Manypeopleholdthestancethatrealeducationbeginswithself-educationandIbelievethatthisassertionisfundamentallycorrect.
Thekeyissueregardingtheclaiminquestioninvolvesthedefinitionofself-education.Inthetraditionaltypeofeducation,teachersplayamajorroleandsubjectschosenbyeducatorsorthegovernmentarebeingtaughtregardlessofeachstudent'sintrinsicinterest.
Admittedly,educationatschoolcarriesvariousvirtuesandservestoinstillknowledgeaswellasmoralprinciplesinpupils.Nonetheless,itinevitablyneglectsindividualneedstosomeextent.Itwouldbeunrealistictodeviseacustomisededucationswhichcaterstoeachpupilaccordingtohisaptitudes.Incontrast,self-educationholdsthekeytocreatinganeducationtailoredtoeachindividualandthereforeservestooptimisetheresult.Furthermore,sinceself-educationbynatureisinitiatedbythestudenthimself,itisverylikelythatthestudentwillbemoremotivatedandassiduous.Also,itisundeniablethateducationbeginswhenstudentsstartabsorbingratherthanmechanicallymemorisingwhattheyarebeingtaught.Onecansitinaclassroomwithoutpayinganyattentiontotheteacherasisoftenthecaseintraditionaleducation.Yet,self-educationrequiresstudentstowillinglycomprehendandapplywhateverprinciplestheyarelearning.
Inthefinalanalysis,Istronglyagreewiththenotionthatrealeducationbeginswithself-education.(223words)