Looking at school today and its importance to our lives, one might at one point be tempted to ask who invented school. Since the whole concept of school is not part of nature, then someone must have invented it.
Even though the concept of school has been in existence for thousands of years, the credit of the inventor of modern education was given to Horace Mann. So one might say Horace Mann invented the modern school system.
But if we are talking about school in general, then we might need to look far more than just the modern schooling system. We will need to travel back in time to see how everything started.
So, in this post, we will be showing you who invented school and how the concept has traveled for centuries to what it is today.
Table of Contents
Who Invented School?
School was invented in ancient times. The first schools were created in the Middle East over 4000 years ago. These early schools were mostly religious institutions and focused on teaching religion and moral values to young people. Public schools started appearing in Europe 1000 years ago, largely under the influence of the Catholic Church.
And in about 3500 BCE, archaeologists found evidence that there was a school in ancient Egypt – it is considered to be the oldest school on record.
However, with many evidence that school has been in existence in one way or the other before the 19th century, the name Horace Mann is always coming to mind when you hear who invented school. So, who is Horace Mann?
Horace Mann Was Considered the Inventor of Modern School
Horace Mann was a 19th-century American educator, politician, and activist. He’s considered the father of the common school movement. Mann was responsible for the first state law requiring public schools in Massachusetts and for the first state law mandating free public education.
He was also an abolitionist who helped expand women’s rights. In 1852, Mann founded Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio – the first nonsectarian higher education institution in America – and served as its president until his death 15 years later.
However, in spite of many school methods and teaching methods before this man, the credit for the contribution and invention of the regular school system in 1837 goes to him.
Why Was School Invented?
School was invented to be a place where children go to learn about the world around them, their place in it, and everything they need to know about how we got here. It also teaches them about their culture and heritage.
The First School Was Created In Mesopotamia –Modern-Day Iraq
School was invented with the creation of written language about 5000 years ago. It was a way to pass down knowledge, and it happened in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).
The first school was created by Sumerians who lived in this area that we now call Iraq. They had schools for children who wanted to learn how to read and write cuneiform, an ancient writing system where pictures were used instead of letters. The teachers taught students their alphabet so they could read their own names on clay tablets!
Difference between Early Schooling and Modern Education
It’s important to note that while early schooling may have been more intuitive and hands-on, modern education has its own benefits. In fact, many would argue that the focus on memorization over critical thinking and problem-solving is actually detrimental to a student’s education.
Modern education is less focused on experiential learning than it was in the past. Rather, it’s more centered around tests and exams. While this method may be easier for some students – they get an A after all! – it can also be frustrating for those who aren’t as comfortable with standardized testing techniques.
Early schooling was much more focused on learning through experience. Children are encouraged to make mistakes so they can learn from them later on in life.
The idea here is that mistakes are part of life, and there should be no shame associated with making them. We all make them from time to time!
Fun Facts about School
- The word “school” comes from the Greek word schole and the Latin scola, which both mean “leisure time.” School is a place where children go to learn things in their leisure time.
- In ancient times, only boys attended school – girls did not receive an education at all. Girls were considered to be inferior to boys and were not allowed to go to school.
- The first public schools were founded in Massachusetts during Colonial times (around 1636). Students would learn reading, writing, and arithmetic along with religion!
- It wasn’t until 1839 that education became mandatory in America. And even then, it wasn’t really enforced until after the Civil War ended in 1865.
- In the U.S., over 70% of students go to school on a regular basis, but only 50% of students graduate from high school with a diploma.
- The first private school in America was founded by Reverend Samuel Whyte in 1698, and he charged his students a tuition fee of £2 per year.
- Schools for girls were not common until the 19th century when they started opening schools for girls. This was in response to a demand from parents who wanted their daughters to be educated as well as their sons.
- In ancient times, children were taught at home by their parents or by tutors paid by their parents. They did not go to school until they were older and could understand more complicated ideas.
- The first public school in Canada was opened in 1837, and it was called “Radford Public School.”
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