In this sense, education is a life-long process and includesall knowledge, experience, skills and attitudes. Thus all experiences in lifebecome educative in nature and the process of education continues in allpersonal and social situations.
Education in this sense would certainly include allefforts for inculcation of values, attitudes and skills that the society desires to beimparted to children.
In contrast to this broader notion, schooling is an act ofconsciously imparting values, knowledge and skills in accordance with therequirements in a ‘formal situation. Schools also impart deliberate and systematictraining in specialized subject areas that may not be otherwise gained throughthe process of living and experiencing by individuals.
In its essence schooling isa limited educational exercise in terms of range of experiences provided. It isalso limited to a specific period of human life, i.e., from childhood till one leavesschool, while the process of education continues throughout the life.
We learnmost from our surroundings, from our friends and from other people who shareour interests, and schooling at best, can only be a part of our education.We may also draw a distinction between learning and education.
Learning is aprocess which results in more or less permanent modification of behaviour as aresult of practice or experience. Temporary states of the organism and thepermanent behavioural changes resulting from physical or physiologicalmaturation are excluded from the purview of learning. Thus any relativelypermanent modification of behaviour in any aspect of human personality can bethe result of learning.
In contrast, education is concerned with harmoniousdevelopment of human abilities and powers according to the needs of theindividual and the society.
While learning results in specific modification ofbehaviour, education seeks to mould the entire personality and takes a globalview of an individual’s abilities.
Another distinction between learning andeducation is that while learning can be either positive or negative education isalways positive from the point of view of social values. Learning being a non-normative psychological term does not involve any value judgement. Forexample, learning may even result in such socially unacceptable behaviourpatterns as stealing. But learning such negative behaviour can never be termedas education. Then there is a kind of ‘master-worker’ relationship betweeneducation and learning.
Education employs and utilizes the learning process toserve its own broad goals of developing harmonious personalities .Education is to aim at maintenance and continuation of the social order andfurtherance of interests of the society.
In a more liberal form the view advocatessuch aims of education as inculcation of social values in individuals, preparingindividuals for taking up social roles and responsibilities, increasing socialefficiency of individuals and creating such human personalities who wouldcontribute substantially to the well-being of the society.
In its more extremeshape, the view makes the distinction between education and indoctrination verythin and wants education to aim at creating individuals who would sacrifice theirindividuality for the sake of society.Various values have been put forth as ultimate aims of education, the aims ofeducation should strive to achieve as a final result.
The ultimate aims alwaystake their cue from the philosophies of life and the ultimate aims of human lifeitself.“Self-realisation” has been put forth as the ultimate aim of education by some.“Self-realisation” involves knowing the potentialities of individuals and thenhelping the individuals to actualise their potentialities.
There are others who statethis aim is harmonious development of individuals’ innate powers. MahatmaGandhi and PestaIozzi are two notable names among those who forward thisview.In an effort to forward an all-comprehensive, all-inclusive and a final kind ofeducational aim Herbert Spencer put forth the idea of “education for completeliving”.
This aim virtually tries to put all the aims of education into one.“Learning to Be”, the report of the International Commission on the Dev elopmentof Education says that, “the physical, intellectual, emotional and ethicalintegration of the individual into a complete man is a broad definition of thefundamental aim for education”. (P. 156).
This aim has been portrayed as theuniversal aim – the aim that holds true at all times and in all societies. “We findthis pedagogic ideal throughout history, in almost all countries, amongphilosophers and moralists and among most theoreticians and visionaries ofeducation. It has been one of the fundamental themes for humanist thought in alltimes.
It may have been applied imperfectly, but it has been fruitful and hashelped to inspire many of the noblest educational enterprises” (Learning to Be, P-156). Such an aim of education attempts to help and empower individuals to beauthors of their own fulfilment.The ultimate aims are a sort of final aims towards which the’ educationalprocesses are orientated.
But it is the specific aims which warrent immediateeducational programmes.
Such specific aims must always be in tune with theultimate aims of education to be fruitful. They also become stepping stones in thequest for the ultimate aims of education.”Learning to Be” lists the following among specific or immediate aims ofeducation: acquiring the tools of knowledge; developing affective qualities,especially in individual relationships with others; developing aes thetic sense; andpromoting physical well-being.
Other specific aims that have exercisedconsiderable influence over present educational practices include; equippingindividuals with vocational efficiency; building a good moral character in theindividuals; training in citizenship; and making individuals well-versed in theirculture.
