Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching , training or research. Education often occurs under the guidance of others, but can also be self-taught. Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts can be considered educational. Education is commonly divided into stages such as nursery school, primary school, secondary school and then college, university or apprenticeship. Some governments have recognized the right to education. At a global level, Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights signed by the United Nations in 1966 recognizes everyone's right to education. Although education is compulsory in most places up to a certain age, school attendance often is not, and a minority of parents choose homeschooling, e-learning or similar for their children. Etymology Etymologically, the word "education" derives from the Latin ēducātiō from ēdūcō which is related to the homonym ēdūcō from ē- and ''dūcō. Education can take place in formal or informal educational settings.HistoryEducation began in very early prehistory, when adults trained the youth of their society in the knowledge and skills they were expected to master and eventually pass on. In preliterate societies this was achieved orally and through imitation. The narrative continued from generation to generation. As cultures began to extend their knowledge beyond skills that could easily be learned through imitation, formal education developed. Schools existed in Egypt at the time of the Middle Kingdom. Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first...... half of paper......ly. The Age of European Empires saw European ideas about education in philosophy, religion, arts and sciences spread throughout the world. Missionaries and scholars also brought with them new ideas from other civilizations, as in the case of the Jesuit missions in China which played a significant role in the transmission of knowledge, science and culture between China and Europe, translating works from Europe such as Euclid's Elements for Chinese scholars and Confucius' thoughts for the European public. The Enlightenment saw the emergence of a more secular educational perspective in Europe. In most countries today, education is compulsory for all children up to a certain age. Due to the proliferation of compulsory education, combined with population growth, UNESCO has calculated that more people will receive formal education in the next 30 years than have ever received it in all of human history...