has redefined the concept of equality and human rights discourse. Education is the most powerful
weapon which you can use to change the world; these are the words he used to articulate the
magnitude of education. Therefore, different discourses on concept of education need to be
understood from its utilitarian perspective. In the following discussion, we would try to depict the
definitional scope of Education to find out its expediency in individual human and for the
development of the society.
2.2.1 Understanding the Implication of Education
At the start we would begin with the most basic question what does Education7 means? In a wider
sense, education means “all activities by which a human group transmits to its descendants a body
of knowledge and skills and a moral code which enable that group to subsist”8 whereas, in narrower
sense, education connotes teaching and instruction in specialised institutions. To be more precise,
it means formal teaching or instruction, comprising primary, secondary and higher education. 9
From this these two aspects of definition, the significance of education can be drawn. It the way by
which the level institutions (be it primary, secondary or tertiary with their diverse stream) facilitate
to realize their existence in the society. In other words, all the basic necessities that human beings
need to survive and develop in the society can be by far achieved, if he or she has proper
orientation to education. This proposition may appear to be a bit exaggerating if consider the
people who subsisting even being completely illiterate, but if we set a close insight as to their life,
we would found that their life are being roam around the cycle stagnation. Therefore, education
plays a vital role in formulating a human ability as well as developing the condition of the society. It
should be emphasised, is an interactive process. Merely attending educational institutions, without
learning anything, does not amount to education. The right to education must therefore be
7
In English the term “Education” has been derived from two Latin words Educare (Educere) and Educatum.
“Educare” means to train or mould. It again means to bring up or to lead out or to draw out, propulsion from inward
to outward. The term “Educatum” denotes the act of teaching. It throws light on the principles and practice of
teaching. The term Educare or Educere mainly indicates development of the latent faculties of the child. Cited in:
Satish Kumar and Sajjad Ahmad, ‘ Meaning, Aims and Process of Education (Lecture 1 at School of Open Learning
in University of Delhi) <https://sol.du.ac.in/Courses/UG/StudyMaterial/16/Part1/ED/English/SM-1.pdf> accessed 3
June 2014
Klaus Dieter Beiter, The Protection of the Right to Education by International Law: Including a Systematic Analysis
of Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1 edn Martinus Nijhoff
Publishers, Leiden 2006) 20
ibid, 18
8
st
9
Page | 13