Editor’s note: Eleta Oluseyi Kelvin, the NAIJ.com partner blogger, highlights the distinction between schooling and education.
Kelvin is the principal founder of HopeDose International a platform that specialises in real life coaching and career development.
More details in NAIJ.com’s step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.
I always ask young adults what they are really after. Is it education or certification? Checking the statistics all around the world, you will discover that most students don’t really know what education is.
This is why a common man on the street is always labelled as an illiterate without knowing that the knowledge he possessed supersedes that of the so-called educated man. Going to school doesn’t make you an educated person, you are just a step ahead into becoming one. The truth is that most of us who have passed through school actually went for the certificate and not the knowledge.
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I can vividly remember how my parents used to say; “go to school, get good grades, and get a good job”. Securing a good job has always been a principal factor why your parents tried so hard to engage you in schooling. But over time, I have come to disagree with this.
Schooling and education are two concepts that have been widely misinterpreted by many people. These two concepts vary not only in attributes, but also in contextual meaning.
Many of us believe that schooling is education (It happened to me also before I realised my stand). We allow our knowledge to be based solely on what we were thought in school without any advancement plan.
Graduating students
I do tell my colleagues that a professor is only considered an expert in his own field. But once he steps outside of his jurisdiction, he becomes a novice. Schooling is good and education is fantastic, both are of great importance and in other to survive in our world today, we certainly can’t do without both.
That is where the issue of contradiction comes into existence and it must be addressed. There is also a need to distinguish between these two concepts and have a clearer understanding of how not to contradict them in any situation.
What is schooling?
According to Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary, schooling is the education received at school. This kind of education has been in existence decades or even centuries before you were born. It’s a programmed education system that has put many in bondage and has hindered a lot of people from discovering their true potentials. This is because the system offers many comfort that makes lots of people feel secure without seeking for more.
Benefits attached to schooling include:
1. Job security
2. Professional recognition
3. Standard way of life
4. Sense of belonging
5. Level of exposure within area of specialization
6. Making your parents or sponsor proud
These benefits are merely an illusion to keep us in check and probably prevent you from going after your dreams. I won’t deny the fact that having all these benefits is called "living a good life", but it is far from living a fulfilled life. You may go to school, acquire all the information needed but never stop educating yourself. Knowledge are impacted while schooling but these are in basics and not deep enough compared to what you truly need.
What is education?
Education is the process of learning and improving of knowledge (underline that word ‘improving’). That word is basically the major difference between schooling and education. Schooling has little or no room for improvement but, there is always a room for improvement in education.
Now, this is why both schooling and education are of importance because without a basic knowledge through schooling, there will be nothing to improve on when trying to educate yourself. Before you can improve on something, there must be a foundation and the foundation here is schooling.
You lay a concrete foundation by going through the process of schooling but afterwards concentrate on educating yourself the more which will bring about improvement and fulfilment. Education is far from having certificate and all the necessary qualifications.
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The reason is that schooling will impose on you an area of specialisation, which will technically restrict your hunger for knowledge and diverting all of your attention and energy only to your own jurisdiction. But education on the other hand gives room for as many area of specialisations as possible.
I am a statistician by profession, but I read books on Economics, Law, Medicine, Political Science, Philosophy, only to mention but few. This is typical example of a proper education. I find myself totally useful anywhere the issue of economy is being addressed, or when it comes to politics. That is how it should be.
Education guarantees all these without any contradiction but schooling does not, as you are restricted to an area of specialisation.
Differences between schooling and education
1. Schooling is done within walls, education is not
2. In schooling you must have a jurisdiction; education offers you an unlimited time to know almost anything.
3. Schooling has a time-frame, education does not (education is a lifetime process. You can never stop learning)
4. In schooling teachers are selected. In education everybody or anything you come across is your teacher
5. Schooling will cost you. Education is free
6. Schooling will get you access. Education will get you assets.
7. Schooling offers a broad knowledge based on your area of specialisation. Education offers knowledge on any area you picked interest in.
