Importance of Educattion
Education is the wealth of the nation and power of the people. The garden of life will be colourless and without fragrance in the absence of education. It is education which fashions and models man to become fit for society and differentiates him from all other biotic organisms in the earth. Aristotle says, "Educated men are as much superior to uneducated as the living are to the dead". Education has become an essential virtue for man to live and lead a civilized life. Diogenes is of the opinion that, "Education is a controlling grace to the young, consolation to the old, wealth to the poor and ornament to the rich". Education makes man perfect.
Dayanand says, "Educated person is healthy and uneducated person is suffering from disease of ignorance". It is true that this world would have been enveloped in the darkness of ignorance, if it had not been illuminated by the light of education.
The host of scientists, philosophers and educators has explained the needs and importance of education in a rational and scientific way. They present the following cogent arguments in favour of education as the most essential factor for human development:
(1) Biological necessity:
Education is a biological necessity for man. He is not an animal which learns all that is necessary for his future life. For instance, a calf needs no training to run or jump after its birth. A kitten very soon learns how to catch mice without education. But a human child would die if not properly attended to. In fact, the new born infant is a helpless human being and he learns to protect himself from harm only with the help of others. He will remain motionless, speechless and will not struggle for existence in the absence of proper instruction and training. As he grows older, he is influenced by formal, informal and non-formal agencies of education, which develop his physical, mental, emotional, social and vocational feelings. In this way, education develops in the child a sense of maturity and responsibility by bringing in him the desired changes according to the needs and demands of an ever changing society. Thus, education develops the individual like a flower, which spreads its fragrance all over the environment.
(2) Sociological necessity:
Animals learn a few tricks and tasks from their parents and become self sufficient. But it is different in the case of a human child. He has to assimilate a vast treasure of cultural heritage which cannot be transmitted to him biologically. The things learnt by one generation do not automatically pass on to another or ensuing generation. Hence, for each generation education is a must otherwise, human race would lapse into barbarism. The acquisition of knowledge, skill, attitude, character, aesthetic sense, moral sense, and creativity by humanity makes education a sociological necessity for the preservation, protection, and promotion of culture. The demands on education are greater than it had been in the past to make justice, peace, well-being and progress as the main characteristics of modern civilization.
(3) Economic necessity:
Education is a powerful tool which turns man into a manpower. It not only improves the working efficiency but also increases the productivity of the individual. In other words, it enables the individual to find any sort of task or job or self employment, which helps to stand on his leg. In short, it prepares the people for life. It is seen in the present society that people give more importance to the study of those subjects like Science, Medicine, Law, Engineering, Computer and Technical Courses and Management which makes them self-sufficient and vocationally efficient. In this way economic needs of the individual can be met only by different types of education. Therefore, education is considered as an important wealth next to health.
(4) Global necessity:
Modern inventions and discoveries in communication and transports have shrunk the world into a `small village' called global village. As a result, an Indian, a German or an American is not considered as a member of his country alone but he is a citizen of the world. This trend can be developed among the citizens of the different countries only through the medium of education. In fact, education develops broad mindedness, removes narrowness, and leads to a global thinking that is, 'live together'. In this regard, education is more important than any other wealth.
(5) Human capacity for learning:
By nature a human child possesses a unique capacity for learning. He possesses potentialities for speech, thinking, reflection, judgement, scientific curiosity and other traits. These potentialities need to be developed through training and education for a long period. On the other hand these capacities will be dormant, unused and undeveloped in the absence of education.
(6) Impressionability of the child:
Experience can be acquired by the human being during his adult life. We attach importance to the early life for imparting education. This is because a child's mind is more elastic and impressionable during the earlier years than during adulthood. In the absence of proper training and education in the early years, habit formation in the adult becomes a problem. Hence, imparting right education during childhood should be emphasised.
(7) Economic development and national-international understanding:
The economic development of a country is determined by its human resource development which is influenced by the quality of education available to them. Education plays a vital role in economic development, which can be achieved through world peace, freedom, justice, safety for all, equalisation of education, population control etc. Education strengthens national integration and fosters international understanding which are essential for the progress of a nation. Education also helps us to invent and discover, new machines, tools, and medicines which increase the production of goods and services, and prevent the people from diseases. Thus, education is essential in all walks of human life. As education is one of the basic necessities for individual and social life, we place it next to food, clothing and shelter. We can conclude that shelter is essential for biological life as education is for sociological life.
