One of the most daring, interesting and noteworthy books on economic policy was published in 2003, and its author is not an economist. Alison Wolfe is a professor and teaches pedagogy at the University of London. Few scientists of this caliber would dare to write a book that questions the very myth that politicians probably tinker with the most: the myth that a society's level of education is the key to its economic prosperity.

However, it was this sacred cow that was encroached upon by the author of the book "" (Alison Wolf.). The book focuses on the situation in the UK, where Prime Minister Tony Blair outlined three priority areas for his government: "education, education, education." However, the author's arguments and conclusions are extremely significant and relevant not only for this country.

If we talk about specific people, then, as the facts discussed in the book show, education - i.e. "the right qualification in the right field from the right school" certainly matters (not surprisingly). Moreover, in our time, education means much more than ever. Those who do not finish school or do not receive secondary education are likely (and this probability is increasing) to earn little. People without a college degree, and in some cases even without a diploma from a good university, increasingly suffer the same bitter fate. In other words, it is very beneficial for a particular person to be educated. However, another question must be answered, which is especially relevant for countries where the education system (including higher education) is funded by the state: what is the benefit of education to the state as a whole?

As the book argues, this benefit is much smaller than you might think. In particular, raising the level of education does not necessarily contribute to economic growth, as most politicians (and economists) wrongly believe.

There can hardly be any doubt about the need for primary and secondary education. Life in modern society requires high literacy and elementary mathematical knowledge. Those who leave primary or secondary school without having received such knowledge become a burden to society and others. And, most importantly, modern society needs excellent universities that produce enough, but not too many, specialists who can do research and work in their specialty as doctors, engineers, and scientists. More broadly, education promotes (or can promote) the acquisition of qualifications and skills that increase productivity. It can be assumed that when the productivity of labor in a society increases, then society itself becomes more productive.

What is the problem then? If all of the above is true, then why shouldn't society benefit economically from higher levels of education? However, there is one important “but”: education is a relative thing; education in itself cannot guarantee a high salary; the point is to be more educated than others. Getting an education is, in a sense, a race: if everyone runs faster, that may be good in itself, but it does not mean that more people will be able to break through to the top, where the top 10% live. Thus, a significant amount of extra effort can be wasted. And we should keep this in mind when assessing the benefits that society can receive by increasing the cost of education.

Wolfe's book is remarkable in that it draws the reader's attention not only to this obvious, albeit important, fact, but also to the dangers associated with the current obsession with the idea of ​​education and economic growth. One of these dangers is that if education is thoughtlessly pursued, the link between education and economic growth can be weakened. The other is that an over-concern with economic growth narrows and distorts the public's understanding of what education really is.

In the UK, as in many other countries, the focus on the economy has turned into an obsession with numbers: the government wants as many people as possible to go to university and conducts its fiscal policy accordingly. And it seems that the quantitative growth has led to a deterioration in the quality of university education. This is one of the losses. In addition, attracting a mass of teachers to higher education has a bad effect on the secondary school, from where the best teachers begin to leave. But worst of all, perhaps, is that leading universities are beginning to feel a lack of resources. As a result, they are no longer able to produce as well as they used to, the most brilliant students who are destined for leading roles in the forefront of science and technology.

Why is there an outflow of resources from elite universities? This may seem unlikely, especially if the government is convinced that education is the key to economic growth. However, experience suggests otherwise. The more efforts are spent on attracting students to universities, the greater the shortage of funds in the educational system as a whole, because the state needs funds to carry out its educational policy. In addition, when a government decides to facilitate access to higher education institutions - usually at the expense of taxpayers - it becomes difficult for it to politically favor leading universities. After all, this way the whole idea can lose its egalitarian pathos. Thus, the best universities find themselves in a cramped position, and one of the main links between education and economic growth comes under attack.

So, the position “education, education, education” leaves much to be desired. But in any case, the author of the book insists, education is more than economics. The consequences of pushing a lot of people into universities will be disappointing not only in economic terms. Due to the fact that this process is driven by a destructive concern for economic growth, it will also affect other aspects of society that are not considered to be conducive to growth. “Our recent ancestors,” the author concludes, “who lived much poorer than us, set other tasks for education: cultural, moral and intellectual. By neglecting these tasks, we impoverish ourselves.”

