A school is an educational institution which is essential for the growth of a child. In a school, students are placed under the suitable guidance of various qualified teachers who ensure that the child is able to grasp the knowledge as imparted upon him and at the same time the learning experience must not put undue pressure on the students. If one closely looks through the pages of history, one will come across various evidences that go to prove that in the ancient times many educational institutions were set up and each had their own definite purposes. For example, there were different schools for purely studying, schools for the learning of art and cultural activities, schools for the teaching of martial arts and other physical training etc. Therefore a school is basically an institution which is meant to shape the growth and development of the knowledge bank and personality of the child. In fact it is true that the school days are considered to be instrumental in shaping a person's future. It is necessary to note here that there are different levels of education and accordingly there are different grades of schools available for each purpose. These include the primary and secondary schools, colleges or voluntary schools and seminars and finally university for higher education. This is the basic pattern which is followed in most modes of formal education. Schooling at home under the able guidance of efficient teachers is also known to exist and is referred to as homeschooling. A similar concept is that of online schooling which has been facilitated with the coming of the internet and this includes the absence of knowledge via the internet with the use of certain specific software tools. On the completion of an online course, suitable courses are awarded to the successful candidates.
In many countries there are certain schools which are run by the government while a vast section of private schools run by private organizations or entrepreneurs are also present. Boarding schools are also a common feature and in these cases the students are required to leave the comfortable confines of their homes to stay in these boarding schools away from their families. Every school consists of a classroom where the teacher and the students interact with each other. Libraries are destinations for doing reference work or honing up one's knowledge on certain topics. Laboratories are also present in order to aid the experimentation of scientific research. Other common features in schools include sports grounds and gyms, canteens and auditoriums for cultural activities.