Education

"Education" is a term which encompasses the teaching of specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, good judgement and wisdom.

Education begins the minute a baby is born and is life-long. For some, the struggles and triumphs of daily life are far more instructive than formal schooling (Thus Mark Twain: "I never let school interfere with my education.") Family members have an educational effect which is quite profound -- often more profound than they realize -- though family teaching techniques may be highly informal.

Formal education occurs when society makes a commitment to educate people, usually the young. Formal education has the advantage of being fairly systematic and thorough; but critics have always noted that whomever sponsors formal education, be it a church, the state or some other group, that group will almost always seek to shape its impressionable scholars in that image.

In recent years, life-long education has become far more widespread, and many adults have given up their notion that only children belong in school.

Categories

Classical Education -- Reading -- Math -- Language -- Science -- Ethics -- Religious education

Formal education

Elementary education -- Secondary education -- College education -- Graduate education -- Colleges and universities -- School choice

Educational policy

Literacy -- Standardized testing -- Education reform -- School choice

Informal education

Early instruction -- Home schooling

Theory and Methodology

Educational philosophies--Teaching methods -- Instructional Theories-- Learning theories -- Learning disabilities

Biographies

F. Matthias Alexander

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

B.F. Skinner

What are our priorities for writing in this area? To help develop a list of the most basic topics in Education, please see Education basic topics.

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