One of the key sources of development in any society is the educated people of that society, education directly or indirectly plays an important role to uplift the society as it gives radical thinking to the people which somewhere varnish the distinction between the upper and the lower class.
Distinctions based on wealth, caste, creed, etc., are very fundamental in any society but they are also considered toxic for the development thus educating people of the society becomes even more important for the people.
There are several Institutions established like schools and colleges which provide sources for learning and education people. Although, there are several confusions between education and learning, they both are different from each other.
Education vs Learning
The main difference between education and learning is that education is a wider term that includes learning as a part of it, on the other hand, learning can be informal and does not necessarily mean reading books or getting educated with degrees.
Comparison Table Between Education and Learning
| Parameters of Comparison | Education | Learning |
| Definition | Process of learning skills for gaining knowledge. | Process of gaining new understanding, skills, etc.. |
| Type of process | Formal | Informal |
| Source | Classroom learning | Personal experiences |
| Barriers | Age barriers | No barriers |
| Possession | Acquired specially | Present in all individuals |
What is Education?
The easiest definition of education is learning a skill or gaining knowledge. Education is just not confined to gaining knowledge or learning skill but it also includes making other people learn to do things or to help them in acquiring knowledge.
Education is extremely important because it helps to improve the personal lives of people and make the working of society smooth which for the more helps in development as a whole. Education can be defined as a social institution for gaining and providing other people knowledge Including basic skills, facts, and cultural norms.
Education is acquired through an outside source, And it is somewhere related to classroom learning for which getting admission in school or college is necessary. As, education is a more technical term it requires several details of the person acquiring education in an institution.
Education required to be provided by someone else for example teachers or tutors, one cannot call himself educated if they have acquired it on their own because for education getting officially admitted in an institution or getting proper lessons from teachers is important.
The process of getting educated is extremely formal and cannot be taken for granted. higher the education better the job will be provided in the future, sometimes the level of education is also dependent on the level of the institution for example school or college which is providing classroom learning.
Education is not confined to books rather it includes practical knowledge as well. For example there are practical Labs in schools and colleges where students can perform chemical reactions, and schools have proper playgrounds to practice along with bookish knowledge as part of physical education.
What is Learning?
Learning is a process of acquiring or gaining new understanding, knowledge, skills, etc., by studying or can involve from the inner self as well.
Learning is not confined to humans but animals also tend to learn things. There are even a few species of plants which are evident to learn things. In humans learning can come from a person’s personal experiences as well.
For learning, there is no necessity like getting admitted in school or college because learning is itself an informal procedure and there is no age bar for acquiring knowledge or skills at an informal level. Learning is a different process in classroom learning.
Learning is not dependent on books, a person or animal can learn things from their surroundings and it is a never-ending process, learning can be done at any age, any time and anywhere. For example, if a person wants to learn cooking then he/she can anytime learn it through various sources which do not necessarily include books.
Learning is a Basic Instinct which is present in all individuals regardless of their age or gender. For example for a two-year-old toddler learning how to speak or walk. Learning is part of education and without learning education is not possible.
Learning is related to individuals perception although it is affected by people or books, it is completely dependent on the individual. Through learning an individual evolves inner self and improves as a person but it might not provide a white-collar job directly but being basic of education it indirectly helps in getting a job.
Main Differences Between Education and Learning
- Education is a wider term which includes learning and acquiring other skills along with knowledge on the other hand learning is a process of gaining new understanding, skills, etc..
- Education is a formal process on the other hand learning can be informal.
- To gain education getting classroom learning is important whereas for or learning there is no such requirement rather learning comes from personal experience of an individual.
- Education has some sort of age barriers but learning is an ongoing process which does not possess any age barrier for any individual.
- Learning is an instant possessed by all individuals but education is acquired especially through several processes by an individual.
- Education is confined to human beings only but learning can be possessed by animals or even plants.
Conclusion
Education and learning go hand in hand. Without learning education is not possible.
Education is a formal term whereas learning is an informal term. Learning has no barriers but education has some sort of barriers.
Both of them are equally important for the society as they not only provide an individual with a better life but also helps in developing society in economic and cultural terms.
References
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9O6lyhjQIw8C&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=what+is+education&ots=3zVwEm0FEq&sig=Gi75a3LKDS8opC5C9YJQtJ4_GKE
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1967-02179-000