SUBSTANCE IS LOST
MICHELLE M. DAYRIT
Human is the highest form of organism. The capability to learn and understand makes the mankind outstanding and unique in this world. Through the years, education becomes the strongest tool of every person as it sharpens the swords of knowledge and strengthens the foundation of learning. However, as time goes by, education loses its essence and the importance is being overlooked. Welcome to the 21st century, wherein education is known for memorizing, lecturing, torturing, and schooling— substance is lost.
Nowadays, education seems to be more complex. The connotation is, education is only happening inside the school. It is a war; grades shackle the students, outputs and performances exhaust the learners. But, education is deeper and meaningful than this. The word education comes from a Latin word education which means bringing up. According to dictionary.com, “it is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.” Read it twice, what you are thinking about education might be wrong.
In a bigger picture, education is a two-way process as the learners gather information and seek new knowledge that he/ she could practice to his/ her daily life. There are actually different types of education, depending on the core of the said process. Formal, Informal, and Non-formal education varies on the taught ideas and knowledge imparted to the learner; Formal education is a classroom-based learning that enhances the capabilities of a student and boosts their knowledge as it covers several academic subjects, Informal education is the product of conscious effort without the help of educational institutions— learning outside the school. Experiences mold the learner and cultivate him or herself through a long process, and Non-formal education is all about practical adult learning as it encompasses deliberate and systematic development through lifelong learning.
The bottom-line here is, regardless of what medium, of what institution you’ve been studying, or what type of knowledge you are seeking, education will always be education as long as the learning is given to the individual. Education gives each one of us the awareness we need to become a better person. It improves several aspects of each person. The essence of education is expanding one’s vision and building up yourself in attaining the self-actualization through learning experiences and cultivated knowledge.
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The author is Teacher III at Sindalan Elementary School