Education

Learning that takes place in schools, school-like environments like formal education or in the world at large, and the spread of the values and accumulated knowledge of humanity. In developing cultures there is frequently little formal education; children be taught from their environment and activities, and the adults around them act as educators. In more multifarious societies, where there is more knowledge to be passed on, a more discriminating and efficient means of transmission - the school and teacher - become essential. The content of prescribed education, its duration, and who receives it have varied extensively from culture to culture and age to age, as has the philosophy of education. Formal education is a cognizant effort by human society to pass on the skills and modes of thought measured essential for social functioning. Techniques of teaching often reflect the attitudes of society, i.e., authoritarian groups typically sponsor inflexible methods, while democratic systems may emphasize freedom of thought.