An Education Can Come From Anywhere

From an early age, children are taught that education is important. This is a correct statement because the importance of education will never falter. To succeed in any aspect of life, having some form of education on any given subject is not optional, but necessary. 

Education: The First Encounter

When most people hear the word education, the first thought that they have is usually about going to school. Yes, most education that happens on a large scale happens at a school, but that is not all. From the very beginning of life, the first education that babies get is taught to them by their mothers. A mother is the first teacher because she teaches the first skills that are needed to survive. Most people, even mothers, do not realise this but it is very important. This type of first hand education continues on until the child is old enough to attend school.

Learning The Basic Skills

In most places around the world, children first attend school around age 5. This is where the formal education, like math skills and reading comprehension, begin but that is not all that is learned. Children who attend school throughout the years are not only learning academics, but social skills as well. Interacting with their peer group on a regular basis educates them on personal relations. These interpersonal skills are important for lifelong progression because people are everywhere. Some studies suggest that the ones who have good people skills find it easier to progress through life.

As children grow into teenagers, their high school education helps to pinpoint certain areas of study and prepare the student for a college education. It is a known fact that going to college and getting a formal college education is an extremely good way to get prepared for a successful future. While it is true that some people may make it through life and be successful without going to college, that sort of success story is not as popular as we are lead to believe.

The School Of Life

However, even if they did not attend college that does not mean that they are uneducated. Self-taught education is a very real education that can be gained through personal research and avid reading. While the ones who teach themselves do not have the necessary credentials to prove what they know, in many cases practical application of lessons learned will speak for themselves. 

Any discussion on education would not be complete without mentioning the one school that everyone who has lived has attended. That would be the School of Life. The lessons we learn every day can usually be applied to many different situations and learning of other people's mistakes can help prevent us from having undesired outcomes.

Only a fool would argue that education is not important. On the contrary, getting educated might be the most important thing that can be done in life. How you take advantage and apply your education is up to you.

Gloria Haynes is a retired English teacher, who taught at Albany High School for 30 years. She now spends her days writing for her local newspaper and gardening with her grandchildren. 

Categories: College Life   Tags: education