World

History of Education

“It is the mark of an educated 
mind to be able to entertain a 
thought without accepting it.”
― Aristotle

Greek Philosopher
(384 BC ‐ 322 BC)
History of Education ‐ Timeline
 Prehistoric/Preliterate Education
• Sharing knowledge and skills (hunting, farming, 
building shelter, making tools and weapons)
• learning language
• Passing/Acquiring values, moral codes, religious 
practices (through oral tradition/story telling)
 Education in ancient Africa and Asia
• Ancient Egypt: 3000 BC to 500 BC
(religion, writing, science, mathematics, and architecture)

• Ancient China: 2000 BC to 250 BC
(philosophy, poetry, religion, moral conducts, civil administration)
• Ancient India: 1200 BC to 500 BC
(religion, science, and philosophy)
What impact has education in ancient China
and India affected Cambodian education
(formally and informally) in the past and
present?
Education in ancient Greece (800 BC to 300 BC)
• Main purpose: good citizen
• Main focus: Philosophy
• music, art, literature, 
politics, science, 
mathematics, and military.
Education in ancient Greece (800 BC – 300 BC)

Source: http://home.comcast.net/
 Education in ancient Rome (500BC to 400 CE)
• Main Purposes: war, politics, civil administration

http://www.crcnh.org/files/Download/Roman_Empire_395AD.jpg
 Education in ancient Rome

• Cicero: (100 BC) liberal arts (i.e. music & literature), 
rhetoric, logic, mathematics, astronomy, ethics, 
military science, natural science, geography, history 
and law.
• Quintilian: (100 CE) Learning through stages: 
readiness and ability to learn; Learning activities: 
interesting and attractive 
Source: http://www.mmdtkw.org/ALRIAncRomUnit9Slides.html