Millions of events take place in the universe every minute, and each of them can turn the world upside down. We are people and everyone lives in his own ego, but no one was born by chance. Everyone has their own tasks in this world and life is given for their fulfillment. Often we do not reach the light, but stop in the middle of the corridor of the life path and try to find the truth in the dark, we fence ourselves off from the opinions and help of other people because of our selfishness. But in any case, we need inspiration. It is given by people and their creations. The main thing is to keep the world together and it does not matter that we are all of different nationalities, live in different countries and speak different languages. After all, we invented all these formalities ourselves. We are different, but the truth is one. People talk about what is happening in space, afraid to look inside themselves and find this truth. And it is inspiration that will erase the line we have created. The flight of thoughts is unlimited, but this is our little world of everyone.

But what makes us able to choose our purpose in life? What does this world of each person consist of? After all, something is embedded in its base. And this something is something with which we develop. We read books, follow scientific discoveries, that is, we are constantly in the flow of information that does not stop. The flow of information is different and our consciousness filters it depending on what kind of information suits us. Thus, we choose our interests, study the qualities that we would like to achieve, set goals. This is called education. After all, we live in the information age, so we constantly learn something new.

It is a mistake to limit the definition of the concept of "education" to a school or university, because these stages in our life do not give us a practical part. And having memorized the theory, we step beyond the threshold of an educational institution and understand that here life is seething with a living stream, and not with a vicious circle of information accumulated by statistics over several years.

It should also be noted that what is called education is what a person himself directly acquired from the educational system that was offered to him. Therefore, education can be divided into 2 branches: as a process, that is, what all people go through, regardless of the final results obtained,and as a completed action that already has its fruits and the results are visible on the face. Such a person is called educated. And the honorary title of an educated person deserves if he not only owns some amount of information, but also knows how to operate with it and subject it to analysis and reflection, and not simply taking it for granted.

Unlike past centuries, our century is a time of free information, so everyone can get an education or be educated - that's how it is more interesting for anyone.

Dictionary of Efremova

Education

1. and.
   1. The level of education as a set of knowledge obtained in the learning process.
   2. Enlightenment, culture.

Thesaurus of Russian business vocabulary

Education

Syn: learning

Ant: ignorance, incompetence, inexperience

Dictionary of antonyms of the Russian language

Education

ignorance

illiteracy

ignorance

inexperience

incompetence

ignorance

Dictionary Ushakov

Education

education, education, pl. No, female (books.). distraction noun k in 2 value; degree, presence (in 4 value), culture. "What story could I write with my pathetic education?" Pushkin. "Literature in general is the constant companion of education." Dobrolyubov. “He wants to show his education.” Chekhov.

Pedagogical terminological dictionary

Education

the quality of a developed personality that has acquired experience with the help of which it becomes able to navigate in the environment, adapt to it, protect and enrich it, acquire new knowledge about it and through this continuously improve itself. The criteria for O. are the systemic nature of knowledge and the systematic nature of thinking, which is manifested in the fact that a person is able to independently restore the missing links in the system of knowledge with the help of logical reasoning. "Education is what remains when everything learned is forgotten" (ancient aphorism).

(Kodzhaspirova G.M. Pedagogical Dictionary. - M., 2005. S. 93-94)

Sentences with "education"

And judging by the warm reviews of intimate communication with Chaplin, with whom his friend Thor brought him together, obscurantism does not repel him: on the contrary, for all his high education, including foreign education, it noticeably attracts ...

For the Russian intelligentsia, education was always of a purely Western type.

The education reform in the Russian Federation is being carried out according to the American model, and there, in turn, this process has led to a complete degradation of education, to a drop in the level of education of school graduates to the level of the eighteenth century, when they can neither read, nor write, nor think, which he stated Bill Gates about this.

The section is very easy to use. In the proposed field, just enter the desired word, and we will give you a list of its meanings. I would like to note that our site provides data from various sources - encyclopedic, explanatory, word-building dictionaries. Here you can also get acquainted with examples of the use of the word you entered.

The meaning of the word education

education in the crossword dictionary

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov

education

education, pl. no, w. (book). Distraction noun to educated in 2 values; degree, availability of education (in 4 values), culture. What story could I write with my pathetic education? Pushkin. Literature in general is a constant companion of education. Dbrlbv. He wants to show his education. Chekhov.

New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

education

The level of education as a set of knowledge obtained in the learning process.

Enlightenment, culture.

Examples of the use of the word education in the literature.

It was about this assignment: the Benedictine monastery of Mariafels, one of the oldest hearths in the country education, who had maintained friendly relations with Castalia and had been especially devoted to the Glass Bead Game for several decades, asked to send a young teacher there for some time to read the introductory course of the Game and work with several successful students, and the choice of the master fell on Knecht.

