Lesson 3 history of education

1. As long as we live we continue to learn, and the education we receive when we are young helps us to continue learning. The first teachers were fathers and mothers, but very early in the history of man children began to be taught by people other than their fathers and mothers. It is thought that schools first started in Egypt 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, and that it was the invention of writing which made them necessary. Writing made it possible to store up knowledge which grew with each gener­ation. Specially trained people were therefore needed to teach it.

2. Only the sons of nobles attended the first Egyptian schools, which taught reading, physical education and good behaviour.

3. A clear example of the way in which even the neighbouring peoples produce different types of education comes from an­cient Greece. Sparta and Athens were two Greek states. The Spartans, a hard and warlike people, gave a purely military education. At the age of seven all boys of noble families were taken from their families and sent to live in groups. They were kept under a very strict discipline and were taught hunting, military scouting, swimming and the use of weapons. The Spar­tans despised literature, and some people think they could not even read.

4. At the same time, also for the nobles only, the Athenians were building what we call a liberal education - one that helps the man to develop all sides of his nature, helps him to make and appreciate beautiful things and helps him to find the best way of life. They thought it important to educate the body as well as the mind, and had a programme of physical training which consisted of running, jumping, wrestling and throwing the discus. As time went on Athenian education paid special attention to reading, writing and literature and these were taught by a special teacher, known as the «grammatist». Com­mon people were not educated, they were trained in craftsman­ship and trades.

5. Greek philosophers, or thinkers, always discussed what ed­ucation should try to do and what it should include. Plato wrote a book called The Republic, which is one of the best books ever written on education, and since those days Greek ideas have influenced European education, especially secondary and uni­versity education.

6. The Romans were good at organizing, and they were the first people to have schools run by the government free of charge. Throughout their great empire there was a network of these schools which provided for three stages of education.

7. At six or seven all boys (and some girls) went to the primary school, where they learnt «three R's»: reading, writing and arithmetic. Most children were not taught more than this, but at 12 or 13 boys of rich families went on to the «grammar» school to study the Greek and Latin languages and their litera­tures, that is, what had been written in those languages. At 16, young nobles who wanted to enter politics or the service of their country went to the school of rhetoric to be trained in rhetoric, or public speaking.

8. In Great Britain the first teachers we read about were craftsmen. They taught children to read, write and count, to cook and mend their own shoes. In the early 19th century the main system of teaching was the «Monitor» system. The teacher could manage a class of 100 or more by using older pupils or «monitors» to help him. The schools had long desks which were sometimes arranged in tiers so that the teacher could see every child in a large class.

Exercise 1. Find the synonyms in the text to the following words:

1. to get (1) 5. to reject (3)

2. to begin (1) 6. to educate (3)

3. to keep (1) 7. level of education (6)

4. educated people (1) 8. to organize (8).

Exercise 2. Say if the statements are true or false:

1. The first schools started in Egypt 3000 years ago.

2. The Spartans gave their children a liberal education.

3. At the age of seven all the boys from noble families in Athens were taken from their parents and sent to live in groups.

4. The Republic is one of the best books ever written on education.

5. The “grammatists” in Athenian schools were the teachers , who taught the Greek grammar.

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences choosing the right variant.

1. Schools first started in…

a). Greece

b). Egypt

c). the Roman Empire.

2. The Romans were good at…

a). managing a class of 100 pupils

b). organizing

c). public speaking.

3. Throughout the Great Empire there was a network of schools providing…

a). secondary education

b). University education

c). three stages of education

4. The Spartans despised…

a). hunting and swimming

b). literature and languages

c). reading and writing.

5. In Great Britain the first teachers were…

a). craftsmen

b). grammatists

c). fathers and mothers.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions:

1. When did the first schools start? What made them necessary?

2. What were the Spartans taught?

3. What did the programme of physical training in Athens include?

4. What were the children taught at the primary school? What were the boys taught at the grammar school?

5. What was the main system of teaching in Great Britain in the early 19^th century?

Exercise 5. Describe the education system in ancient times (Sparta/Athens).

Exercise 6. Explain why the first schools appear 5000 or 6000 years ago.

Exercise 7. Prove that Greek ideas have influenced European education, especially secondary and university ones.

Exercise 8. Describe the ,,Monitor” system.

Exercise 9. Examine the differences between two types of education in Sparta and Athens.

Exercise 10. Discuss the text according to the points:

1. The origin of the first schools.

2. The differences between two types of education in Ancient Greece.

3. Advantages and disadvantages of the ,,Monitor” system in Great Britain.

4. The influence of Greek ideas on European education.

Notes:

1. behaviour – поведінка

2. hunting – полювання

3. military scouting – військова розвідка

4. weapon – зброя

5. wrestling – боротьба( спорт.)

6. throwing discus – кидання диску

7. to mend shoes –ремонтувати взуття

8. the ,,Monitor” system of teaching – Ланкастерська система освіти.