What’s the difference between education and schooling?
We tend to use these words interchangeably but there’s an important distinction between them that is rooted in their purpose.
The purpose of schooling, particularly public schooling, is to provide individuals, primarily young people, with the basic knowledge and skills that will permit them to function in modern society.
Education, on the other hand, is about becoming a truly excellent, well-rounded individual who has the ability to impact the world in a highly personal way.
Schooling generally takes place in a classroom, in a highly institutionalized setting, and for a specific number of years.
In our time, it is where students are prepared to enter the workforce in a career of their choosing.
By contrast, education is a lifelong process and can take place in a formal classroom, at home, at work or in nature.
Its purpose is not primarily about becoming employable but rather in tapping into the personal greatness that can be found in each of us.
One of the best examples I’ve seen personally, is an 85 year old man I once knew who had trained fighter pilots in WWII, became a farmer, built his own aircraft and became a serious student of history and astronomy.
I’ll never forget the joy in his eyes as he told me about his latest studies and stated, “I love to learn.”
His schooling taught him useful skills.
His education inspired the people around him to tap into their own personal greatness.
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