ABSTRACT
Throughout the history of mankind, bands, tribes, societies and nations depended on the ability of their members to learn and to change. Social, spiritual, political, intellectual, cultural and technical development depended on this ability, as did the quality of life and indeed ultimately the survival of the individuals and of their society. Education is a conscious, planned, systematic and sequential process, based on defined learning objectives and using specific learning procedures; such objectives and procedures are designed by an external agent in a mutual agreement between the agent and the learner, or by the learner himself. Learning can and does occur in the natural societal setting, but it is enhanced in more formal instructional setting where the element of chance is minimized. In line with different social and economic conditions and development in the English-speaking countries since the turn of the century, both the concept and its application developed in somewhat different directions.
