The Meaning and Purpose of Education

Birds and animals require little teaching or training to lead a successful bird or animal life. They know how to make a home or shelter for themselves and how to keep themselves alive instinctively. The instinct of self preservation is implanted in them by nature. They are given certain faculties which develop to their maximum level with their physical growth without much conscious effort on their part or on the part of their parents. Not so with man. His intellectual growth depends on many outside factors and can not attain maturity without long and deliberate effort on his part and on the part of his well wishers. A forest can grow by itself naturally but a garden cannot.

A flower is pretty by itself but a diamond requires a lot of cutting and polishing before it will sparkle and scintillate into a thousand colors. Man is like a rough diamond and requires filing and polishing before all his faculties can function fully. Education is just this filing and polishing of the human personality so that it reaches its full development. It enables one to lead a better life physically, mentally and spiritually.

Now a man possesses a mind, a spirit and a body. So education has a three fold purpose. It aims at his physical, mental, and spiritual well being. It keeps the body fit and healthy, the mind sound and vigorous and the spirit fine and sensitive. As the health of the body is the first requisite of all human activities and is indispensable for all progress, so education must first of all enable a person to live hygienically and to earn an honest living. This basic education is most often neglected in our country and is, in fact, the cause of most of our troubles. The man who can not support himself and his family is only half educated. The man who does not know the rules of hygiene and cleanliness is even worse. He is a menace to society itself.

Health Education Certificate Study Options

Studying for a career in health education can be done by enrolling in an accredited school or college. Students can receive the training they need to pursue a career in the health care field. Gaining an education in this field will allow for numerous career opportunities. Students can receive a number of accredited degrees by completing the educational requirements.

Professionals in this field are trained to provide an education to various individuals and groups. These professionals teach about nutrition, fitness and exercise, drugs, human health, immunizations, STD's, and many other subjects. These types of educators are trained to provide knowledge to the community for a variety of reasons. Those who choose to can gain an accredited education in the field by enrolling in a number of schools and colleges.

Bachelors Degree

Obtaining an accredited bachelors level degree in health education can be done through a variety of medical education training programs. Completion of a program at this level typically requires four years of study. Students can gain the knowledge and skills to pursue the career they desire. Bachelor level degrees allow students to learn how to work individuals and groups to teach a variety of subjects. Obtaining knowledge in certain areas will help students with their career. Coursework may cover subjects such as:

Human Health
Sex and Drug Education
Fitness
Nutrition
Leadership
Health Communication

...and many other related areas of study. By gaining an education in these specific areas students will be prepared to enter into the workforce ready to succeed. By receiving an accredited bachelors degree students can begin employment or pursue a master's level education.

Are We Teaching Health Education Too Early?

Lessons about personal, social and health matters including sex and relationships will be compulsory in all England's schools from ages five to 16. The government is currently reviewing the best way in which they can tackle the situation. Reports have shown that more than 1,000 people found two thirds would support sex lessons from the age of 11. Reviews of the education in the UK were taken out as Government officials said that current education is too 'patchy'.

Teaching health education to kids who are 11 is acceptable I suppose however teaching kids from the age of 5 I think is just too much. The department for Children, School and Families said the review of sex lessons had identified "a need to challenge the perception that sex and relationships education happened in a 'moral vacuum' in schools and says that parents and schools can and should work together to decide how best topics should be taught.

The Government are trying to improve the framework and moral understanding around which teachers can then talk about sex education later on in children's school lives.

I can understand the basic logic behind the scheme but personally I would never really notice the difference if this concept was not implemented. I cannot see the advantage of deploying this tactic to school children at such a young age, it just doesn't seem 'normal'. It feels as though it is too much at such a young age. I will have to stand corrected on my statements but in my opinion the concept of teaching young school children health education is not right.