Education Meaning and Definitions

INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION

The word “education” can be understood from its roots in 4 Latin words that is Educare, Educere, Educatum and Educo.

Educare

The term “education” can be derived from the Latin word Educare which mean ‘to nourish’, ‘to bring up’, ‘to raise’. So the meaning of the education is to bring up children physically and mentally.

Educere

                This is another Latin word from which the word “education” is derived. The word educere implies to draw out, to lead out, to bring forth. Hence Education means bringing forth or leading out the inner power of the child, that is, drawing out what is inside the child.

Educatum

Latin word Educatum denotes to train, to teach. Thus, Education implies the act of training or teaching the child.

Educo

The origin of the word education is considered to be the combination of E and Duco means I Lead and E stand for out of. Education means to draw out or lead out the internal power of man. This is similar to the meaning of the word educere.

Educare: To Raise, To Nourish, To Bring up

Educere: To lead out, To draw out

Educatum: To Train, To teach

Educo: To Draw out, To Lead Out

WIDER MEANING OF EDUCATION

In this view, education is a long life process, which starts from the womb and ends in the tomb. The wider concept of education has been interpreted by some eminent educationists in the following ways:

John Dewey: Education is the development for all those capacities in the individual which enable him to control his environment and fulfil his possibilities.

Edward Thring: Education is the transmission of life by the living to the living.

Socrates: Education refers to discover the universal principles of truth, beauty and goodness which governs human conduct.

Plato: Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment. it develops in the body and in the soul of pupil all the beauty and the and all the perfection which he is capable of.

Aristotle: Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body. it develops man’s faculty especially his mind so that he may be able to enjoy the contemplation of Supreme truth, goodness and beauty of which perfect happiness essentially consists.

Milton: Education is that which fits a man to perform justly skillfully and magnanimously all the offices both private and public of peace and war.