Education is the transmission of knowledge from both the family and the school to society's young. It broadens
a student's knowledge about their community and the world around them in many different ways. Also, it gives
a child a chance to expand their knowledge on many different topics and school subjects.
Epictetus, a Greek born philosopher
and slave, once wrote "Only the educated are free". Knowledge is the true sense of freedom since it expands
one's horizons and opens them to the opportunities in our world. Without this knowledge, a child only knows
what is in their community and what is available to them. Education gives them the chance to make educated
decisions with prior knowledge and resourcefulness.
Malcolm Forbes once wrote
in Forbes Magazine that "Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one". The child's
mind is expanded with opportunities the world provides to them. Even during ancient times, society gave
opportunities in one form or another to prepare the child for adulthood with common knowledge of a trade or
broad knowledge about many things in the world as they knew it.
"All men by nature desire knowledge." was once said by
Aristotle. It is the driving force throughout everyone's lifetime. It first shows up as a curiousity in a
young child. The thirst for knowledge does not end because a child's school education has ended.
A thirst for knowledge helped spark education in our earliest society. It has sparked freedom and an open
mind among its students. In the end, education is the parents' and society's best gift to our young.
Recommended Assignment:
* Reflect upon three different ways you have benefited from education.
* Think about and list the values you want your children to have as adults.
