History of Early Human Education

Early men developed mental capacity, creating tools for hunting, fishing, and farming.
Nomadic and non-nomadic lifestyles were prevalent.
Trade and record-keeping led to the development of early writing systems using graphics.

Proto-literate education flourished between 3,000 and 1,800 BC.
Urban civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia and along the Nile River in Egypt.
The establishment of temples facilitated the development of formalized education, serving as centers for keeping records and conducting religious activities.
This period saw the birth of hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt, a writing system using pictures to represent words, syllables, and sentences.
The Assyrians developed the wedge-based writing system, Cuneiform, used for over three thousand years to record Akkadian and Sumerian languages.

Greek education emphasized mathematics and science, unlike Roman education.
Both Greek and Roman education primarily served males from affluent families.
Greek education aimed to produce moral citizens, incorporating formal and informal systems.
Formal education in Greece involved paid teachers specializing in physical education, writing, and grammar, as well as music.
The majority of Greek citizens lacked formal education due to societal inequalities.
Spartan education focused on military training, involving both boys and girls.
Girls in ancient Greece received limited education, primarily focused on domestic chores.
Roman education was influenced by Greek practices and incorporated Roman religious beliefs, politics, and cosmology.
Roman schools offered education in reading, writing, public speaking, arithmetic, Greek, Latin, and literature.
Schools were generally staffed by a single teacher per room, who worked long hours with low compensation.
Students were severely punished for incorrect answers or speaking without permission.
Textbooks were expensive and rarely used, so lessons were primarily delivered through dictation.

Medieval European education was heavily influenced by religion, primarily accessible to children from wealthy families.
Monastic and cathedral schools prioritized Latin language instruction, preparing students for a life within the church.
Knights received specialized training that differed from the education of others.
Objectives included literacy for spreading the gospel, suppressing heresy, and producing learned church workers.

Muslims flourished during Europe's Dark Ages, valuing learning and knowledge without discrimination.
Education was freely accessible to all, regardless of race, age, or gender.
Educational institutions like mosques, Kuttab, libraries, bookshops, hospitals, military bases, and Madrasah were established.
Madrasahs offered subjects like Arabic language, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, astrology, chemistry, science-biology, and more.
Kuttabs focused on Quran memorization and Arabic language instruction.
Endowments supported educational activities, ensuring access for the poor and orphans.

The Renaissance signifies a period of rebirth and rediscovery of classical models in Europe from the 14th to 16th centuries.
This era marked a departure from the dominance of the church, emphasized scientific inquiry, and celebrated human potential.
The invention of printing facilitated the widespread dissemination of knowledge.
Renaissance education was heavily influenced by language and literature, incorporating ancient literature with moral, political, and historical content.
Humanism characterized this period, focusing on the individual as a subject of study, reviving classical learning, and creating new works in the style of ancient Greece and Rome.
Renaissance thinkers emphasized the power of creation, believing humans were created in God's image and possessed divine capabilities.
Renaissance education focused on developing both mind and body to produce well-rounded individuals.
Girls gained greater access to education, receiving the same instruction as boys.

Educational figures like Francis Bacon, John Amos Comenius, and John Locke promoted a realistic approach to education.
This approach emphasized reason as a tool for discovering truth, self-discovery, practical teaching methods that centered on learners' interests and abilities, and a multi-faceted approach to knowledge.
It also stressed the significance of teaching virtue, dividing education into levels, and encouraging exploration and scientific inquiry.

Naturalistic education focused on the inherent nature of the child.
Key figures like J.J. Rousseau and Marquis de Condorcet advocated for state-controlled and universally accessible education.
This period championed child-centered education, emphasizing psychology, citizenship education, teacher training, relevant learning resources, and a structured division of education.
These ideas influenced future educational developments in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The ideas of Pestalozzi, John Fredric Herbert, Fredrick Frobel, Robert Owen, William James, and John Dewey profoundly influenced education during this period.
These thinkers emphasized practical education, direct experience, child-centered approaches, nurturing environments, vocational training, self-activity, promoting social harmony, incorporating physical sciences, and experimental learning.
The Industrial and French Revolutions contributed to educational advancements, highlighting the value of science and its inclusion in school curricula.
This era witnessed the rise of mass education and national educational systems.

Education has undergone significant evolution throughout history, evolving from oral traditions to structured formal systems.
Formal education is believed to have originated in ancient Greece around 4 BCE.
The word "school" derives from the Greek "schole," meaning "leisure," reflecting a historical perception of education as a pleasurable activity.