HISTORICAL DIMENSION OF EDUCATION

Education is as old as life itself. No one can present an accurate account concerning the origin of
education. There are 2 opposing school of thoughts when it comes to origin of education.

1. Evolutionist – education started form primitive people

2. Creationist- education started from Adam and Eve

Modern day education owes much of it system to the institutions established by the ancient civilizations
of China, India, Israel, Egypt, Greece and Rome

Chinese Education

 Chinese are descendants from the rivers banks of Huang Ho and Yangtze River.
 Aimed at selecting and training people for public services.
 Emphasis on modeling a person’s character and moral values.
 Believed that government has responsibility to provide education
 Centered on the mastery of Chinese language and classical literature particularly the work of
Confucius ( the first teacher in China).
 Analects- the most revered Chinese classical literature which contains the sayings of Confucius.

Egyptian Education

 Egyptians were polytheist people (worshippers of many gods)

 Pharaohs were considered their god and king
 Priest and scribes were teachers of noble class
 Parents were teachers of lower class or fellahin
 Education was highly practical and empirical
 They devised a system of picture writing called hieroglyphics.
 Provide the modern world with the basic foundation of education, art, music, literature,
mathematics, engineering, architecture, astronomy, geography, geology, medicine etc.

Greek Education

 Ancient Greece was divided into several Poleis (small city-states)

 Greeks were mixture of Germanic and Aryan stock ( strong race)
 Sparta and Athens were two or more popular poleis
 Constant struggle between Sparta and Athens resulted in Peloponnesian War which lasted for 27
years.

Spartan Education
  Sparta was the largest polis
 Purely military city-state
 Mothers functioned as state nurses
 At age 7 boys were turned over to Paidonomus- a military commander who cared for boys until
age 18
 Boys stayed with the paidonomoud until
 At 18 boys prepare for the military training
 At 20 get assigned for actual war
 At 30 they are compelled to many
 Girl’s education was limited to the instructions given by their mothers
 Because of their system, there was no famous Spartan

Athenian Education

 Men sana en coporesano’(sound mind sound body) . This is the ultimate aim of Athenian
education
 Democratic form of living, democracy is the lasting legacy of Athens to the world
 Athens preserved the family
 All schools were private
 Boys were separated from girls
 Form-0-7 yr old, boys stayed at home received training form Paidogogus ( an educated slave)
 Palaestra- a public gymnasium were boys had their physical training under a Paedotribe
 Pentathlon (running, jumping, discus, javelin and wrestling
 Kitharistes- music teacher, teaches poetry like lliad and Odyssey
 Grammarian-Writing teacher
 At 18 if Athenian boy finished his training he will be called an Ephebos ( novice citizen), after
 The Sophist ( New Class of Teachers)
Sophist were well traveled men who were mostly non-citizen of Athens, they offered new
perspective in learning through declamation and oration, grammar, rhetoric, critical and reflective
thinking.

Protagoras- Chief of the Sophist

The 3 Great Educational Theorists

1. Socrates-he postulated” know thyself” and accepted the fundamental principles of Protagoras that
man is the measure of all things
2. Plato –wrote the “Republic”, he advocated a government which he termed Aristorcratic Socialism
(philosophical king, warrior and artisan)
3. Aristotle- father of modern sciences

Greek Universities

1. Rhetorical Schools ( founded by Sophists)

 2. Philosophical Schools
a. Academy- founded by Plato
b. Lyceum- founded by Aristotle
c. School of Stoics- by Zeno
d. Epicurean-by Epicurus
3. Combined Rhetorical and Philosophical School
a. University of Athens-most teachers were Sophist supported by Athenian Government bust
disappeared when Constantine declared Christianity as official religion
4. School Outside Greece- University of Alexandra (Egypt) Built in honor of Alexander the Great
Famous Alumni- Euclid (geometry), Erastosthenes ( Geography and Astronomy), Archimedes (
Physics)

Roman Education
Pragmatic education-strived to find practical application of the knowledge they acquired and
activities they pursued.
a. Early Roman Education (home based education)
b. Hellenized Roman education- started when Rome’s contact with Greek civilization then
finally conquering Greece.