Another thing is that Elena Pavlovna always tried to provide effective assistance to people of science and art, her high education harmoniously combined with true patronage.

The younger Gordian stood out in addition to his noble origin education and beauty.

By the time Alan Drayton arrived in Venice from distant England, which seemed to the Italians a barbarian country, the humanist education spread among a fairly wide range of people.

These words best confirm the cited news about the love of reading and, in general, education princes.

However, the characterization of the great poet and playwright as a man of little education testifies to a very superficial acquaintance of Fuller himself with the poetic and dramatic works of Shakespeare, in which later more attentive and erudite researchers discovered undeniable and numerous traces of a unique education, deep culture of their author.

In China, as I noted earlier, enlightenment is beginning to decline, and if one could impartially evaluate the current education Europe, then, probably, there would be clear signs of decline.

On the other hand, this is the lower class of the new society, whose representatives come for the most part from the environment of the working class or unskilled immigrants, do not differ in high education and do not consider education as a significant value, are driven mainly by material motives, are employed in mass production or primitive service industries, and are often temporarily or permanently unemployed.

Behind this tendency is a subconscious desire to show one's education, as well as the desire to separate from the world of mass culture.

Although, of course, with a correction factor for intelligence and education.

Mila Rutkevich, collecting books, said loudly, so that everyone could hear: - And why only some boast of their education when it's not in the program!

He wrote, in his capacity as prosecutor, works that will give posterity the most advantageous idea of ​​his talents and education.

Instead of Kratov, Mishka Aristov answered, He loved his education show: - At the end of the last century, the Kuban did not flow into the Azov, but into the Black Sea.

Today, the question arose of how, from the sources of this existence in the present, to create in the community of folk teachers, workers, employees, peasants a new education, prevent the vulgarization of the old.

On Galla, however, education made no impact: he grew up fierce, unbridled and for his cruelty in the end paid with his life.

To knowledge about the world, values, experience accumulated by previous generations.

Education, like science, can be considered in tex aspects:

• it's a holistic knowledge system a person about the world, supported by relevant skills in various fields of activity;
• it's purposeful education personality, the formation of certain knowledge and skills;
• it's a system social institutions providing pre-vocational and vocational training.

aim education is to introduce a person to the beliefs, ideals and values ​​of the dominant part of society.

Functions education are as follows:

• upbringing;
• socialization;
• training of qualified specialists;
• familiarization with modern technologies and other cultural products.

Criteria of education

Education is the result.

Educated person- a person who has mastered a certain amount of systematized knowledge and, in addition, is used to thinking logically, highlighting causes and effects.

The main criterion for education- systematic knowledge and systematic thinking, manifested in the fact that a person is able to independently restore the missing links in the knowledge system with the help of logical reasoning.

Depending on the amount of knowledge gained and achieved level of independent thinking distinguish between primary, secondary and higher education. By nature and direction education is divided into general, vocational and polytechnic.

General education gives knowledge of the foundations of the sciences of nature, society, man, forms a dialectical-materialistic worldview, develops cognitive abilities. General education provides an understanding of the basic laws of development in the world around a person, the training and labor skills necessary for each person, and a variety of practical skills.

Polytechnic education introduces the basic principles of modern production, develops skills in handling the simplest tools that are used in everyday life.

The role of education in human life

Through education, transmission occurs from one generation to another.

On the one hand, education is influenced by the economic and political spheres of public life, as well as the socio-cultural environment - national, regional, religious traditions (therefore, the models and forms of education differ significantly from each other: we can talk about Russian, American, French education systems).

On the other hand, education is a relatively independent subsystem of social life, which can influence all spheres of society. Thus, the modernization of education in the country makes it possible to further improve the quality of labor resources and, consequently, contribute to the development of the economy. Civic education contributes to the democratization of the political sphere of society, legal - to the strengthening of legal culture. In general, high-quality education forms a harmonious personality both in general cultural terms and professionally.

Education is of great importance not only for society, but also for the individual. In modern society, education is the main "social lift" that allows a talented person to rise from the very bottom of social life and achieve a high social status.

Education system

Education is one of the most important spheres of social life, on the functioning of which the intellectual, cultural, and moral state depends. The end result comes down to the education of the individual, i.e. its new quality, expressed in the totality of acquired knowledge, skills and abilities.

Education retains its potential as a determining factor in the socio-economic development of Russia.

Education system includes:

• preschool educational institutions;
• educational institutions;
• educational institutions of higher professional education (higher educational institution);
• educational institutions of secondary specialized education (secondary specialized educational institution);
• non-state educational institutions;
• additional education.

