Education is an effort by the elders of society to transfer their knowledge and experience to the younger members; thus becoming an institution, which plays an integral role in facilitating individuals to integrate into their society while maintaining the preservation of the individual’s culture. It is a tool that immortalizes the evolution of mankind, facilitating the flow of values from one generation to another while enabling cultural changes to be adapted within the process of transferring knowledge. As articulated by Emile Durkheim, education is the influence which is exercised by the adults in the society on those who are not ready for adulthood. More importantly, children learn the basic rules, norms, and values through education.
The foundation of any society today is based on education as it brings about economic prosperity. Gaining education enables individuals to live a respectable and comfortable life in whichever society she belongs to, be it a third world country or a rich developed country. This is due to the fact that education provides a background where the culture and values of a society are developed. Education provides a forum where society can examine issues and come up with solutions such as the pollution level issue being discussed in recent times. In this respect, the advancement of a socially and economically sound society is via gaining education which subsequently enables individuals to run a modern society.
In the contemporary world, in order to succeed, education is a vital tool to help mitigate and at times even eliminate the challenges faced in life. The knowledge gained via education enables each individual’s potential to be optimally utilized through training and use of intellect which opens opportunities for individuals leading to better prospects for career growth. Education has played a vital role in the modern world as well since prospective employees must be qualified to perform various tasks effectively and efficiently--skills which are transmitted through the conventional schooling system. Using career as an example, education is the foundation of developing individuals by providing knowledge regarding humanity, social norms, cultural differences, etc. Using education individuals can acquire new approaches in life and build opinions on the economic as well as social aspects of modern life. Education helps individuals to interpret the world around them with moral judgment, conform to their environment, accept change and even bring about new innovations to improve society in general.
The current advancement in technology has been brought about largely by education since individuals are able to acquire the skills from formal institutional settings such as schools and universities and apply the skills in real life leading to innovations and advancements in technology. Presently, employment is based on education and knowledge because all employees must possess the skills which match current technology to complete the tasks given by their employers. Prospective employees must have the knowledge and skills needed to cope with the evolving technology in all sectors starting from agriculture to medicine. Hence, education is now a principal measure of the labor market and all employers base recruitment on the essential skills needed and provided by education as well as the ability to articulate and apply the skills in respective fields.
Even without considering career, education has played an integral role in the modern life for all individuals in a society. It has enabled regions to prosper economically as well as socially by facilitating a common culture and value based on education. It is through education that the world is now adapting to a common medium where race or class is secondary while knowledge, intellect, and acceptance are predominant features of a society.
