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B.Ed. Notes
General Topic: Education
By

Dr. Lalit Sharma

MCA, M.Sc. (IT), M.Ed., M.Phil, Ph.D
 CONCEPT OF EDUCATION
(Meaning, Nature/Characteristics and Scope)
By Education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in
child and man‟s body, mind and spirit.
–- Mahatma Gandhi

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Education is a process in which and by which the knowledge, character and behavior of the human
beings are shaped and molded. It is an essential human virtue. Man has become „man‟ through
education. It is as old as the human race. It is a never ending process of inner growth and development
and its period stretches from birth to death. Education is a very important for the progress of an
individual and society. It is through education that man develops his thinking, reasoning, creativity,
skills, values, attitudes, intelligence etc. In fact man‟s entire life is an education.

1.2 MEANING OF EDUCATION

The word „Education‟ is derived from the Latin words as under:

(1) Educare To bring up, To raise, To nourish

It indicates that the child is to be brought up or nourished keeping

certain aims and ideals.
(2) Educere To lead out, To draw out

It means, education through its process draws out of the best

what is inside the child.
(3) Educatum To Train, Act of teaching or training

It throws light on the principles and practice of teaching. It means educating the child or
provides training facilities to the child for his/her all round development.

The term „Educare‟ or „Educere‟ mainly indicates development of the latent/underlying faculties of
the child. But child does not know these possibilities. It is the educator or the teacher who can know
these hidden instincts and take appropriate methods to develop those powers.

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 Definitions:
 Education is something, which makes man self-reliant and self-less. – Rigveda
 Education is that whose end product is salvation. – Upnishads
 Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world - Nelson Mandela
 Education is the manifestation of divine perfection already existing in man - Swami Vivekananda
 Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment. – Plato
 Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body. -- Aristotle
 Education is complete living. -– Herbert Spencer

1.3 NATURE / CHARACTERISTICS OF EDUCATION

1. Life Long Process

Education is a continuous and lifelong process. It is never ending process of inner growth and
development. It starts from the womb of the mother and continues till death. It is the process
of development from infancy to maturity. It includes the effect of everything which influences
human personality.

2. Bi-Polar Process
John Adams has considered education as a bi-polar process. According to him, “Education is a
bi-polar process in which one personality acts upon another in order to modify the
development of the other.” It includes two fundamental poles known as teacher and the pupil
and their interaction is education.

3. Tri-Polar Process
According to John Dewey, Education is a tri-polar process. It involves interaction between, the
teacher (educator), the pupil (educand) and the social environment (social forces). The teacher
tries to develop the personality of the pupil in the light of the needs of the society.
4. A multipolar process
Now-a-days it has been realized that education is not to be monopolized by school or by
teacher as disseminator of learning. Rather so many informal and non-formal agencies provides
education to the learners such as newspaper, T.V, Radio, Club, Internet, Family etc. Hence it is a
multipolar process.

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5. Continuous Process
In a narrow sense education is limited only to the student‟s life. But in reality it stays with him
from birth till death. A child starts learning from birth and keeps on learning throughout his
life.
6. Dynamic Process
Education is not a static but a dynamic process which develops the child according to changing
situations and times. It always stimulates the individual towards progress. It reconstructs the
society according to the changing needs of the time and place of the society.
7. Deliberate process
The process of education is not only conscious but also deliberate. The educator is fully aware
of the fact that his aim is to develop the personality of the child along definite lines through the
modification of his behavior.

8. Sociological process
According to the sociological perspective the educator must interpret and develop the
capacities of the child in a social setting. A child is a social being and as such must be educated
in such a way that he becomes a useful member of the society.
9. rocess of Individual Adjustment
Man is a social being. If he is not able to adjust himself in different aspects of life his personality
can‟t remain balanced. Through the medium of education he learns to adjust himself with the
friends, class fellows, parents, relations, neighbours and teachers etc.

10. Theoretical as well as practical process

Education is not just theoretical but also a practical process. Theoretical and practical
knowledge of education broadens the intellectual horizon of the child, deepens his insight,
enhances his efficiency, and helps him in solving educational problems.

11. Science as well as Art

Education is a pure science due to following aspects:
(a) It undertakes systematic and methodological study of certain facts.
(b) It employs scientific methods of observation and experimentation.

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 (c) It discovers, establishes, and formulates generalizations, about its methodology, learning,
memory, attention, interest, motivation, curriculum, construction, methods of teaching and
evaluation.

Education is a true art due to the following aspects:

(a) Educator is an artist who moulds the raw material of a child into a better, pure and noble
person.
(b) Educator has a practical inspiration of helping the child in acquisition of knowledge,
integrated growth, social and vocational efficiency
12. A child-centered process
Modern education considers child as the „hero‟ in its drama wherein he takes central place on
centre stage. The subject matter, the teacher and the environment are all for him and not he for
them. The child-centered process signifies that the educator must study each child carefully and
attend the individual needs.
13. All round development
Education includes all round development which means physical, social, motor, language,
creative, cognitive or intellectual, emotional, aesthetic as well as spiritual development of a
child.

1.4 TYPES OF EDUCATION

Comparison of Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Education:

Formal Non-Formal Informal

1. Formal education is It is provided in home, school, Informal education can be
confined to four walls of social, cultural, religious and received at any place.
schools, colleges, universities business institutions. It
etc. generally takes place outside
the four-walls of formal
institutions.