Stages of Roman Education:

1. Elementary (7-10)= Literator

2. Secondary (10-16)=Gramaticus
3. Higher Education (16 up)=Rhetorical

Medieval Education

 Medieval education started when the roman empire fell around 400 Ad
 Christianity was declared as the official religion of the state by Constantine the Great, therefore
Catholics grew in number and power
 Hierarchy of Church in Middle ages:
1. Pope-leader of the church and held office in Rome
2. Cardinal
3. Archbishop
4. Bishop
5. Priest/Clergy

Movements During Middle Ages

1. Monasticism-advocated by St. Benedict. They were called ”monks” and stayed in monasteries
which serve as repositories of classical literature.
2. Scholasticism-“Education as an intellectual discipline.
Anseim- Father of Scholasticism
Abelard- One of the famous schoolmen
St. Thomas Aquinas= wrote “Summa Theolagiae” (official doctrine of Catholic Church)
Early School During Middle Ages

 Catechumenal School- “catechumens” are new converts, they held their classes in small churches
 Catechetical School- for in-depth training in religion
 Episcopal/Cathedral School-organized by bishop to train clergy

The Medieval University

 The most important contribution of the middle ages

 The first universities focused on teaching medicine
 University of Napes (the first organized university

Composition of Medieval University

1. Studium Generale ( entire studentry)

2. Nation (students and teachers who came from same place of origin)
3. Councilor (leader of Nation)
4. Facultas (teachers who teaches the same subjects
5. Dean (leader of Facultas)
6. Rector (chosen by councilors and facultas)

Degree Offered by Medieval University

 At 13 to 14, a boy may enter a university and study Liberal Arts

 At 21 teach younger boys
 At 25 write thesis
 If the students pass the thesis defense he will receive Licential Docebdi
 Remaissance Period (the peak of Arts and Sciences)- Renaissance is considered the start of
modern period
 Reformation Period- Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses containing the abuses of the church to the
door pos of his church.
 Counter Reformation= to win back protestants, the pope assigned 3 congregations to head
counter-reformation.
1. Brothers of Christian School (founded by St. La Salle)
2. Society of Jesus ( founded by St. Francis of Loyola)
3. Jansenites ( founded by St. Cyrene)

Notable Names in Education

 Socrates-“know thy self”

 Plato-wrote the “Republic”
 Aristotle-Father of Modern Sciences
 Ciero-Wrote the “Oratore”
  Quintillian-Wrote” Institution Oratoria” he was a famous Grammaticus
 Anselm-father of scholasticism
 Abelard- spearheaded Conceptualism
 St. Thomas Aquinas- “wrote” Summa Theolgiae”
 Erasmus- suggested that education be in accordance with the needs of society, he was a humanist
who advocated the importance of studying the character of the child
 Ascham- wrote the “Schoolmaster” condemning brutal punishment in English schools during his
time.
 John Amos Comenius- father of modern education, he wrote the first picture book”Orbis
Senualium Pictus”
 Mulcaster-said that” Education should be in accordance with nature”
 John Locke-“tabula rasa’ ( blank sheet)
 John Jacques Rosseau-wrote”Emile” (Education should be in accordance with the nature of the
child)
 Pestallozzi- defined education as natural ,symmetrical and harmonious development of the
faculties of the child
 Herbart- conceived education as aimed towards the development of morality and virtue. He is
famous for the Herbatian Method in psychology
 Froebel-father of kindergarden
 John Dewey- “Education is not preparation for life, it is life”
 St.John Baptiste de la Salle- patron saint of teachers
 Maria Montessori-advocated the child- centered education and prepared environment

ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY

CONFUCIANISM

 Had its beginning in the teachings of Confucius but the following sages took the lead in building
its formulation. Mencius and Hzun-Tzu.
 Confucius is the Latinized name for Kung-Fu-Tzu-Fu-Tzu. tze which means master, is a polite
suffix added to the names of most of the philosophers during the Chou Dynasty.
 Confucius was the founder of the Ju School which was known in the west as the Confucian
School.
 The Ju or Confucian School emphasized matters concerning human-heartedness and
righteousness and the six liberal arts commonly translated as Liu Yi or the Six Classics namely:
 Yi Ching or the Book of Changes
 Shi-Ching or the Book of Odes
 Shu-Ching or the Book of History
 Li-chi or the Rituals and Rites
 Chu’unCh’iu or the Book of Spring and Autumn Annals
 The primary goal of Confucius was not just to make his” disciples” to ne well versed of the
Classics but to be”rounded men”, useful to the state and the society. Thus, he taught them various
branches of knowledge (ancient cultural history, interpretations baed on his moral concepts)
based on the different Classics.
  Confucius’philosophy is HUMANISTIC. It occupies mainly with HUMAN RELATIONS and
VIRTUE. This, his concept of the Yi (Righteousness) and Jen (human heartedness).
 Counfucianist’s great virtue were: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, sincerity and
harmony.
 Confucious’ Ideas
 His Ethics is based upon the nature of man and society’
 For him MAN is essentially a social being; he is the main component of a society (made
by the individuals who compose it and the interaction they have each other)
 A MORAL man is the cooperating member of the society.
 The measures of the man’s life is not ”how long” but “how good”.
 All men desire happiness and in order to achieve it everyone’s goal must be to make each
other happy.
 The secret of his mark in history is based on the great emphasis on the Supremacy of
HUMAN VALUES. WISDOM is to KNW men; VIRTUE is to LOVE men”.
 A government is GOOD when it make its people happy
 The government should bring about welfare and happiness of the whole people.
 A good government must be administered by the most capable men of the country- those
who have the CHARACTER and KNOWLEDGE.
 Character and knowledge were produced by PROPER EDUCATION