Let's consider the life a man who dedicated his entire life unravelling the mystery behind education. Leonardo Da Vinci born on April 15, 1452 in the Republic of Florence (present day Italy).
Leonardo as widely called, was a man of intellect. He was an Italian Polymath, whose area of interest includes; painting, invention, music, sculpting, science, mathematics, astronomy, botany, writing, history, architecture, geology, cartography, engineering, and literature.
Leonardo was an addicted learner and at a very tender age, he was able to distinguish schooling from education. Being a major contributor to more than fifteen different fields, Leonardo never had the chance to visit any institution of learning as he was home tutored and apprenticed by his father at the age of fifteen.
His art works includes; the painting of The Last Super and Mona Lisa amongst other paintings. He is known for the sketch of many scientific drawings and even in automobile.
Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton idolised him and regards him as a great mind. Albert Einstein learned from his work and even kept his portrait on his wall until his death.
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Leonardo was able to achieve all this because he choose not to limit his mind or his ability to what schooling as to offer instead he invested in himself by educating himself on different subject matter.
He was not after been a professor or a renowned scholar, because he knew that a professor is limited to his field. A for apple will remain A for apple till kingdom comes. You need to identify the purpose of schooling in other not to allow it interfere with your education.
Philip Emeagwali with an IQ of 190 is a Nigerian Computer Programmer, Writer, Mathematician, Geologist, who used the Connection Machine supercomputer to analyse petroleum fields.
Though he left school at the age of 13 to be part of Nigerian-Biafran war but did not deter him from completing school through self study and earning a Mathematics degree.
His achievements didn’t stop their, he earned three Master's degree in Mathematics, Environmental and Marine Engineering from various Universities. He will always be a hero to his country and to the rest of the world for his achievements. This is a true example of an educated person without bonds.
What is the purpose of schooling and education?
Through schooling, you are able to identify your weakness, identify your strength, and self-discovery. The smart once always drop out of school immediately they are able to achieve this.
All they do is develop those strength attributes and look for ways to overcome their weaknesses. Am not in support of dropping out of school (I am also a degree holder), all am saying is that releasing these facts above to them makes schooling irrelevant to their interpersonal development.
They focus more on education and forget about schooling and keep on developing themselves through various channels of learning. Look around you today and you will come to agreement with me that, the so called dropout are the once living a life of fulfilment. The likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs (before his death) are good examples.
The purpose of schooling from generation to generation remains the same (to identify your weakness, to identify your strength, and for self-discovery) but only few among multitude are aware of this.
They simply take schooling to be education and play it safe, instead of exploring there true potentials and live a fulfilled life.
This is why the graveyard will remain the richest plot of land in terms of resources, because the abilities to do great things which is naturally given by God is mostly buried due to lack of self-discovery through schooling and lack of development through education. The purpose of education is basically for improvements.
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Always keep the rivers of knowledge flowing. Refresh it day in-day out and also remember that it is not a must for you to know everything but it is necessary for you to know little about everything.
You might not be a football fan, but chose not to be ignorant about football. You might despise politics, but you should be able to contribute something relevant when others are airing their views on politics.
If you chose not to widen your knowledge on different fields, you will be labelled ignorant no matter how intelligent and exposed you are. Knowing little about everything is true knowledge and a concrete definition of an educated person. You can be done schooling but you can never be through with education.
My advice for you is…
Never let schooling interfere with your education.
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Kelvin Oluseyi Eleta is a professional career consultant agent and founder of HopeDose International. How can HopeDose be of help? +2347060543620 is always open for calls and SMS and also feel free to reach us on WhatsApp. HopeDose offers services in the following areas; Speaking Engagements, Counselling, Project Management, Processional CV Development, Career Mentoring for High School and Undergraduate Students, CV Editing, and lots more.
For more information about HopeDose International, visit official blog at http://hopedosezone.blogspot.com and locate service page.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of NAIJ.com.
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