Purchasing

Mary Walker

What is education?
April 7, 2008

The American Heritage Dictionary’s definition of “education” (Noun):

            1. The act or process of educating or being educated

            2. The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s definition is a bit more insightful. He stated “Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life. Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. Education must enable one to sift and weight evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.”

How many people think of a college degree as strictly “book learning?” You have to acquire so many hours of learning to get a degree. Many people do not consider the other things you are learning and developing while on this road to achieving a degree.

We need to think of education as a personal development. An opportunity to learn, think, make decisions and choices in our life that will determine our future. I think this is why we are seeing so many people return to college. They enter the business world and realize the degree is a door opener in many companies. So many people do not work in the field of their degree; however it has provided them alternatives. 

As Dr. King stated, “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

The controversy continues, “Is a college degree worth the cost.” My vote is yes.

Posted by Mary Walker on April 7, 2008 | Comments (0)