The History & Importance of Teaching
Teaching others is one of the most basic tenants of civilization. The tradition of passing knowledge from one person to another has been around as long as humans have attempted to build societies together. Though it has changed in form, function and technologies throughout the centuries, education has always been a binding force.
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Earliest Forms
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The hunter-gathers of 10,000 BC are the earliest forms of collective civilization, and they had tribal education systems set up to pass along their personal history, religions and survival tactics. Knowledge, in this era was passed along orally, through story telling. The evening campfire, for the early hunter gathers was the prototype for the first classrooms. The more sophisticated societies of Mesopotamia had more recognizable classrooms, where younger members of the village would congregate regularly in an area and be taught by a learned elder.
Teaching During the Classical Era
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The great civilizations of the Greek Empire valued education in a manner that set precedence and standards for centuries to follow. Most education during the Greek Empire was private with individual citizens setting up institutions where they decided the curriculum. Education during this era was quite liberal in its topics; students would study art, poetry, music as well as sciences and math. Women were very rarely given formal educations throughout the existence of the Greek Empire; however, the proceeding Roman Empire is thought to have had a higher instance of educating females.
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Eastern Teaching
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Education in the Eastern world has had some of the earliest instances of writing. Characters inscribed into bones and rocks were the basis of the Chinese written system of communication. Over the years, within the various Chinese dynasties, education was highly valued and considered a sign of wealth and prominence in society. The deeply hierarchical societies of the Ch'in Dynasty used education and the level of one's knowledge of all things philosophical and empirical to determine rank within the culture.
Teaching in America
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The earliest arrivals of emigrants from Europe dictated the methods of teaching for the settlers. Puritans arrived on the Mayflower in the 17th century and their highly religious convictions created America's first parochial education. The first college in America, Harvard University was established not long after the Pilgrim's arrival. After the split with the British Empire, Americans desired a unique and personalized education and began creating their own textbooks and dictionaries. The first academy for girls was established in Philadelphia not long after independence. The department of education was established in the mid-19th century to standardize education across the country for all publicly funded schools.
Modern Importance
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Despite all the many centuries of education and its importance within different civilizations, education remains one of the greatest determinants in social ranking. People with greater levels of education routinely earn significantly higher salaries than those who are less educated. As well, the duration of education has increased dramatically in recent years. Preschool education has become a standard across the world in developed countries, and the number of academics who are pursuing graduate and post-doctoral education has increased. Many jobs have prerequisites of education for applicants, and look for specifics in trainings as well as a general breadth of knowledge.
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References
- Photo Credit education image by Anatoly Tiplyashin from Fotolia.com