CONFUCIANISM: DOCTRONE OF JEN

 Jen or benevolence is the central thesis of his whole system- his ethic, politics and his life ideal-
flowed from this; this is the PERFECT and SUPREME VIRTUE.
 The Jen stresses correct procedure fir human relations-proper way for men to meet each others
leading to positive efforts for the good of others.
 A man of Jen is man of all around virtue
 Jean is the Confucian ideal of:
 Cultivating human relations
 Developing human faculties
 Sublimating one’s personality
 Upholding human rights
 To achieve Jen one must practice the Chung and the Shu (the Principle of Reciprocity).
 Chung- means faithfulness; a state of the mind when one is completely honest with himself
 Shu- means altruisn; it is regard for the others; a state of mind when one has complete
understanding and sympathy with the outside world, the opposite of selfishness.

CONFUCIANMISM DOCTRINCE OF YI

 Literally,Yi means righteousness

 The concept of Yi is the one that upholds man’s conduct
 It is the highest principle embodied in the activities of mankind
 CONFUCIANIS
 Spirit of confucianis
  Confucianism is not a Religion but a Philosophy and a system of Ethics. Confucianism
emphasizes human relationships- how to live in harmony with others. Man’s personality reflects
itself in his actions and behavior in the five relationships:
a. Governmental (King and Subject)
b. Parental (Father and Son)
c. Conjugal ( Husband and Wife)
d. Fraternal ( Elder Brother and Younger Brother)
e. Friendship ( Friend and Friend)

On Ethics

 Confucianism upholds (5) constant virtues:

1. Human heartedness (jen)
2. Righteousness (yi)
3. Propriety (li)
4. Wisdom (chin)
5. Sincerity (hsin)
 Chinese Ethical Principles or Doctrine of Social Norms
 This is the most significant contribution of Confucianism in the Chinese civilization.
 It stresses that every man is encouraged to practice filial piety and fraternal love. This action
when extended to a larger social group would mean regulation of the family and also the good
government of the state. This could translate to PEACE in the world.
 Doctrine of the Social Status or the Rectification of Names
 Refers to the idea of the position of man among men;that every man must be in his proper
place and with is proper responsibilities and duties.
 Every name contains certain implications which constitute the essence of that class of
things to which the name applies.

MENCIUS

 Mencius represents the IDEALISTIC Wing of Confucianism.

 He is famous f9e his theory on The Original Goodness of Human Nature
 Human nature is neither good or bad
 Human nature can either be good or bad
 The nature of some men is food while the other is bad
 Human nature is good
 For him, he proof of the original goodness of human nature is COMMISERATION. This feeling
where man cannot bear to see the suffering of others.
 Four (4) Elements that what makes man, MAN
1. The Feeling of Commiseration- the beginning of human heartedness (jen)
2. The Feeling of Shame and Dislike-the beginning of righteousness (yi)
3. The Feeling of Modesty and Yielding- the beginning of propriety (li)

Mencius’ Political Philosophy

 Man is a political animal
 Man can fully developed these relationships only within state and society
 Concerned on having GOOD Government-depends on the good example of the ruler.
 Curriculum emphasizes on social reforms as the aim of education. It focuses on student
experience and taking social actions on real problems.
 Method of teaching incude the problem oriented type (student are encouraged to critically
examine cultural heritage), group discussions, inquiry, dialogues, interactions and community-
based learning
 The classroom will serve as a laboratory in experiencing school practices-bringing the world into
the classroom.