Educational institutions are a massive and extensive system. Their network affects the socio-economic situation, both in the country and in the regions. In educational institutions, the transfer of knowledge, moral principles and customs of society is carried out.

The most important social institution in the education system is the school.

Problems facing education management:

• low salaries of teachers;
• insufficient material and technical support of educational institutions;
• lack of personnel;
• insufficient professional level of education;
• insufficient level of general culture.

Structure of education

Education, like any social subsystem, has its own structure. Thus, in the structure of education, one can single out educational institutions(schools, colleges, universities), social groups(teachers, students, pupils), studying proccess(the process of transferring and assimilation of knowledge, skills, abilities, values).

The table shows the structure of education on the example of the Russian Federation. Basic general education in the Russian Federation until the age of 15 is compulsory.

Educational levels

In addition to preschool, general and vocational education, sometimes there are:

• additional education that takes place in parallel with the main one - circles, sections, Sunday schools, courses;
• self-education– independent work to acquire knowledge about the world, experience, cultural values. Self-education is a free and active way of cultural self-improvement, which allows to achieve the best success in educational activities.

By forms of education when structuring, full-time, part-time, external, according to an individual plan, distance forms are distinguished.

The selected information is transmitted to students with the help of certain teaching aids, sources of information (the word of the teacher, teaching aid, visual and technical means).

Basic principles of formation of the content of school education:

• humanism that ensures the priority of universal human values ​​and human health, free development;
• Scientific, which manifests itself in accordance with the knowledge offered for study at school with the latest achievements of scientific, social and cultural progress;
• Subsequence, which consists in planning the content that develops in an ascending line, where each new knowledge relies on the previous one and follows from it;
• historicism, meaning the reproduction in school courses of the history of the development of a particular branch of science, human practice, coverage of the activities of outstanding scientists in connection with the problems under study;
• Systematic, involving the consideration of the knowledge being studied and the skills being formed in the system, the construction of all training courses and the entire content of school education as systems that are included in each other and in the general system of human culture;
• Connection with life as a way to test the validity of the knowledge being studied and the skills being formed, and as a universal means of reinforcing school education with real practice;
• Age Compliance and the level of preparedness of schoolchildren who are offered this or that system of knowledge and skills for mastering;
• Availability, determined by the structure of curricula and programs, the method of presenting scientific knowledge in educational books, as well as the order of introduction and the optimal number of scientific concepts and terms studied.

Two subsystems of education: training and education

Thus, the concepts of "education" and "education" are the most important pedagogical categories that allow one to separate the interconnected, but not reducible to each other, subsystems of education as a purposeful, organized process of human socialization.

And here we are talking about understanding the term "education" in narrow pedagogical sense of the word, as a subsystem of education, which is on the same level with training, at the same level, and not “below” or “above it”, which can be schematically expressed as follows (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Two subsystems of education

This distinction in the education system has already been highlighted by Plato, who in the dialogue "Sophist" called to distinguish "from the art of teaching the art of educating", and in the "Laws" argued that "we recognize the most important thing in training is proper education." Moreover, by upbringing, he understood the formation of a person’s positive attitude towards what he is taught, introducing not only knowledge, but also methods of activity.

Since then, many attempts have been made to define training and education, to separate these processes. In recent decades, very promising approaches to solving this problem have been proposed in Russian pedagogical science, primarily by such researchers as AND I. Lerner, V.V. Kraevsky, B.M. Bim-Bad and etc.

Moreover, their concepts were not mutually exclusive, but complemented each other and, from the point of view of their main content, boiled down to the following:

• training and education are subsystems of a single process of education;
• education and upbringing are sides of the expediently organized process of human socialization;
• the difference between training and upbringing lies in the fact that the first is mainly addressed to the intellectual side of a person, while upbringing is directed to his emotional-practical, value side;
• training and education are not only interrelated processes, but also mutually supporting, complementing each other.

As noted Hegel, one cannot teach a carpenter's paw and not teach carpentry, just as one cannot teach philosophy and not teach philosophizing.

From this follows the general conclusion that education will be educative only when, along with educational goals, the goals of education are set and implemented. But nevertheless, in this two-pronged process there is a main link, and such is precisely training, which provides knowledge as the most solid foundation for education.

By expression K.D. Ushinsky, education is construction, during which a building is erected, and knowledge is its foundation. This building has many floors: skills, abilities, abilities of trainees, but their strength depends primarily on the quality factor of the foundation laid in the form of knowledge.

The unity of training and education is determined by the very nature of the pedagogical process, which includes purposeful training and education as subsystems of education.