Education and Christian Education

Education and Christian Education

A. EDUCATION :

1) Education is considered to be one of the most powerful agencies in moulding the character and personality of the individual and determining the future of individuals and nation. We will discuss here about education in general and Christian education in particular.

2) Definition of Education : The term “education” is looked at with different notion by different people, and so, there is no single definition of ‘education’ which can be used comprehensively in all settings. Scholars define it from different perspectives due to complex nature of human personality, environment and philosophies of life.

As such, various definition of Education has been given by Educators.

i). According to Plato and Aristotle, education is a process of collection of information and knowledge which helps intellectual growth and development.

ii). Plato says, “Aims of education is to develop in the body and in the mind of the people all the perfection and all the beauty of which they are capable”.

iii). Aristotle says, “to educate means to develop all facalties, especially of mind so that he may be able to enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, beauty and goodness.

iv). Rousseau regarded education as “plants are developed by cultivation and men by education”.

v). Rabindranath regarded education as “that process which makes ne’s life in harmony with all existence and thus enables the mind to find the ultimate truth which gives as wealth of inner light and love”.

vi). According to Swami Vivekananda, “Education is the manifestation of devine perfection already existing in man”.

vii). According to R.S.Pandey, “Education is a continuous lifelong social process which accomplished development of men’s personality.

For some, education refers to the highly structured and formalized process; some understand it as personal development. Education is also define as a preparation for vocation, and for some, it is for the purpose of moral or character development.

In spite of the different opinions about education, one thing which is to be considered is that education is a process of change that every individual undergoes as they interact with their environment and encounters various issues throughout his/her life. Therefore, education means bringing changes in a person’s life.

The word ‘education’ has been derived from Latin terms –

i.              ‘Educatum’ means ‘to train’, ‘the act of teaching or training.’

ii.             ‘Educare’  meaning ‘to bring up’ or ‘to raise’, ‘to lead forth’ or ‘to come out’.

iii.            ‘Educere’, which means ‘to draw ot’, ‘to lead out’.

All these meanings indicate that education seeks to develop the innate capacities of human, to draw out the best in every individual and nourish the good qualities in a person’s life.