Should we merge the tags "school" and "education"?

Question

The tags on this question made me think about this.

• Is there any difference in meaning between the two words, or are they actually synonyms?
• If they are synonyms then which one should be the tag and which one the synonym?

Answer 1

I see them as related, with some overlap, but distinct.

To me, education refers to anything related to teaching, whether it is classroom learning, homeschooling, social skills/manners, or helping a child pursue a particular topic that is of interest to them. It covers everything directly related to the process of learning, both formal and informal.

I see school as referring to the specific structure of formalized education, with a focus more on the environment than the actual process of learning.

Questions on education would be "how do I teach my child the importance of proper grammar?" or "my child is having problems learning how to read; how do I help them?" or "when is it the right time to teach a child not to interrupt?".

Questions on school would be "I have a problem with a teacher; how do I address it?" or "how do you determine which is a better school environment between these choices?" or "my child is being bullied in class; how do I work with the staff to fix this?" or "what types of resources should I have on hand when setting up a classroom environment at home?"