Introduction
Education has traditionally been a necessary stage in the life of every human being. This idea has been transmitted for centuries in the works of philosophers, artists, writers, directors, and various public figures. Nevertheless, the issue of compulsory education in the modern cultural context has little been studied. This is due to the stereotype promoted that learning has long been, and still is, associated with a certain degree of violence on the child’s psyche. The association of learning with neuroticism and evaluative addiction, although not unreasonable, is pervasive among parenting communities.
Moreover, with the proliferation of blogging and many social media-related professions that do not require academic experience, the popularity of education has declined over time. However, despite the above factors, the need for education remains an undeniable issue. The educational experience is a unique environment that reveals many qualities that allow individuals to feel confident in a dynamic world, a fundamental criterion of happiness.
Perception of Education
Education as Challenge
The first association many people have with education is difficulty. However, this phenomenon should not be discouraged because it has many positives when approached correctly. First, academic challenges teach the child and student independence and initiative. Secondly, difficulties contribute to developing tactical thinking, assiduity, and discipline. Finally, if one is exclusively against the background of problems, one can appreciate the importance of rest and recovery. It is important to note that all these learning difficulties should be balanced by parents and teachers controlling the student’s condition.
Learning difficulties should result from a healthy interest in the subject or prevailing motivation. Otherwise, the pupil can fall into an estimable dependence and face excessive stress, anxiety, and neurosis. In this case, all the fears of psychologists and parents about the appropriateness of a full-fledged education will be valid. Another critical component of learning is a person’s socialization (Wirts 97). At the school level, the student faces a new experience of communicating with peers with different views and interests, learning to build relationships with teachers, and complying with subordination. At university, the student enters a unique community of like-minded people from which fruitful collaboration can grow.
Education as Opportunity
Finally, learning creates situations for people of all ages where there is an opportunity to explore oneself more deeply. The learning process is most often structured so that the student can try out a variety of activities, including applied work, information study and analysis, and research. Such a variety allows students to see their aptitudes and understand what is interesting.
At school, before the onset of the profile division by subject, the child can feel inclined to the humanities or the exact sciences. As a student, when the choice of field of study has already been made, a person also has the opportunity to determine his or her preferences (Felten and Lambert 65). For example, many people go exclusively into research and science. In contrast, others realize that they quickly adopt the experience of their pre-teachers and are ready to get down to practical work as soon as possible. In this case, a contradiction arises since many skeptics might argue that for students who are disappointed in their major, education turns out to be useless.
However, this situation has its pluses because giving up a profession shows people exactly what they do not need and narrows the search field. Moreover, those students at universities and colleges who choose not to tie their lives to their primary find use for themselves in other segments of activity, including student sports, activism, and organizing. Philosophically, education is essential.
Education as Progress
Students become accustomed to inquiry, one of the leading learning activities. It greatly affects one’s worldview, filling it with the need for meaningfulness. People with educational experience seek awareness and search for a rational justification for what is happening. From a global perspective, this ensures the progress of civilization. However, there are advantages for individual life because it also makes people invulnerable to crises or global changes.
Under present conditions, the goal and product of the educational system must be the human intellect and personality. If a person has no education, it will be more difficult for him to fulfill himself, to achieve personal goals, and to find a suitable occupation. However, it is still possible to go through life without education, but one will have to overcome many difficulties and a lot of physical work, which in the end may lead to a loss of physical and mental health (Weiss and Reville 64). An uneducated person believes he already knows everything and has nothing to learn, while an educated person will always strive to acquire new knowledge for self-development.
Conclusion
Thus, all of the above aspects, including critical thinking, initiative, communication, and self-discovery, are positive benefits of education. Given the current circumstances, the primary objective and outcome of the educational system should be the development of human intellect and character. Students who have passed through the stages of school and higher education acquire the necessary skills to navigate constantly changing circumstances. Education allows one to feel inner confidence, to see perspectives from any starting point, and thus to feel happy.
Works Cited
Felten, Peter, and Leo M. Lambert. Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020.
Weiss, Elaine, and Paul Reville. Broader, Bolder, Better. Harvard Education Press, 2021.
Wirts, Robert B. On the Importance of Education. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018.