Education can be defined as a process of facilitating learning or a process through which an individual can acquire new skills, habits, beliefs, and values. Education has many benefits and the biggest benefit is that it provides an individual with the necessary tools which might enable him or her to make effective decisions in the future and play the part of a mature and responsible adult adequately when the right time comes. This is why the importance of education has been stressed by many experts all across the globe. There are also different methods or forms of education which exists through the globe. One of the most common forms of education is classical education. This form of education is one of the most commonly known traditions of western culture. The primary focus in this type of education system is on education as being taught and understood in the Middle Ages and the Classical antiquity. More details about classical education are discussed below.
An Introduction to Classical Education
According to experts, the classical education system focuses on training the mind with the help of three different parts of processes. The first part of processes includes the formative years of school which all children must go through. During this part, children are encouraged to spend a lot of their in trying to learn about some common and important facts. This helps the teachers or instructors to lay a proper foundation for advanced studies in the future. The second part of processes occurs during middle school.
In middle schools, instead of telling students about different facts they are encouraged to question what they are being taught and learn with the help of arguments. The third and the last part of processes occur during high school. During this part, students are actively encouraged to learn by expressing their own opinions and thoughts. This entire pattern, which is divided into three parts, is also known as ‘trivium’. There are also different characteristics of the classical education system. And some of those characteristics are mentioned below.
Classical Education as Being Divisive
As it was mentioned above, that classical education is actually into three different parts. These three different parts work in an efficient manner to enable students to master the skills and learn to the best of their abilities as one grows up. This education system is designed in such a way that it uses the inner potential of students in the best way possible.
The Ancient and the Old
It goes without saying that the classical education method of teaching is one of the oldest which have survived till date. This method of education has been used all across the globe for hundreds of years. And while new methods of education might be rising in popularity these days, that does not actually make this form of education absolute.
The Possibility of Alignment with Modern Thinking
The modern thinking places a lot of emphasis on recognizing the potential of an individual. It is understood now that while we all might look the same but everybody has different potentials and characteristics which differentiate one from another. The classical education system has not been able to align with these thinking patterns.
The Feature of Classical Education being Critical
There are many experts who tend to agree that the classical education system is critical and cannot be gotten rid of.
These are some of the most important characteristics of the classical education system.
The Benefits of Classical Education
The classical education system has survived for hundreds of years. This must mean that there are certain benefits of following this type of education system. And some of those benefits are also discussed below.
The Solid Base for Children
When it comes to the classical education system then the biggest benefit is that it provides children with a strong base for pursuing higher or advanced education. The learning further takes place in different stages which is quite helpful for a student as it allows one to never out of the loop and continues learning about more topics in-depth within the four walls of the class.
The Production of Literate and Logical Thinkers
It cannot be denied that the classical education methodology has been successful in producing excellent thinkers who are not just literate but also take up a logical approach in solving all issues which one might face in life. This does not just do well by improving the quality of life of the individual in question but it also takes the entire world and nation on a positive path of development.
The Natural Stages of Development
All children develop at a different pace or rate. However, there are certain stages of development which all children have to go through. And the classical education methodology has been designed by keeping those stages in mind. This ensures that children have the right sort of potential and capability to deal with all challenges which might be presented to a student during school or any other educational setting.
The Love for Learning Languages
In the last couple of decades, there has been a shift towards science and academics. Individuals are now actively encouraged to pursue higher or advanced education. And it has also been observed that many individuals are familiar with many languages. This has been attributed to the classical education system.
These are some of the biggest benefits which a student can get if he or she has been taught with the help of the classical education system.
The Drawbacks of Classical Education
Just like most things in life, there are both positive and negative aspects of the classical education system. And in this section, readers will be able to learn about some of the drawbacks of following a classical education system. And some of those drawbacks are mentioned below.
The Emphasis on Memorization
The most popular drawback of the classical education methodology is that it emphasizes on memorization. Within this system, students are actively taught to memorize different facts, theories, and ideas so that one can get better marks or grades. This does not bode well for an individual later in life when he or she would be required to practice a number of skills which one should have developed during the schooling period.
The Rigidity
The classical education system is quite rigid and it does not provide enough liberty for both the teachers and the students to explore the subjects or topics under focus beyond what has been mentioned in the curriculum.
The Weakness of Science and Exploration
As it was mentioned above, that the classical education system is quite rigid and that students are encouraged to memorize different facts. Because of this, students are not able to develop proper analytical and critical thinking skills. This does not give students the right skill set to pursue a career in science and lean toward exploration.
The Conclusion:
The classical education system is a method of teaching or schooling which is divided into three parts. All of these parts are designed in such a way that the potentials of learners can be fully explored and developed. There are many benefits and drawbacks of following a classical education system. And some of the benefits are that it encourages children to learn new languages, it helps in the production of literate thinkers, and follows the natural stages of development of a child. On the other hand, some of the disadvantages of classical education are that it emphasis memorization and is quite rigid.