Importance of Education

Education is an important human activity. It was born with the birth of the human race and shall continue to function as long as the human race lives. The importance of education may be summed up as under.

Highlights

1. An essential human virtue.

2. A necessity for society.

3. Important for integration of separate entities.

4. Gives significance of life.

5. Educated men are .superior. Aristotle

6. Sign of freedom. Epictetus

7. A controlling grace. Diogenes

8. Basis of good life.

1. An essential human virtue

Education is an essential human virtue. Man becomes 'man' through education. He is what education makes him. It has been rightly said that without education, man is a splendid slave, reasoning savage.

2. A necessity for society

Education is necessary for society. Education fashions and models man for society. Man cannot be conceived merely in terms of his biological existence. Education brings into focus the social aspect of man. Education signifies man's supreme position in society.

3. Important for the integration of separate entities

An individual is made up of different entities. Education brings about the integration of these separate entities.

4. Gives significance of life

Education teaches what man lives and struggles for. It cultivates an integrated life. By so doing, it gives significance of life.

5. Educated men are superior

Education is a sign of superiority. Aristotle wrote, "Educated men are as much superior to uneducated as the living are to the dead."

6. Sign of freedom

Education is a sign of freedom. Epictetus had declared, "Only the educated are free."

7. A controlling grace

Diogenes felt that "Education is a controlling grace to the young, consolation to the old wealth to the poor and ornament to the rich."

8. Basis of good life

Education is an essential basis of good life. A man becomes a human being in the real sense when he is transformed from primarily an animal being into a human being.

In short, education is an essential concomitant of all human societies. "What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul", says Addison.