The purpose of education is to impart both the knowledge and skills needed to live in our modern world. Learning, like critical thinking, should ignite a flame in students that is the desire to learn, rather than stifling this desire through rote memorization. Just as Plato proposed that people should emerge from the caves of their own reality, students need to be brought out of their caves and into the sunlight by their guides who are teachers. Education is the process by which students learn more about themselves and the world around them. Aristotle proposed that the purpose of education should be to help a person reach his or her potential. Without education, students may not reach their full potential; they may feel that something is missing in their life. While education may not directly lead to happiness, as Aristotle postulated, it opens the door to many possibilities that a person would not have had before. Education is important to a society because it creates an environment where ideas can be discussed, discovered and decided properly. Education is not only important for society as a whole, but also a keystone for a healthy democratic society. A society without emphasis on education will stagnate. Education is essential not only for humanity, but for democratic society. A democratic society needs educated people. Students need to be educated, not only because they may be called upon to make important decisions that affect their societies, but because through their education they may be able to prevent their government from becoming corrupt. Thomas Jefferson stated in his Notes of the State of Virginia that: “All government degenerates when it relies on the rulers of p...... middle of paper ...... better, education should be a way to prepare students for the world and for their own lives. Every person has great potential that only needs to be encouraged by an experienced teacher and an educational environment that can be provided. Education is not only a means to discovery, but also to a democratic society. Democracy can only thrive if people can understand what their decisions mean and have the ability to limit a government's corruption. Students learn in a variety of different ways as each student is an individual. Learning does not have to be done mechanically, but through the actions of students. It is often necessary to provide students with a motivation for learning if they don't already have one. The ideal teacher who promotes this type of learning must be a guide on students' paths to potential, both nurturing them and knowing how to bring out the best in students.