What is True Education?

True education is simply a process of acquiring knowledge. It can either be acquired through the direct method taught by teachers, or through learning indirectly, as in the case of the Internet and distance education. In this latter case, indirect learning is usually called "the social sciences." Education is a complex collection of practices that allow people to gain access to the fullest extent of human potential. The methods used to educate individuals vary greatly, as do the results obtained, but all involve educating people about the world around them, and how they can best use it to advance their lives.

What is true education? Many people define this broad concept in different ways. For some, it is merely the process by which we acquire knowledge, regardless of its content; for others, it refers to the curriculum that a nation's schools follow, the assessment that the government's schools must pass, and the tests that students are given to measure their progress toward achievement. Still others would have it be the comprehensive system of public education that most developed nations now offer.

Defining what is true education, however, is easier when it comes to the Internet. There are many websites that talk about this broad subject, and many of them offer resources and tools for further discussion. Here, too, a number of competing theories abound. Some, such as those put forth by philosopher Peter Senge, suggest that there is nothing inherently good about the way that we learn, that we are motivated by various psychological factors when we learn, that there is no such thing as absolute knowledge, and that the purpose of education is rather one of broadening people's perspectives and helping them to develop skills that they need to succeed in society.

Some other theories about what is true education deal with the importance of tests and examinations, or the necessity of curriculum reform in the face of growing technology and demand for increased knowledge and skills. Still others insist that the world has become so materialistic that it has lost the meaning of education and that the only method of learning is that through practical work. Still yet, some others insist that one can find true values in what is true education.

In order for one to really know what is true education, one would have to speak to not just those who put forth theories but also to those who practice them. This, however, presents a problem for those who want to speak with those who practice what is true education. For a teacher who wants to make sure that his or her classes are really helpful in uplifting their students, it becomes necessary to visit the homes of the students and ask them about their views on the matter. Unfortunately, very few people welcome strangers into their homes and this makes it difficult for the teacher to know what the students really think. On the other hand, it is not impossible to discern truth from falsity in an examination where the objective is to determine which ideas are better than those being presented.

Indeed, it is hard to know what is true education when it comes to teaching and learning. One can say that it exists in the classroom, and there are certainly those who have been able to make a mark in that field through sheer hard work. However, it is not an iron clad guarantee that one will become a success in the teaching profession. It is important to remember that some of the greatest teachers of all time started out not as experts on any given topic but simply as students who were keen to learn more about that topic. As they were able to grasp the subject and grasp the concepts and learn the theories, their reputation spread and before too long they became experts on that topic.