2. In formal education, there It has diversified, sometimes Informal education has no

is narrow and fixed fixed curriculum. Variety and definite contents or
curriculum. flexibility are generally curriculum.
observed in the curriculum.

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 3. Formal education is pre- Non-formal education is pre- Informal education is received
planned. Its time schedule is planned like formal education. from any person at any time.
fixed. It is based upon part-time & There are no fixed timings.
own-time table.
4.Formal education is Non-formal education is also Informal education can be
imparted by trained & given by trained & certified received from any person.
certified teachers/educators. teachers/educators but mostly
through correspondence.

5. Fixed and formal methods Learner-centred methods of No fixed methods of teaching

of teaching like lecture teaching are used. are used. It is learned by
method, discussion method; experience and interaction
demonstration method, with others.
project method etc. are used.

6. Both the educator and the It is partly conscious. Neither the educator nor the
educand are conscious educand is conscious about
about the process. the process.
7. It is an organized effort It is arranged by some There is no organizing body
by the state or voluntary organized body. behind it.
organizations etc.
8. It is imposed by the giver It is a process of sharing, It is not imposed but is
on the receiver with limited exploring, analyzing & judging incidental.
interaction between the two. together with participation of
the learner.
9. It has fixed point of entry It has flexible points of entry There is no question of entry
and exit. and exit. Re-entry and re-exit and exit in informal education
throughout the life. system.
10. Examinations are held Certificates and degrees are There are no examinations.
and certificates or degrees awarded on the basis of Informal education is life-
are awarded to students. . evaluation. Exams are easy long process and never
than formal education system. completed.

1.5 SYNONYMOUS /IDENTICAL TERMS/DIFFERENT APPROACHES OF EDUCATION

(Instruction, Training, Schooling, Literacy, Teaching, Indoctrination)

(i) Education and Instruction

In instruction we impart the knowledge of a particular subject to the student in a planned and
systematic way, while education is both planned and unplanned, formal as well as informal and non-
formal. A person may be well informed but he may not be an educated person. Education is more
comprehensive term than instruction as it implies acquisition of knowledge and experience as well as
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the development of skills, habits, and attitudes which help a person to lead a full and happy life. It is
complete development of student‟s personality.

(ii) Education and Training

Training is given in a formal way as it implies preparation under supervision and in a certain frame-
work of rules and regulations. It is a method of skill development in order to improve performance
and productivity. Whereas education is a comprehensive term and develops a sense of reasoning and
judgement. As well as education can be given in a formal as well as in an informal way. Therefore
training is also merely a part of education.

(iii) Education and Schooling

Schooling is wider term than instruction as it includes academic activities and programmes. Co-
curricular activities like educational trips, social service camps, community work and hobbies form an
important part of schooling. But education is still wider term than schooling. Schooling is confined to
the period for which a child remains on the rolls of an institution. But education is a life-long process.
It starts when the child is born and continues upto the last moment of death.

(iv) Education and Teaching

Education is not teaching. We may not educate children even if we teach them a particular subject.
Teaching is only one factor in education. In teaching, we impart knowledge of a particular subject to
the students. We of course include this knowledge in education but education cannot be confined to
teaching only. Hence teaching is also a part of education.

(v) Education and Literacy

Knowledge of reading and writing is literacy. Literacy is only a part of education. According to
Mahatma Gandhi, “Literacy is not the end of education nor even the beginning. It is one of the
means whereby a man or woman can be educated.”Literacy in itself is no education. A literate wife
may be less educated than an illiterate wife and an illiterate wife may be educated. Akbar did not
know reading and writing but all of us know that he was the most educated person among the
Mughals. Kabir also confesses his illiteracy. He says, “I have not touched the ink and paper and I have
never taken a pen in my hand.” But we all know that saint Kabir are well known for their wisdom,
devotion, understanding of life and the fullest development of their own personality, are a rare
phenomenon. All these examples make the difference between education and literacy self-evident.

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(v) Education and Indoctrination
The difference between education and indoctrination is that education opens the mind,
while indoctrination closes it. Indoctrination is the process of inculcating ideas, attitudes, cognitive
strategies or a professional methodology. It is often distinguished from education by the fact that the
indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine they have learned.
Indoctrination implies forcibly or coercively causing people to act and think on the basis of a certain
religion.
Whereas education involves the seeking of facts, and learning about what is the truth, and what is not.
It is development of one‟s own beliefs based on the facts that are discovered throughout the process.

SUMMARY

 „Education‟ is derived from the Latin words: „Educare‟, „Educere‟ and „Educatum‟.
 Education is a never ending process of inner growth and development and its period stretches
from birth to death.
 Education is something, which makes man self-reliant and self-less. – Rigveda
 Three types of Education are: Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Education.
 Formal education is confined to four walls of schools, colleges, universities etc.
 Non-Formal education is provided in home, school, social, cultural, religious and business
institutions. Generally takes place outside the four-walls of formal institutions.
 Informal education can be received at any place and any time by the individual.
 Synonymous/Identical terms/ different approaches of education are: Instruction, Training,
Schooling, Literacy, Teaching and Indoctrination.
 Education includes all kinds of instruction and broader term than instruction.
 Schooling is wider term than instruction as it includes academic activities and programmes. But
education is still wider term than schooling.
 The difference between education and indoctrination is that education opens the mind,
while indoctrination closes it.
 Scopes of Education are: Educational philosophy, Educational psychology, History of Education
Educational Sociology, Educational guidance, Philosophy of education, teaching methods,
Educational problems etc.