Education is a lifelong process. Through this process a human being learns, constantly acquiring knowledge until his dying breath, the most important thing of all, which, according to Socrates is, how best to live. For Gandhi, the purpose of education is to accord a dimension to man’s all-around development. Hence, the purpose of education is to make one’s life prosperous and worthy.
It is education that brings a human being out of the state of ambiguity, ignorance and perplexity that are, according to Gautama Buddha, the main causes of pain and suffering in life. Education inspires man to follow those values, which are eternal and welfaristic, and thus on the strength of them, to rise faster, and do better in his life.
On the one hand, increased education controls damage caused by mistakes, which besides being natural, are more or less committed knowingly or unknowingly by every human being. On the other hand, it helps in developing the existing knowledge of man up to the highest level. Not only this, but education also increases the power of argument in man and broadens his understanding. In addition, it develops virtues in him and leads him towards reality and truthfulness, which are necessary fundamentals to achieving prosperity and peace.
Moreover, education is a state of dynamism. It is full of activeness and continuity. That is why, by awakening the man and developing virtues in him, education is an effective, important and the best means to achieve peace. It would not be inappropriate to say that the pathway to peace goes through the avenues of education.
But to ascertain peace through education, it is absolutely necessary that the real meaning, purpose and goal of education is well understood.
There is no reason that peace cannot exist among human beings or that the way to peace, through education, is not available to every human being.
