Am I just literate or really educated? To know the answer of this question one must know the difference between being literate and being educated.
Literacy is an ability to read, write, count and calculate. Education is more of a process than an ability or tool. As a human being, to be able to read and write is not just enough. Since the basic need of human being is to know his own self and his/her relation to every other entity in the existence which differentiates him from animal. And education makes him able to know this relationship with the other entity. We have several living examples of great people who do not possess any degree but they are source of knowledge to the world.
In the business world, Hazrat Khadija is the ever shining example who does not own any higher degree, still she is considered as one of the top most respectable and successful business woman of Arab.
Therefore, literacy is just a tool that is used in building of personality but education is the grooming process of overall personality of human which includes complete human behavior.
So, in the modern era of great competition, a nation must have high rate of literacy to be considered as a developed nation, however, to be considered as a civilized nation, it must have to be educated.]]>