Higher Education vs Lower Education is a fundamental part of learning throughout life. Without proper education, employment options are limited. Teaching and learning go hand in hand. When a new skill is learned, it can be taught, thus ensuring that the skill lives on long enough for future generations to learn. Higher education and Lower education both have noticeable differences. Although both may be required in certain fields, one is easier to receive than the other.
Why Education is Important – Higher Education vs Lower Education
Education is defined as the process in which an individual acquires or imparts basic knowledge to another. Education can also be present when a person:
- Develops skills that are essential to daily living.
- Learn social norms.
- Develops judgment as well as reasoning.
- Learn how to discern right from wrong.
The largest goal of education is to help an individual navigate life as well as contribute to society once they have become old enough.
Various types of education exist, although typically, traditional schooling dictates how one’s educational success is measured. Those who attend school and attain a higher level of education are often considered much more employable and more likely to earn a larger salary.
In countries that are low-income and still developing, there is a projected increase of 10 percent in a person’s future income for every additional year of education they have.
Education helps towards eradicating poverty and hunger as well as giving people a chance at a better life. This is often one of the biggest reasons as to why parents strive to make their kids attend formal schools for as long as possible. It is also one of the main reasons as to why nations work toward promoting easier access to education for both children as well as adults.
The Benefits of Education
Attending school and doing college projects are no waste of time. Education is a key part of society’s growth and progress. When individuals are properly educated, they are able to contribute significantly to their families as well as society in various aspects and fields, thus creating a stable as well as stimulating community.
Let’s take a look at why education is so important to society:
- Creating Many More Employment Opportunities
- Securing a Higher Current and Future Income
- Developing Problem-solving Skills
- Improving the Economy
- Providing a Prosperous and Happy Life
- Giving Back to the Community
- Creating Modern Society
- Bridging the Borders
- Creating equal opportunities
- Introducing Empowerment
The Different Types of Higher Education vs Lower Education
Education is generally divided into three categories. These categories are formal education, informal education, and non-formal education.
Formal Education
Formal education is the type of education that is typically conducted in something such as a classroom setting in an accredited academic institution. In these classes, students are taught basic skills such as reading and writing, as well as theoretical lessons that are more advanced.
Formal education is also known as ‘formal learning’. It generally begins in elementary school and culminates in post-secondary education. This type of education is provided by qualified teachers or professors, and it follows a curriculum.
Informal Education
An informal education, on the other hand, is the type of education that is done outside of the premises of an academic institution. This is often when a person learns various skills or acquires knowledge from home, when visiting libraries, or browsing educational websites through an electronic device. Informal education also includes learning from the elders in one’s community.
Such education is not generally planned or deliberate, nor does it follow a regimented timetable or a specific curriculum as formal education does. It is spontaneous and is often described as a more natural form of education.
Non-formal education
Non-formal education has qualities similar to both formal and informal education. It follows a timetable and is systematically implemented but not necessarily conducted within a school system. It is flexible in terms of time and curriculum and normally does not have an age limit.
The most common examples of non-formal education include community-based courses, vocational training, or short programs that are not facilitated by professional instructors.
Higher Education Defined
Higher education is considered an optional third stage of education which is done after secondary school. This type of education is awarded a professional certification, normally in the form of a degree, upon completion.
Before 2011, all education after the normal secondary school years was classified as higher education. It was, however, reformed in 2011, where it was split so that universities could be classed as higher education, while non-degree education after secondary school had been completed was rebranded to further education. As we can see from this, the university is a clear form of higher education, as it is an optional third level of education after secondary school has been completed.
Higher education at a degree level generally lasts between 3 to 4 years. It is a level of learning that prepares its learners for a career in their field of study. Examples of higher education include a Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree, and a Doctorate.
Secondary/Lower Education Defined
Secondary education, also known as lower education, covers ages 11 or 12 through to 18 or 19 and is generally divided into two levels: Lower and upper secondary levels (levels 2 and 3). For statistical comparability purposes, the United States has defined lower secondary education as grades 7 through to 9 and upper secondary as grades 10 through 12. In the United States, lower secondary education is generally the loose equivalent of intermediate school, middle school, or junior high school. However, in various other countries, lower secondary education ends with an examination and constitutes the completion of compulsory education. Upper secondary education directly follows lower secondary education and includes general (academic), technical as well as vocational education, as well as any combination thereof, depending on the country. An upper secondary attainment level is somewhat equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma.
The Differences in a Summary
Secondary or lower education only covers ages 11 or 12 to ages 18 or 19. This means that lower education generally means a high school diploma, whereas a higher education means a degree or certificate in a respected field of study.
