person. The proof is the change in the way of thinking, reasoning and doing things, considerably refining individual's perspective and world view.

Another aspect of the benefits of education at the individual level is the knowledge, skills acquired, and capacity built that will enhance employability of individuals. When an individual is gainfully employed, his standard of living (SOL) in the society will be raised.

2. TO THE SOCIETY 

At this level, education is aimed at orchestrating social development. When a society records a highly significant number of educated, learned, or literate citizens, it becomes classified as a literate society, and the benefits of such society are quite enormous. First, it will witness high standard of living (SOL), because of the highly skilled labour status of citizens, which is a big plus or advantage in the labour market. Imagine the standard of living (SOL) of highly skilled ICT experts who are involved in the development of various software applications and blockchain? 

Secondly, education guarantees a liberal society, where citizens are enlightened and well informed, always seeking to establish a society equality, freedom and justice thrives, an essential ingredients needed to achieve social development. A literate society is one citizens, by virtue of the formal and modern system of education which adopts scientific methodology in seeking to establish and maintain absolute knowledge or absolute truth, are upright, truthful and honest. Above all, education produces responsible and law-abiding citizens through which peaceful, orderly, secure and stable society is guaranteed - another essential ingredient of social development. Finally, an enlightened and well informed society is one with politically active citizens, and high number of politically exposed persons (PEP), in terms of participation, adequate political inclusion and appreciation of government's programmes (public policies), which results in having high maintenance culture.