Meaning and definition of population education

The majority of people associate “population education” with population education. If humans go further into the subject, we will discover that population education involves instruction on topics related to the population, such as migrations, morbidity, and fertility. People can better comprehend the structure, reasons, and effects of population events through this instructional experience.

It is accurate information on population dynamics. Population education is a method of education that teaches people about population, specifically the impact of population dynamics and associated issues on people as individuals, families, communities, countries, and the global community.

Its major goal is to increase public awareness, education, and positive attitude to ensure a better life both now and in the future.

Definitions of population education

  • Burbson: “Population education is an exploration of knowledge and attitudes about population, the family, and sex. It includes population awareness, family living, reproduction education, and basic values.
  • Gopal Rao “Population education may be defined as an educational program which provides for a study of the population phenomenon so as to enable the students to take rational decisions towards problems arising out of rapid population growth.”
  • UNESCO: “Population education is an educational program which provides for a study of the population situation of the family, the community, nation and world, with the purpose of developing in the students rational and responsible attitudes and behavior towards that situation.”

Meaning is simple terms:

  • a programme for education.
  • creation of opportunity and interest for research into the impacts of population expansion on individuals, families, communities, and the nation.
  • educating young people about population control and encouraging them to have good attitudes toward the practice.

The decisions made by individuals, organizations, regions, and countries about population issues will have an impact on human development at the micro- and macro-scales as well as on people’s standard of living. The proposed measure, which may be pro or anti-natalist, governs choices on population change at the national level, including whether to increase or decrease it.   According to political, social, cultural, ecological, and other factors, these policies and programmes have different emphases in different countries. And as a result of population concerns and difficulties, particularly as a component of national policies, population education has evolved in many nations. To achieve national demographic goals, it is necessary to indirectly change participants’ awareness, beliefs, and actions.

Objectives of population education

  • It is an educational program created to help students comprehend the connections between population condition, transformation, progress, and other aspects of an individual’s quality of life.
  • Its primary objective is to encourage students to participate in raising the standard of living both now and in the future.
  • Because it emphasizes population problems, educational processes like inquiry and discovery are well suited to it. The issue of population education does not even come up if there are no population-related issues.
  • It is a topic that places a premium on principles, making it more amenable to the use of a value systems method of learning, which involves presenting plausible alternatives, weighing the implications of each, and empowering students to make wise decisions regarding population-related actions. Population education is, therefore, more delicate and requires expert treatment in cultures or countries that are multinational, multireligious, and multiracial.
  • It is multi-disciplinary and draws its information from a variety of fields, including demographics, observational studies, genetics, statistics, sociology, psychology, and economics.

Characteristics of population education

  • The goal of population education is to help the person comprehend the reasons behind and effects of population phenomena.
  • It helps the person comprehend how the state of the doctor population affects both the person and society.
  • It tries to identify the factors that contribute to demographic phenomena and provide individuals with the tools they need to alter things in a way that removes those barriers to social advancement.
  • It makes it possible to get the information, abilities, attitudes, and values required to comprehend the idea of population education.
  • It enables the student to make an intelligent choice about the current population conditions.

Need and importance of population education in 21st century

Each area of a person’s life—local, national, and global—is impacted by population expansion. It has an impact on people’s and families’ satisfaction, prosperity, and wellness.

It also has an impact on international stability, sovereignty, and the wealth and advancement of societies. There seems to be an essential need for population education at all levels to reduce difficulties, including the hunger problem, unemployment shock, younger generation difficulties, ecological disaster, and educational issues.

Assumptions:

  1. Our economic progress is always threatened by a population increase that is too quick.
  2. The wellness and happiness of the younger generation are impacted by overcrowding.
  3. The growth of the population makes it difficult to raise the average person’s standard of life.
  4. Sex education and family planning techniques should not be used with population education. Instead, it ought to serve as inspiration for adopting the proper perspective on family size.
  5. Education of the populace shouldn’t be a one-time event; rather, it should be a constant process.

Therefore, in the current situation, public education needs to be given high attention. The difficulties with India’s population need to be made known to the younger generation. They require a thorough education together with fresh perspectives on how to live well as adults.

Population education is required in the current scenario since it is a novel subject and has a significant impact on people’s daily lives. Additionally, it promotes advancements in instructional strategies, educational system design, student and teacher worth, and a host of other topics.