A Brief History of Education

Ancient Egyptian Education
Most children in Egypt did not go to school. Instead boys learned farming or other trades from their fathers. Girls learned sewing, cooking and other skills from their mothers. Boys from wealthy families sometimes learned to be scribes. They learned by copying and memorising and discipline was strict. The boys learned reading and writing and also mathematics. Egyptian writing consisted of symbols called hieroglyphs. Originally they were pictures but in time they evolved into standard symbols. However the hieroglyphs were very complicated and so they were only used for religious books and for carving on buildings. For everyday use a simpler form of writing called hieratic was developed.

Ancient Greek Education
In ancient Greece girls learned skills like weaving from their mothers. Only boys went to school. They started at the age of seven. Boys from a rich family were escorted to school by a slave. The boys learned reading, writing and arithmetic as well as poetry and music. The Greeks also believed that physical education was very important so boys did dancing and athletics. Spartan girls learned athletics and dancing - so they would become fit and healthy mothers of more soldiers.

Roman Education
The sons and daughters of well to do Romans went to a primary school called a ludus at the age of 7 to learn to read and write and do simple arithmetic. Girls left at the age of 12 or 13 and only boys went to secondary school where they would learn geometry, history, literature and oratory (the art of public speaking).

Education in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages education was rare. Most people were illiterate but not all. Upper class children were educated when they were pages. Among the poor the better-educated priests might teach some children to read and write - a little. In many towns there were grammar schools where middle class boys were educated. (They got their name because they taught Latin grammar). Boys worked long hours in the grammar schools and discipline was severe. During the Middle Ages education gradually became more common. By the 15th century perhaps a third of the population of England could read and write. From the early 13th century England had two universities at Oxford and Cambridge. At them students learned seven subjects, grammar, rhetoric (the art of public speaking), logic, astronomy, arithmetic, music and geometry.

16th Century Education
Boys usually went to a kind of nursery school called a 'petty school' first then moved onto grammar school when they were about seven. The school day began at 6 am in summer and 7 am in winter (people went to bed early and got up early in those days). Lunch was from 11 am to 1 pm. School finished at about 5pm. Boys went to school 6 days a week and there were few holidays. In the 16th century many children learned to read and write with something called a hornbook. It was not a book in the modern sense. Instead it was a wooden board with a handle. Fixed to the board was a sheet of paper with the alphabet and the Lord's prayer (the Our Father) written on it. The paper was usually protected by a thin slice of animal horn. At about 15 or 16 the brightest boys might go to one of England's two universities, Oxford and Cambridge. Of course many boys did not go to school at all. If they were lucky they might get a 7-year apprenticeship and learn a trade. Some craftsmen could read and write but few labourers could. As for girls, in a rich family a tutor usually taught them at home. In a middle class family their mother might teach them. Upper class and middle class women were educated. However lower class girls were not.

Education in the 17th Century
There was little change in education in the 17th century. In well off families both boys and girls went to a form of infant school called a petty school. However only boys went to grammar school. Upper class girls (and sometimes boys) were taught by tutors. Middle glass girls might be taught by their mothers. Moreover during the 17th century boarding schools for girls were founded in many towns. In them girls were taught subjects like writing, music and needlework. (It was considered more important for girls to learn 'accomplishments' than to study academic subjects).

18th Century Education
In the early 18th century charity schools were founded in many towns. They were sometimes called Blue Coat Schools because of the colour of the children's uniforms. Boys from well off families went to grammar schools. Girls from well off families also went to school but it was felt important for them to learn 'accomplishments' like embroidery and music rather than academic subjects. However non-conformists or dissenters (Protestants who did not belong to the Church of England) were not allowed to attend most public schools. Instead they went to their own dissenting academies.

