Fisheries Extension Education (2+1) copy 1

1.1.1 Extension Education, meaning, definitions and concepts

The word extension has its origin from Latin roots, tensio meaning stretching and ex meaning out. The literal meaning of extension is "stretching out." Extension is an educational activity which is stretched out and carried to villages and fields beyond the limits of schools and colleges to which formal education is confined. The word extension came to be originally used in the U.S.A. which means a branch of a university for students who cannot attend the university proper. Thus, it is an out-of-school system of education.

In this type of education, the target groups are normally villagers and the rural people. The extension programmes are intended for the development of these people. It involves conscious communication of information to help people form sound opinion and make good decisions.

Education is an intergral part of extension. Education is the process of bringing desirable changes into the behaviour of human beings (Dahama and Bhatnagar,1988), Through education, desirable changes occur in one's knowledge, attitude and skills either in all (or) one or more components of human behaviour.

Knowledge - Things known

Attitude - Things felt

Skills - Things done

                                Education

Human behaviour ===========> Improved human behaviour