The history of education, upbringing, bildung and culture can be interpreted as the history of the development of societies. In different eras, the goals of education have reflected the prevailing economic, political, religious and cultural needs. At the same time, the perception of non-formal education has changed significantly. While early societies primarily sought to preserve existing knowledge and culture, modern societies emphasise continuous learning, critical thinking, creativity and the ability to act in a rapidly changing world. Thus, the development of education has not been a straightforward progress, but a continuous balancing act between the needs of society, the development of the individual and changing future scenarios. 

Traditional society: 

the age of data retention In early societies, the primary function of education was to preserve and pass on to the next generations the knowledge necessary for the existence of the community. Learning took place mainly in families, religious communities and master-apprentice relationships. Education was not a universal right, but was usually reserved for elites, clergy, or groups with administrative functions. Literacy and knowledge management served as tools of power that were used to maintain social order. 

At that time, bildung was understood above all as the adoption of traditions, religious doctrines and communal values. The task of the individual was not to question existing structures, but to adapt to them and continue to maintain them. The aim of the education was to ensure continuity rather than social renewal. 

The Age of Enlightenment: 

The Rise of Reason and Citizenship The Enlightenment that took place in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries fundamentally changed the concept of knowledge and education. As the importance of reason, science and critical thinking grew, education began to be seen as a tool for social development. The idea that people can develop into rational and responsible citizens through education quickly became more common. 

The Age of Enlightenment also saw the emergence of the concept of modern citizenship. The task of education became not only to convey information, but also to prepare individuals to participate in the activities of society. Literacy began to spread to wider population groups, and at the same time laid the foundation for later elementary school systems. Bildung no longer only meant mastering religious texts, but the ability to use one's own reason and form independent views. 

The Age of Industrialization: 

The Birth of Mass Education The industrialization of the 19th century fundamentally changed the status of education. Industrialising societies needed a literate, disciplined workforce that was suitable for the demands of working life. As a result, extensive public education systems emerged with the aim of providing basic skills to an increasing proportion of the population. 

In many ways, the structures of mass education resembled the operating logic of industrial society. Pupils progressed by age group, curricula were uniform and learning was assessed using standardised methods. The task of schools was to prepare citizens for the needs of both industrial production and nation states. The education systems of this era laid the foundations for the current school system, but at the same time they established teacher-centered and hierarchical ways of working, the effects of which can still be observed today. 

The Era of the Welfare State: 

Education as a Tool for Equality After the Second World War, the Western world strengthened its view of education as a tool for social equality and economic development. The expansion of education was seen as an investment in the future of both the individual and society. At the same time, the accessibility of education became a key political objective. 

In Finland, this development was particularly concrete in the comprehensive school reform, which aimed to provide equal educational opportunities for all children, regardless of their place of residence and social background. Education became a central institution of the welfare state, the task of which was both to develop competence and to strengthen social unity. At the same time, the position of teachers was strengthened, and education became a significant channel for social mobility. 

In this era, civilization was strongly associated with equality, democracy, and the building of civil society. Education was no longer seen as serving only economic goals, but also the overall growth of the individual and the social integrity of society. 

The Information Society: 

Competitiveness from Skills From the end of the 20th century, digitalisation, globalisation and the growth of the knowledge-based economy changed the basic mission of education again. The stable occupational structures of industrial society were replaced by a rapidly changing labour market, in which the continuous updating of skills became central. 

In the information society, the aim of education was no longer just to transfer information, as more information was available than ever before. Instead, the focus shifted to problem-solving skills, creativity, the ability to interact, and the ability to apply knowledge to new situations. Higher education became an increasingly important source of competitiveness, and the importance of education in the production of innovations increased significantly. 

The Age of Digital and Artificial Intelligence: The Ongoing Transformation of Learning In the 2020s, the operating environment of education has changed faster than perhaps ever before. Artificial intelligence, digital learning and global information networks have challenged the traditional notion of schools as a mediator of information. Learning is no longer limited to classrooms or specific stages of life but has become an ongoing process. 

At the same time, the task of education has become more complicated. Technological development offers unprecedented opportunities for access to information and individual learning paths, but it also creates new challenges, such as digital inequality, information overload and ethical questions in artificial intelligence. The goal of teaching is becoming more and more the ability to assess the reliability of information, understand complex phenomena and use technology responsibly. 

The civilised society of the future:

Current developments suggest that the education of the future will be built on the principle of lifelong learning. Learning is no longer just a task of the education system, but a function that permeates the whole of society. UNESCO has described this development with the concept of a learning society, where the opportunity for continuous competence development belongs to all people throughout their lives. 

The bildung of the future appears as a broader entity than before. In addition to traditional knowledge competence, critical media literacy, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, ecological understanding, democratic competence and the ability to operate in a global world will emerge. At the same time, the importance of education as a builder of society's adaptability and ability to renew itself will be further emphasised. 

The long development of education, upbringing, bildung and culture shows that their role has changed along with societies. Education has alternately been a preserver of culture, a builder of citizenship, a servant of the industrial economy, the foundation of the welfare state and an enabler of the growth of the knowledge economy. The current transformation seems to be taking us towards a society where education does not primarily mean the possession of knowledge, but the ability to constantly learn new things, critically evaluate the world around us, and act responsibly as part of a complex and rapidly changing global community. It is for these reasons that target 4.7, which is part of the education goal for sustainable development, is vital.