Education in the 19th Century
In the 19th century education greatly improved. In the early 19th century there were dame schools for very young children. They were run by women who taught a little reading, writing and arithmetic. However many dame schools were really a child minding service. Nevertheless in the 19th century Friedrich Frobel (1782-1852) and Maria Montessori (1870-1952) invented more progressive methods of educating infants. Girls from upper class families were taught by a governess. Boys were often sent to public schools like Eaton. In 19th century public schools boys were taught the classics like Latin but little else. Science and technical subjects were neglected. Public schools also placed great emphasis on character building through sports and games. Middle class boys went to grammar schools. Middle class girls went to private schools were they were taught 'accomplishments' such as music and sewing. At the beginning of the 19th century two men Joseph Lancaster (1778-1838) and Andrew Bell independently invented a new method of educating the working class. In the Lancaster system the most able pupils were made monitors and they were put in charge of other pupils. The monitors were taught early in the day before the other children arrived. When they did the monitors taught them. Bell invented a similar system. He was a humane and enlightened man who disapproved of corporal punishment. In 1811 the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principle of the Established Church (The Church of England) was formed. Its schools were called National Schools and they followed the ideas of Bell. In 1814 non-conformists (Protestants who did not belong to the Church of England) formed the British and Foreign Schools Society, which followed Lancaster's ideas. Under Lancaster's system pupils who did well were rewarded with badges. When they collected enough badges they were rewarded with a toy. However Lancaster also used cruel punishments such as the pillory, suspending pupils in a basket from the ceiling and forcing them to wear a wooden log around the neck. Punishments were still brutal in the 19th century. They included beatings. Furthermore less able pupils were humiliated by being forced to wear a 'dunce's cap'. The state did not take responsibility for education until 1870. Forsters Education Act laid down that schools should be provided for all children. If there were not enough places in existing schools then board schools were built. In 1880 school was made compulsory for 5 to 10 year olds. However school was not free, except for the poorest children until 1891 when fees were abolished. From 1899 children were required to go to school until they were 12.

Education in the 20th Century
Education vastly improved during the 20th century. In 1900 children sometimes left school when they were only 12 years old. However in 1918 the minimum school leaving age was raised to 14. Between the wars working class children went to elementary schools. Middle class children went to grammar schools and upper class children went to public schools. In 1947 the school leaving age was raised to 15 and in 1972 it was raised to 16. Following the 1944 Education Act all children had to sit an exam called the 11 plus. Those who passed went to grammar schools while those who failed went to secondary modern schools. However in the late 1950s public opinion began to turn against the system and in the 1960s and early 1970s most schools became comprehensives.

History of Christian Education
The history of Christian education in America dates back to the 1700s with influence from Christian schools in England that were run by the Catholic church. Early settlers in America, which included the Quakers, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Catholics and Baptists educated their children in schools that were formed for the purposes of religious education. Over the years many Christian colleges, universities and private schools have emerged providing not just religious education, but also a diverse curriculum.

The Christian Influence
Early settlers in America left England seeking religious freedom among other things and after their arrival in the New World they ensured their children received a completely religious education. Consequently many children were educated through apprenticeships or by private tutors. In New England, the Puritans built a community that was governed by their Christian religion and as a result their schools were based on the Christian faith.

The Early Years
The early years of Christian Education in America laid a foundation that established educational institutions where there was a Christian worldview coupled with very high academic standards. In colonial America, education played a central role in society and biblical teaching was central to all education. The first schools in America were started by the church for the main purpose of providing Christian education.

The 1647 School Law
The 1647 School Law is based on the Old Deluder Satan Act that was passed in Massachusetts, which required the teaching, reading and writing of scriptures to children in a school setting. This formed the basis of what is today known as a public school and the main purpose was to teach children the Scriptures. The belief was that Satan wanted to keep people in ignorance of the Scriptures, so that they would remain in bondage because of the lack true knowledge. This sentiment was the driving force behind the emergence of many Christian schools, colleges and universities.

Christian Colleges and Universities
Christian colleges and universities were among the first institutions of higher education in America. Many of the early colleges and universities originally started out as seminaries to ensure that the clergy was both literate and well versed in the Scriptures. The first colleges in America were founded by Christians and approximately 106 out of the108 first colleges were Christian colleges. In fact, Harvard University, which is considered today as one of the leading universities in America and the world was founded by Christians. One of the original precepts of the then Harvard College stated that students should be instructed in knowing God and that Christ is the only foundation of all "sound knowledge and learning.