教育的意义 ——启迪智慧之路

教育的意义

——启迪智慧之路

教育是人类文明发展的产物，也是推动社会进步的重要力量。那么，教育的真正目的是什么？

我认为，教育具有两个层次的目的：其一是“启迪”智慧，这是教育的本质和首要目标；其二是传授知识与技能，这是教育在实践中自然形成的功能。

教育的根本任务，是帮助一个人获得智慧——不仅是知识的积累，更是形成独立思考的能力、健全的判断力、良好的品格，以及身心的健康与平衡。只有在此基础上，教育才进一步承担起帮助个人融入社会、谋求美好生活的功能。

佛教中有一个词叫“开悟”（Enlightenment），意指看清世界的本质，从而超脱轮回苦难。现代教育虽非宗教，但“开悟”这一比喻，却深刻地表达了教育的核心意义：教育，就是唤醒人的内在智慧，让人拥有推理能力、判断能力和道德意识，成为身心健全、理性从容的个体，从而使社会也走向更公平与和谐的境界。

因此，教育首先应教人如何成为一个有智慧、有德性、有判断力的人。真正的智慧，是对世界的深刻理解，对自身的清醒认知，以及在复杂处境中做出审慎、公正抉择的能力。具此智慧者，方能安身立命、持中守正，进而承担起对家庭、社会乃至国家的责任。

与此同时，教育也肩负第二重任务：传授专业知识与实用技能，帮助人们立足社会、谋生创业。这一目标虽然属于次要层面，却在现实生活中不可或缺。也正因如此，许多人将“受教育”视为通往名校与高薪职业的跳板，家长期望子女“出人头地”，学子奋力拼搏，往往也出于这个目的。

中国的“高考”，就是教育第二功能“放大化”的典型体现。它将教育异化为投机（押题）与竞争，令教师、学生与家长“疲于奔命”，苦不堪言。上世纪八九十年代，考上大学，特别对农村人来说，确实是改变命运的唯一途径。然而今天，随着社会条件的改善，大多数人都有机会接受高等教育，“上大学”早已不再是唯一的“独木桥”。但激烈的竞争仍在持续，只不过是为了争取进入“更好的大学”。

与此同时，学校教育也逐渐变得功利化，偏离了“育人”的本质。许多大学毕业生在走入社会后，发现自己缺乏真正的工作能力和生活能力。我们不禁要问：一个人进入了名校，是否就能过上更幸福的一生？

当教育的次要目的被误作首要目的时，“实用性”往往被过度强调，教育便容易走向功利与狭隘。学生为分数而学，家长为升学而焦虑，教师为成绩而教学，结果是：读书变成了“投资”，学习成了一场竞赛，教育沦为“资源争夺战”。在这样的环境下，道德、修养、思辨、审美等本应构成教育基石的内容，却被边缘化，甚至被视为“无用之学”。

厘清教育的首要与次要目标，不仅关系到教育制度的设计，更影响到每一个学生的人生方向。如果学校、家庭与社会都能认识到：教育首先是“育人”，然后才是“授技”，那么我们的教育，才可能真正造福个体，造福社会，我们的升学焦虑和竞争，才会减轻。

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The Purpose of Education

— A Path to Enlightenment

Education is a product of human civilization and a powerful force driving social progress. But what, ultimately, is the purpose of education?

In my view, education serves two levels of purpose. The first and most essential is to enlighten wisdom—this is the core and essence of education. The second is to impart knowledge and practical skills, which is a function that naturally developed through the practice of education.

The fundamental mission of education is to help individuals attain wisdom—not merely the accumulation of information, but the cultivation of independent thinking, sound judgment, moral integrity, and a healthy balance between body and mind. Only on this foundation can education further help individuals integrate into society and pursue a fulfilling life.

There is a term in Buddhism called enlightenment, which means seeing the true nature of the world and thereby breaking free from the suffering of endless cycles. Modern education is not religion, of course, but this religious metaphor powerfully conveys the essential meaning of education. Education is a form of “awakening”: awakening a person’s inner wisdom, enhancing their ability to reason, to judge fairly, and to develop a sound moral compass—thus forming individuals who are both physically and mentally healthy, and fostering a more just and harmonious society.

Education, first and foremost, should teach a person how to become wise, virtuous, and discerning. True wisdom lies in deep understanding of the world, clear self-awareness, and the ability to make prudent and fair choices in complex circumstances. A person with such wisdom can find stability in life, remain upright and balanced, and thereby take on responsibilities for family, society, and even the nation.

At the same time, education also carries a secondary task: to teach professional knowledge and practical skills, enabling people to find their footing in society and earn a living. While this is a subordinate purpose, it remains indispensable in real life. For this reason, many people treat education as a stepping stone to elite universities and high-paying jobs. Parents wish for their children’s success; students strive tirelessly—often with this very aim in mind.

China’s national college entrance exam, the Gaokao, is a typical example of how the secondary function of education has been over-amplified. It distorts education into a game of prediction and competition, leaving teachers, students, and parents exhausted and overwhelmed. In the 1980s and 1990s, gaining university admission—especially for those from rural backgrounds—was indeed the only viable path to changing one’s fate. But today, with greatly improved living conditions, most people have access to higher education, and university is no longer a narrow bridge across the river of fate. Yet the intense competition persists—only now, it is for entrance to better universities.

Meanwhile, school education has become increasingly utilitarian, drifting away from its true mission of developing human character. Many university graduates enter society only to find themselves lacking the real skills needed for work and life. We must ask: Does attending a top university truly guarantee a happier life?

When the secondary purpose of education is mistaken for its primary one, the emphasis on “usefulness” tends to become excessive. Education can then become narrow and utilitarian. Students study for scores, parents worry about admissions, teachers teach for exam results. As a result, learning becomes an investment, study turns into a race, and education degenerates into a battle for limited resources. In such an environment, subjects essential to true education—such as ethics, cultivation, critical thinking, and aesthetics—are pushed to the margins, or even dismissed as “useless.”

Clarifying the primary and secondary purposes of education is vital—not only for designing effective education systems, but for guiding every student's life path. If schools, families, and society as a whole recognize that the essence of education is to “cultivate human beings,” and only secondarily to “transmit skills,” then education will truly benefit both the individual and the society. Only then will the anxiety and competition surrounding university admissions be genuinely eased.