What Is Education

CHAPTER TWO
CONCEPT OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
2.1 WHY STUDY PHILOSOPY AND EDUCATION?
- The need to prepare a new breed of educators who can focus on ‘purpose’. To help
educators develop a clear vision regarding the purpose of education and its
relationship to the meaning of life.
- To acquaint educators with the basic problems of education
- Enable educators to evaluate the wider variety of suggestions offered as solutions to
these problems.
-
- To guide in the development of an internally consistent point of view and a program t
-That relates realistically to the larger world context
2.2 What is Education?
 Education is derived from two Latin words.

 Edu-cere-meaning to lead out. It implies intellectual growth, freedom and letting learners
grow at their own pace.
 Edu- care-meaning to form or train. It implies rearing/upbringing, shaping the character
of an individual.
 It is concerned with moral development producing morally upright individuals
More recent definitions.

 According to Osman and Cravers (1986) education involves at least two things i.e.
1. Passing the cultural heritage from one generation to the other so that essential
social and cultural continuity exists.
2. Providing the skills, abilities and an understanding to develop new ways of doing
things in light of new technologies.
 Peresuh and Nundu (1999) see education not only as a process but also a product.
 This involves among other things learning consciously or otherwise by young
members from their seniors in any society in a formal or informal setup.
 Peters (1966) sees education as a normative term that has an inbuilt value which he
terms them good.
 It implies that something worthwhile is being transmitted.
 The transmission of this worthwhile knowledge must be in a morally accepted
manner.
 Education is concerned with the betterment of individuals.
 “…... these processes of learning will enable the person to acquire all the skills,
behaviors, knowledge, values and norms which are considered worthwhile in the
society they belong” (Barker, 1986: 10).
 Langford (1986) says education is what goes on in schools and formal institutions of
learning.
 I call therefore a complete and generous education that which fits a man to perform
justly, skillfully and magnanimously in both public and private peace and laws.
2.3 PHILOSOPHICAL DEFINITIONS OF EDUCATION
1. Mahatma Gandhi: All round drawing out of the best in man (body, mind and
spirit).
2. Rabindranath Tagore: Enabling the mind to find out the ultimate truth,
which gives us wealth of inner light and love which gives significance to life.
3. Aristotle: It is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body
4. Rousseau: It is the development of a child from within
5. Herbert Spencer: It is complete living
6. Plato: It is the capacity to feel pain when inflicted by pain and to feel pleasure
when there is a pleasant situation.
7. Pestalozzi: It is the natural harmonious and progressive development of a
man’s innate power.
8. John Dewey: It is the process of living through continuous construction of
experiences.0057
Education can be summarized as the means through which the aims and habits of a group
of people is sustained from one generation to another. This can be done formerly or
informally. It is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind
(Kneller,1941).
2.4 PURPOSE/ FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION
 To give clearer views to enable a person to see or understand ideas more clearly
 To correct temperament
 To form habits and manners
 To fit one usefully into his own society [ To have civic efficacy and social development]
 Help in self-realization and individual development
2.5 AIMS OF EDUCATION
Education is necessary for survival of the society. For any society to plan her curriculum, she
must know her aims of education. Aim gives direction to the activity. Every county therefore
comes up with their own aims on which the curriculum is based. Aims are determined
idealistically, politically, socially, economically.
The following are some of the aims of education for most countries although it is really a task to
come up with general aims of education: -
 Education for minimum skills

 Education for vocational training
 Education for Nations unity
 Education for stimulating the desire to acquire knowledge
 Education for critical mindset
 Education for Democratic principles
It is evident that by now we have an idea of some of the aims of education today. Most countries
today advocate for educating someone as compared to training that person. A trained person is
rigid while an educated person is more open and humane.
2.6 CHARACTERISTICS/ NATURE OF EDUCATION
 It is a life-long process
 It is systematic/procedural
 It entails development of a person and his society
 It modification of behavior
 It is purposeful
 It is a continuous reconstruction of life’s experiences
 It is dynamic
 It is balanced development
 It adjusts an individual.
 It is direction
 It is integrated growth
FUNCTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY
The functions of philosophy are best thought of as 1. Activity 2. Attitude 3. Content.
As an activity, philosophy does the following;
1-Synthesizing 2.- Speculation 3- Prescription 4- Analyzing 5- Inspiration 5- Co-ordination
As attitude, philosophy is seen in the following characteristics:
A) Self- Awareness
B) Comprehensiveness
C) Penetration
D) Flexibility
As content, philosophy entails the following; Metaphysics, Epistemology and Axiology

2.7 WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION?
 According to Osman and Cravers (1986) it is the application of philosophical ideas to

educational problems and about the educational practices leading to refinement of
philosophical ideas.
 Langford (1968) asserts that philosophy of education aims at the acquisition by educators
of informed decisions about educational problems.
 Generally, philosophy of education questions the assumptions, beliefs and view-points
about the nature, goals and functions of education.
 The following questions are of interest to philosophy of education.
What are some of the assumptions that we often hold about education? Are these
assumptions true? What is the purpose of education? Is education for character
building? Are our children receiving quality education? Should education have aims?
What subject matter/content should be taught in schools? Who should choose the
content to be leant in schools? In a multi-cultural society, from whose culture should
the content be chosen? What is worthwhile knowledge?
Philosophy of education seen as application of philosophical tools to educational
problems, uses a number of application or tools.
A. Broad – Based approach that is based on principles and goals of the society as a
whole. An education policy means the National Policy which governs the national
goals by interpreting and utilized at several levels of educational practices.
B. Historical Approach which considers the past philosophies and ideas of the past
and applies them to similar problems reoccurring in the present.
C. Philosophical Approach which utilizes the philosophical ideas of different schools
of thought like realism, idealism, naturalism. These schools of thought however,
originally were not educational.
D. Analytical Approach which is seen as an eye opener approach. It allows for a
critical and rational attitude in examining issues of education, it analyses,
identifies and clarifies ambiguities and inconsistencies inherent in some words,
concepts, theories and assumptions. It addresses critical issues such as ethical
issues of educational practices, vocational training, punishment etc.
CONCLUSION.
 Philosophy of education enables us to understand the nature of our educational aims,
objectives, content and the selection process of such content.
 Education cannot operate in a vacuum; it has to be guided by a specific philosophy.

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CHAPTER TWO

CONCEPT OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

2.1 WHY STUDY PHILOSOPY AND EDUCATION?

2.2 What is Education?

 Education is derived from two Latin words.

More recent definitions.

2.3 PHILOSOPHICAL DEFINITIONS OF EDUCATION

2.4 PURPOSE/ FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION

2.5 AIMS OF EDUCATION

 Education for minimum skills

The functions of philosophy are best thought of as 1. Activity 2. Attitude 3. Content.

As an activity, philosophy does the following;

1-Synthesizing 2.- Speculation 3- Prescription 4- Analyzing 5- Inspiration 5- Co-ordination

As attitude, philosophy is seen in the following characteristics:

As content, philosophy entails the following; Metaphysics, Epistemology and Axiology

 According to Osman and Cravers (1986) it is the application of philosophical ideas to

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