Education is the process by which people acquire knowledge, skills, information, values, attitudes, beliefs, and social habits, and facilitates the development of those skills and attitudes in the learner. Education systems may be physical schools, community colleges, vocational/trade schools and universities. Education systems vary in structure and degree of academic and extracurricular involvement. Educational systems generally include teacher-training academies, school boards, state vocational institutions, local education agencies, schools, preschools, preschool programs, private schools, public schools and boards, religious and other organizations, and other institutional arrangements for education. Education may be applied to individuals as a whole, in terms of training and development, or as a component of an institution’s institutional setup.
An alternative perspective on education has been developed by international researchers who advocate an “open education”. The term is taken from the perspective that promotes the development of an environment that facilitates the exchange of information and ideas. According to the “open education” approach, individual freedom and responsibility are balanced by a system of social regulation of the educational environment. This conception is opposed to the traditional education models that regard education as a closed system, wherein the pupils receive all the information and knowledge given by the teachers within a closed classroom and participate in the closed process of learning. The “open education” outlook favors a mix of experiences in schools in order to facilitate the learning process and enhance the quality of education.
The field of education is experiencing rapid changes. There are drastic changes in the educational settings, as indicated by the increasing demand for new graduates, the growth in college and university tuitions and the availability of more post-secondary opportunities. The rapid expansion of the technology sector also contributes to the change in the educational sector. Rapid changes have also affected the career choices of education sector professionals. There are many job opportunities available in education sector that are also changing with time.