There are self-educated people. School gives you a diploma, a gauge that society wants to know that you have certain knowledge.

I hae know self educated ditch diggers who were brilliant. Tallent wasted.

I only got my GED because i was bored in school.Knowledge can be in a variety of levels.You have people who are street smart and people who are book smart. Neither one is better without the use of the most important way of using it with: COMMON SENSE. Many believe they are above others becuase of their "degree" or "Education".What is education with out common sense,manners or the ability to just analyze situations with an objective mind and do the right thing?
Peoples personalities also play a role in ones ability to take in knowledge. School doesn't teach "what" type of knowledge you really need. College is not for "life" knowledge. One must live and observe the world around them to attain knowledge. How you you the knowledge you aquire is entirely up to you.

BATMAN WITH 3 KIDS

I think Mark Twain says it best, " I never let school interfere with my education".

Eduacation is most often defined as a formal method of study to improve one's knowledge. Society places the most value on formal education as one gets from schooling. Yes a person can be self educated but I'm not sure if I would put the controls of a space shuttle launch into the hands of a person that has never attennded college, and has no degree in mathematics/physics or some other colege degree that would qualify them to be put in a posistion of such great importnce. I would also never cast my vote for a person running for president who has only gotten a G.E.D. and I myself hold a G.E.D along with a number of college credits. A person can be educated to a given degree and with societies needs- we need people of different degrees of education.