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Education is the process by which an individual is encouraged and enabled to develop his or her potential; it may also serve the purpose of equipping the individual with what is necessary to be a productive member of society. Through teaching and learning, the individual acquires and develops knowledge and skills. There is an important distinction between education, which relates to a transactive process between a teacher and student, and learning, which is a process that happens internally for a student.

The term education is often used to refer to formal education (see below). However, the word's broader meaning covers a range of experiences, from formal learning to the building of understanding and knowledge through day to day experiences. Ultimately, all that we experience serves as a form of education.

It is widely accepted that the process of education is lifelong. Studies have shown that the child is educated by the experiences it is exposed to in the womb even before it is born.

Individuals receive informal education from a variety of sources. Family members, peers, books and mass media have a strong influence on the informal education of the individual.