Education is the intentional transmission of knowledge, skills, and character traits through formal, non-formal, and informal learning. It spans levels from early childhood to tertiary study and takes many forms, from traditional, teacher-centered schooling to alternative and online approaches. Education socializes individuals, underpins democratic participation, and drives economic growth, health, and technological change, while also reflecting and reproducing social inequalities. Governments and international bodies shape systems through policy, curricula, and global initiatives like UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals. The academic field of education studies investigates aims, methods, learning theories, and outcomes, tracing education’s evolution from prehistoric enculturation to today’s mass public education.