Does Having Formal School Education Make You Educated For Life?

Table Of Contents

• Importance Of Formal Education In Life
• But Does Having Formal Education Really Make You Educated?

“Talks like an uneducated person”, a common insult that we all have heard people say around us. It’s an insult that’s not even specific to English; you can find its variant in all vernacular languages in India. This insult gives us an idea regarding the status of formal education in India. 

Formal education in India is a ticket to not only secure and higher-paying jobs but also a higher social class. It’s this reason that parents all over our nation invest their blood, sweat, and tears into the education of their kids. 

But other than jobs and prestige, what else is the role of education? Let’s take a look at the importance of education.

Importance Of Formal Education In Life

It Prevents People From Being Tricked.  

Education hands you the most potent tool against trickery and scams – knowledge. There is no lack of people ready to blindside you into handing over your money or buying into sketchy schemes. It also makes a person more experienced in knowing exactly what they need for a particular career choice, not only for them but also for their kids in the future. It also gives you a basic understanding of things in life that make navigating modern society easier. 

Knowledge Of Modern Medicines And Science 

How many times have you heard of people trying to offer blatantly false solutions and remedies to diseases? From infomercials on televisions to pamphlets, non-verified cures to diseases can be seen everywhere. Formal education provides basic knowledge regarding science, chemistry, and biology. Thus, it’s less likely that one will be hoodwinked. It also eliminates the possibility of doctors and healthcare workers getting away with recommending excessive tests and medicines just for pure profit purposes. 

Financial Freedom

Nothing makes the importance of education as clear as money matters. Unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence among people who aren’t aware of various laws and regulations to be cheated out of their money simply by making them sign a particular document. It can range from properties being taken away by relatives to intermediaries taking away part of government benefit schemes. It provides a basic understanding of money and financial matters, so people aren’t as easily fooled. People formally educated can also manage their own money and create savings without asking other people for help. This gives them immense financial freedom.

Knowledge About Culture And History 

When we talk about the importance of education in life, we cannot forget about self identity. Formal education teaches us about who we are in the larger context of society. By understanding our history, we can be more aware of our identity in the larger context. We know more about various cultural practices, the struggle of our people for independence, the sufferings of minorities, and much more. It turns us into a more open-minded and empathetic person.

But Does Having Formal Education Really Make You Educated?

In the literal sense, yes, having formal education does make a person educated. However, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Education doesn’t exist only in the form of formal education. You don’t need to go to school and attend specific classes to learn about fundamental things in our world and society. There are many other avenues to education, for example, homeschooling. A child can learn through educational toys rather than going to a physical preschool. Older people who didn’t get formal education but learned through experience are as educated as those who graduated from a prestigious university.

Do you have any experience with alternative modes of education? Let us know in the comments below.

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