Narrower and Broader Meanings of Education
Narrower and Broader Meanings of Education
We have discussed the meaning of education in a different context, now we will discuss briefly the differences between the narrower meaning of education and the broader meaning of education.
Narrower meaning of Education
In a narrower sense, education is limited in schooling. It is the conventional and traditional type of schooling system. The curriculum, methods of teaching, examinations, and teachers are prefixed and predetermined. It is very systematic to achieve the definite goals of education through classroom instructions and teaching.
The aims of education in these contexts are measured in terms of degrees or certification or promotion. There is a deliberate effort made with a definite purpose to develop a certain amount of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits in these institutions. This is a narrow concept of education, which is confined only to a few specific, deliberate, and planned efforts that have a bearing on the development of the individual.
The following definitions may make the narrower meaning more clear:
T. Raymont: “In the narrower and more definite sense, Education does not include self-culture and the general influences of one’s surroundings, but only those special influences which are consciously brought to bear upon the young, by the adult portion of the community, whether through the family, the church or the state.”
S. S. Mackanzy: “In a narrow sense, education may be taken to mean any consciously directed effort to develop and cultivate our powers”.
Many educationists have criticized this narrower sense of education. They argue that emphasis on knowledge is likely to reduce all schools to mere knowledge shops. The acquisition of knowledge is not the only or supreme aim of education, yet it is one of the important aims of education.
