Some people view education simply as going to school or college, or as a means to secure a good job. However, I hold the opinion that education is and should be a lifelong process because education assists people to learn about the ever changing society, nurture their virtues and help maintain excellent relations with others during their whole life.
Education assists people to get informed about the ever changing society during their life time. The surrounding society is changing all the time, especially when reaching the information society. New things will crop up almost all the time, and without education, people will become entirely purplexed and feel lost. For instance, many old people have to learn about computers and the internet in order not to lag behind the society. Education, or a lifelong education in this sense helps people to catch up with the changing world.
Moreover, education aids people to nurture virtues during their whole life. The cultivation of virtues is not a short process of five or ten years merely. On the contrary, it needs a person's whole life with the purpose to cultivate good virtues, people need to resort to a lifelong education for help. They may learn from the virtues of others.
In addition, education can help people maintain excellent relations with others during their whole life by sharing knowledge and experience with others and seeking help from others when necessary. During people's lifetime, they need to exchange views with others and maintain good attachment with others. Education serves as a sharp tool in this sense. When others need help, people can share experience with them. When they themselves need help, they can seed help from others and get education from these people. A statement from the Analect best expresses the importance of education from surrounding people "Walking with three people, my teacher is sure to be among them."
In general, education is a lifelong process because during people's whole life they seek help from education to get informed about the changing world, nurture their virtues and maintain good relations with others.
