Education is the process of learning and arriving at a four-year degree. Schooling is acquiring knowledge, which may or may not lead to a degree.
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Education
Pursue an education if you are interested in developing yourself intellectually and professionally. To do this, you must attend classes designed as a foundation for your more specific studies that lead toward your desired career path.
University degrees can range from Associate’s Degrees to Doctorates in some cases. You will also take courses on writing essays, studying types of literature, performing lab experiments, and conducting research for papers and tests based on readings or lectures given by the instructor.
For more information on your course of education, check out the US Department of Education.
Schooling
To be educated is to acquire knowledge. However, we do not usually refer to our education as such.
It seems that school refers to boring classes where you all get a syllabus, some textbooks, and one or two exams per semester. The classes are redundant, and the student should not take any lectures.
Most of the time, you must write essays based on readings and prepare for tests based on what you’ve learned in class. If you struggle with this due to boredom, stay home instead of attending class. (This is often what students do.) The student’s life will become duller and less fulfilling.
However, being schooled means that you are a student and attend classes. This can also refer to a student attending a university or college.
People who attend school usually don’t go because they like it but because they need to learn something specific. It may take them some years before they start to get an idea of what their education is about. They will eventually catch the meaning of their study and decide whether it is for them.
A person who has been schooled will work in a related field or profession during their working years until retirement, which may occur relatively early if you start early and work hard enough.
Schooling is not always working, but schooling aims to make a worker.
Some may say they are “not smart enough” or “not schooled.” This means they do not have the necessary knowledge to become a teacher, doctor, or lawyer.
It does not apply to skilled professions like engineering or piloting, which usually require solid mathematical and analytical skills and technical aptitude and therefore do not require formal education.
Differences between Education and Schooling
| Education | Schooling |
|---|---|
| 1. Education is what you pursue. | Schooling is what you get. |
| 2. Education takes place in school. | Schooling can occur anywhere, like in your home or workplace training center. |
| 3. Education is the result of having knowledge and skills that can be used in a general sense | Schooling results from knowledge and skills that tend to be specific to a particular field of study or type of environment. Such as a classroom setting. |
| 4. The subjects you study for education tend to be broader in scope and don’t come with as much specific information attached to them. | Subjects studied for school usually don’t have a broad scope (though schools do offer electives). |
| 5. Schooling usually occurs in a physically structured environment (tentative theoretical education is not as bad). | Education can take place anywhere, even in a virtual way. |
| 6. Schooling usually occurs in a physically structured environment (tentative theoretical education is not as bad). | Education can take place anywhere, even in a virtual way. |
| 7. Schooling requires that you are motivated to learn specific things (for example, by getting a degree that requires you to study this subject for 4 years and pass 3 exams) | Education needs no motivation since it does not require effort (you must be interested enough to learn about it). |
| 8. Schooling is usually structured. Education can be very “loose.” | Education can also be structured but not as rigid as schooling. |
| 9. Schooling leads to a degree and career. | Education does not lead to a specific job or career. Some degrees are strongly linked to particular jobs. |
| 10. Schooling usually has a solid structure that leads to the maximum learning of the students involved. | Education is flexible and may break down if there are too many students in the same room simultaneously, making it hard for everyone to get all their work done. |
| 11. Schooling is a means to get a degree that can lead to a specific career or job. | Education is an end that can lead to getting a degree and another job. |
| 12. Education is the process of acquiring knowledge and skills. | Schooling is the process of receiving formal instruction in an educational institution. |
| 13. Schooling has standards and rules that everyone in the same class or setting (in any country) follows. | Education does not have rigid rules with information about the specific subjects being taught and who gets what grade in what class at what time of day. |
| 14. Schooling can be of short duration while education can be long because the student may need to study at different levels, with vital subjects, to get a job or a degree. | Some education needs to last for more than one year for financial reasons, and some education is done on a full scholarship, so the duration can be longer than 3 months. |
| 15. Schooling requires that you do worksheets and study for exams on the same day. | Education does not require such paperwork, and exams are done in class (at the end of the period). |
| 16. Schooling teaches theory and knowledge as a foundation for future studies. | Education teaches how to apply your knowledge, how to use it, and also how to do things with it. |
| 17. Schooling is usually a one-time process that starts from early childhood and ends at the end of the working years | Education is a lifelong process from the first year at school until retirement. |
How is education different from schooling?
Education is a lifelong process of acquiring knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes through various forms of learning. At the same time, schooling refers to structured, formal education in a school setting and focuses primarily on academic learning and obtaining qualifications.
Education encompasses all forms of learning and has multiple outcomes, such as personal growth and improved problem-solving skills. At the same time, schooling is limited to the classroom and primarily focuses on grades and qualifications.
Is schooling the same as education?
Schooling is not the same as education. Schooling refers to structured, formal education in a school setting that primarily focuses on academic learning and obtaining qualifications.
Education, on the other hand, is a broader, lifelong process of acquiring knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes through various forms of learning, including but not limited to formal schooling.
Education encompasses all forms of learning, including self-directed learning and life experiences, and has multiple outcomes, such as personal growth and improved problem-solving skills, beyond just grades and qualifications obtained through schooling.
Similarities Between Education and Schooling.
Education and schooling have several similarities. Both education and schooling aim to develop individuals by providing them with knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes.
Both processes involve learning and acquiring new information, which can significantly impact an individual’s future. Furthermore, education and schooling often occur within a structured environment, such as a school or educational institution, and are facilitated by trained teachers or instructors.
Additionally, education and schooling can be formal or informal, and both can occur in various settings, including traditional classrooms, online learning environments, and real-life experiences. Ultimately, education and schooling are essential to personal and professional development.
Conclusion
The differences between school and schooling are apparent: schooling is the follow-up of education, while education is the follow-up of schooling.
Schooling usually occurs in a physically structured environment, while education can happen anywhere, even virtually. Schooling has standards and rules that everyone in the same class or setting (in any country) follows. In contrast, education does not have rigid rules with information about the subjects being taught and who gets what grade in what class at what time.
Here is an interesting post on Wikipedia on Education