What is the effect
of education on social life?
1) How People’s Lives and Beliefs were Affected by Education:
Thunderstorms were considered as the
manifestations of the wrath of god but science proved this theory wrong. They
used to perform rituals to cure a snake bite instead of taking proper
medication or treatment. Similar way, some supernatural causes were attributed
to diseases like smallpox etc., in the old days. Educations have uprooted many
such superstitions and social maladies. The lives of many people have
drastically changed for better due to the education. Due to the increased
awareness levels and progress in science there is an explosion of human
population with improved quality of life and life spans. Education has the
power to change people’s lives.
We see sudden birth of various diseases, health
hazards and natural disasters because of the human greed and over exploitation
of the nature. But only education with its powerful research and development can
solve these problems and also it can prevent the degeneration at all levels.
Whenever there was absence of education, in parts of the world, there were dark
ages, cruelty and many barbarities. But whenever there is quality education, we
see enlightenment, quality life and upward swing in science and technology.
Even in the modern world, in the societies impacted by the education, we see
peace, development, order and refined culture.
With the entry of education, there is
improvement in the public health, minimum amenities and living standards. Many
new branches of science and technology have originated making the life easier
and finding solutions to the new problems and challenges. All through centuries
education has been operating as a moderating force on society in various ways.
Many social evils have been eradicated through education. Many social reforms
have succeeded due to the advent of education only.
Education always served as an antidote to many
brutalities among human populations. As for India, child marriages were the
commonly seen evils, which have declined drastically in recent period only due
to education of the masses.
Along with the revolutionary changes made by
the humans in the modern times, we also find moral degeneration and rapid decline
in old values, leading to many unforeseen social and natural crisis. Education
is the only hope and the only answer to all these new challenges.
There
are new discoveries, inventions and innovative ideas as the product of modern
education. New branches of education like nanotechnology and biotechnology are
offering better medicines, new cures and new hopes for the fatal diseases and
health related problems.
There is
enormous increase in the productivity in the fields of agriculture, dairy
technology and various farm sciences etc., which are the potential sources of
feeding the exploding human population around the world.
2) The Positive Effects of Education:
Cleveland wrote in Borgan
magazine about the positive effects of education. She mentioned and clarified
how education decreases poverty, promotes health, closes the gender gap,
minimizes malnutrition, and provides economic growth.
Starting with how
education decreases poverty, Cleveland reported that about 61 million
children are not enrolled in primary school. Of these kids, 40 million live in
poverty. It is hardest for those living below the poverty line to even imagine
sending their kids to school because in many countries, obtaining an education
is not free. If there must be a choice between eating a meal and educating a
child, most families would choose eating a meal. Boys are often kept out of
school so they can work and bring in money for the family, while girls are kept
out to farm, cook and do other things in the home that are needed to keep the
family functioning. If those living in poverty can get an education, they can
pull themselves out of those living conditions. They can find a job and earn an
income, which is a key part to ending poverty. They can become self-sufficient
and independent from outside aid. An education is an invaluable tool for anyone
living in poverty today.
As for promoting health she said: “People who have
an education are significantly healthier than those who are not. Maternal
health benefits hugely from education. A child who is born to an educated
mother is 50 percent more likely to survive past the age of five. Educated
mothers are twice as likely to immunize their children, and are more likely to
seek prenatal care and assisted childbirth. Another area in which health could
improve with education is decreasing the cases of HIV/AIDS. If every child in
the world receives a primary education, seven million cases of HIV could be
avoided in the next 10 years. A secondary education lowers people’s risk of HIV
by 75 percent. Such a strong correlation has been seen that education is
considered a “social vaccine” for girls in avoiding HIV”.
The third point, closing the gender gap, which
started with Plato who called for having women receive good education as well
as men do, Cleveland added and highlighted the importance of having woman get
educated.” For many years, women were not allowed to attend school or obtain an
education. Because of this, there is a large gender gap, which only creates
further problems. Women who gain an education are working toward minimizing the
gap to further the abilities of women around the world. An education often
prevents young girls from being married off into a potentially limiting,
harmful situation. Additionally, women with an education are able to make
better, informed decisions for themselves. They often wait longer to have
children than those who do not have an education. This ensures that the woman
is ready to have children, rather than just being pressured into it by her
husband or society.”
Education is a good tool to minimize malnutrition.
According to what Cleveland has inferred, “Malnutrition is a severe problem
that many poor countries are facing today. Education has the potential to
decrease malnutrition in these countries. Education can provide people with
new, more effective farming techniques, which can increase crop production and
decrease malnutrition.”
To reemphasize on the fact that a high education
leads to getting high income, Cleveland added: “For every year of education, a
person’s average earnings increase by 10 percent. No country in history has
seen a steady economic increase without at least 40 percent literacy rate.
Education also increases a person’s chance at obtaining a steady job. By
earning an income, people contribute to the country’s economy as a whole.”
References:
Abiogu, G. (2014) Philosophy of Education: A Tool for
National Development?. Open Journal of Philosophy, 4,
372-377. doi: 10.4236/ojpp.2014.43040.
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=48656
Aminuddin Hassan, N. S.
(n.d.). Approaches& Values in Two Gigantic Educational Philosophies: East
and West. Faculty of Educational Studies, University Putra Malaysia.
http://www.oerj.org/View?action=viewPDF&paper=7
Bhumireddy, J. (2017).
Impact of Education on Society. Stories.
https://blog.school-time.co/impact-education-society/
Cleveland, H. (2014,
August 11). The Positive Effects of Education. Borgan Magazine.
E. Orji Kingdom, Job Maekae. THE ROLE OF
EDUCATION IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE, European Scientific
Journal, 2013
http://paperity.org/p/59139005/the-role-of-education-in-national-development-nigerian-experience
Mohadeseh Borhani
Nejad, M. R. (2013). Avecenna's Educational Views with Emphasis on the
Education of Hygiene and Wellness. International Journal of Health Policy
and Management, 201-205.
Murphy, M. (2015).
Plato's Philosophy of Education and the Common Core Debate. Association for
the Development of Philosophy Teaching (ADOPT) Spring Conference. Chicago,
IL. De Paul University: University of St. Francis.
http://www.oerj.org/View?action=viewPDF&paper=7
Umo, U. C. (2005).
Qualitative Primary Education in Nigeria. Journal of Qualitative Education, 1,
35-42
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