ed ‧ u ‧ ca ‧ tion S1 W1 /ˌedjʊˈkeɪʃ ə n $ ˌedʒə-/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ education , ↑ educationalist , educationist, ↑ educator ; adjective : ↑ educated ≠ ↑ uneducated , ↑ educational , ↑ educable ≠ ↑ ineducable , ↑ educative ; verb : ↑ educate ; adverb : ↑ educationally ]
1 . [singular, uncountable] the process of teaching and learning, usually at school, college, or university:
She also hopes her children will get a good education.
efforts to improve girls’ access to education
⇨ formal education at ↑ formal 1 (6)
2 . [uncountable] the teaching of a particular subject
health/sex education
3 . [uncountable] the institutions and people involved with teaching:
the local education authority
4 . [singular] an interesting experience which has taught you something – often used humorously:
Having Jimmy to stay has been quite an education!
⇨ ↑ adult education , ↑ further education , ↑ higher education
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + education
▪ a good education
All parents want a good education for their children.
▪ a poor education (=not very good)
She had a poor education, and left school without qualifications.
▪ an all-round education (=including a balance of lots of different subjects)
The school offers a good all-round education.
▪ full-time education (=spending every weekday in a school or college)
Children must stay in full-time education until the age of 16.
▪ state education British English , public education American English (=provided by the government of a country)
The state of California guarantees free public education to all children.
▪ private education (=that people have to pay for)
I don't agree with the principle of private education.
▪ formal education (=from teachers at school or college, rather than learning by yourself)
She had no formal education and was brought up by her grandmother.
▪ primary (school) education British English , elementary education American English (=for children aged between 5 and 11)
The government has announced plans to improve the quality of primary school education.
▪ secondary education ( also high school education American English ) (=for children aged between 11 and 18)
She hopes to start a teaching career in secondary education.
▪ university/college education
Do you have a university education?
▪ further/higher education (=at a college or university)
I did a carpentry course at the further education college.
▪ adult education (=for adults)
They run adult education classes at the local community college.
▪ vocational education (=relating to skills needed for a particular job)
We offer vocational education and job training.
▪ nursery/pre-school education (=for children aged under 5)
The funding will provide nursery education for all four-year-olds.
■ verbs
▪ have an education
The women have had little education.
▪ get/receive an education
Some children grow up without receiving any education.
▪ give/provide an education
The school aims to provide a good general education.
▪ enter education (=start going to school, college etc)
The number of students entering higher education has risen.
▪ leave education British English (=stop going to school, college etc)
She left full-time education at the age of 16.
▪ continue your education
I hope to continue my education after high school.
■ education + NOUN
▪ the education system (=the way education is organized and managed in a country)
Is the British education system failing some children?
▪ the education department (=the government organization that makes decisions about education)
Newcastle City Council’s education department
▪ an education authority (=a government organization that makes official decisions about education in one particular area)
The school is funded by the local education authority.
▪ the education service (=all the government organizations that work together to provide education)
There are plans to expand the adult education service.
▪ education policy (=political plans for managing an education system)
The teaching unions are calling for the government to review its education policy.
▪ education reform (=changes that a government makes to the education system in a country)
the government’s programme of education reform