Nearly everyone agrees that improving education is important to the future of America. Yet until there is a mutually agreed upon and accepted definition of what "being educated" means, we will be like the Six Blind Men and the Elephant acting upon what we each see, perceive and believe it to be. As a result we will continue to pull apart instead of together towards this critical goal.
To that end I will offer my definition as a catalyst for your to do the same.
To be educated - to have the knowledge, understanding, mindset and skills to enthusiastically engage in lifelong learning and to interact with and in the world and on your own for the betterment of yourself and those around you.
What's your definition?
P.S. Read about a definition of "Excellence" at: Be Excellent and Multiply and learn how to do it.
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My grandmother wasn't a high school graduate, but read daily, was up on topics.She was a life-long learner.
A life-long learner asks questions, reads different opinions and searches for facts. He/she sees the good in people and encourages them, helps others, and tries to encourage love and understanding; Something most of my family and many do not do.
It is not about blindly following Rush and Hannity, but looking at other sources and the motives behind each belief, idea, or "news item". Weigh what you find, look for the facts, and reflect.
To recieve tools that allow one to function and grow in their an environment . Now what someone chooses to do with those tools is their responsibility.
If "to be educated" means to receive tools that allow one to function and grow in their environment, then maybe we need to question the idea of spending money on schools, books and teachers when it may be possible to "receive tools" in a much less costly way.
If someone in some far off part of the world could develop those tools from the Internet without the use of books, teachers and schools and if those tools could be tested and shown to perform whatever tasks are required of that person on a job, how do we justify spending all the money on books, teachers and schools when doing so does not guarantee that someone will be educated.
It would seem that the most important pre-requisite in order to be educated is the deep, unstoppable, desire and drive to become educated. You can have all the books, schools and teachers in the world, but without the desire to learn or to become educated, nothing will happen.