Classical Education: Preparation for Life

              

C.S. Lewis shared this vivid metaphor regarding teachers, in his book The Abolition of Man: “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts” (1943, p.4). To Lewis, students were the desert, education the jungle and the educator tasked with irrigating the desert to promote growth. Education today is a mixed bag at best. Public schools, charter schools, private schools, online schools, and home schools are possibilities for kindergarten through twelfth grade students.

Among the many options for schooling, there are two major education models in practice, modern and classical; there are major differences between these teaching philosophies. Modern education, also called progressive education, trends toward preparing students to pass standardized tests. Classical education, at its very essence, is a pedagogy focused on training students to think independently without bias. Modern education teaches students how to do things, whereas classical education teaches how to learn things.

Classical education trains the minds and hearts of students to see the good, the true and the beautiful. The goal of classical education is to “engage students and teachers in every dimension of their existence, at every level of their humanity – spiritual, intellectual, moral, psychological, emotional and physical” (Walz, 2020, para. 6). The youngest students acquire a strong foundation through learning facts and language. The middle-aged students learn to think logically and reason; the oldest students use these skills to communicate and express themselves. During each stage of learning, students practice the skills of rhetoric and Socratic inquiry. Rhetoric is the art of communicating well and with conviction. Socratic inquiry, the process of cooperative argument and debate, “deals not with producing a recitation of facts . . . but demands rather that the participants account for themselves, their thoughts, actions, and beliefs” (Maden, 2021, para. 3). Classical education emphasizes the clear expression of ideas based on facts, sound judgment, and proper form (Caros, n.d.).

An important piece of the classical education model is Paideia. Paideia is both a philosophy and pedagogy; it is a way to view the world that outlines desire, passion, and love (Association of Classical Christian Schools [ACCS], n.d.). Paideia is the passing down of the culture of a society and the cultivating of reason. Paideia is an essential piece of a classical education and the “cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty by means of the seven liberal arts” (Veith, 2020, para. 12).

The liberal arts consist of the trivium and quadrium. The trivium, also known as the lower arts, includes grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The quadrium, the upper arts, includes arithmetic, astronomy, art, and geometry. Marvin Krislov (2017), the President of Pace University, while discussing his classical liberal arts education shared, “Liberal [arts] education is the best preparation a young person can have for the job market and a rewarding, meaningful life as a citizen of our democracy” (para.9).

When sharing his thoughts on the purpose of education, Plato wrote, “If you ask what is the good of education in general, the answer is easy: that education makes good men, and that good men act nobly” (Jowett, 1914, p. 162). Classical educators do this through exposing students to great works of art and literature, studying historical figures and events, by doing so, they learn great lessons on virtue.

In literature for instance, there is a certain essential quality - the stories deal forcefully with lessons pertaining to human nature and the themes transcend time … works from ancient Greek and Roman authors, Shakespeare, and many other writers throughout history illustrate the virtue and vice evident in human nature and teach important life lessons to help mold character and inform decision-making. (Caros, n.d. para. 9)

Lessons on virtue, vice, and morality, all learned through words of those who have gone before, encourage students to examine their own beliefs and convictions as they learn to become good and noble citizens.

Students become critical, logical, and independent thinkers who have the ability to teach themselves as they mature. Dorothy Sayers (1948), in The Lost Tools of Learning, shares her thoughts about one failure of modern education, “We fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think? They learn everything, except the art of learning”(p.4). Students today are faced with many avenues of influence which seemingly compound daily. It is crucial that they grow to be critical thinkers, able to determine the purpose and meaning behind what they encounter, logically think through arguments and discussion, and present themselves and their beliefs through respectful discourse.

Classically educated students are better prepared for life after graduation. The Sociology Department of the University of Notre Dame, in conjunction with the American Association of Classical Christian Schools, conducted a comparative study examining among other things, the college entrance scores of classically educated student versus those educated in traditional public schools. Classical alumni scored 200 points higher than their modern alumni peers. They also reported feeling better prepared for higher education and earning higher grades in college. An intrinsic result of classical education was also measured in this study, life satisfaction. Classical alumni generally report feeling more satisfied with their lives, with higher instances of gratitude, close friendships, and community involvement. This study supports the anticipated outcomes of classical education – the forming of independent virtuous citizens (Goodwin & Sikink, 2020). Jason Caros (n.d.), classical educator and headmaster, concisely summarized the benefits of classical education in Classical Education: The Oldest Ideas for the Youngest Minds: “Classically educated students are more than ready for college and future job training because of their vigorous formative experiences, knowledge, and the universal tools of learning they carry forward. Classical education puts first things first and the fruits follow” (para. 14).

In recent years, classical education has become somewhat synonymous with both home schooling and conservative Christian education; however, there are many secular public charter schools across the country that offer classical curriculum, with more opening each year. The great irony of the conservative push toward classical education is that it is, in and of itself, countercultural. Students, equipped with a solid liberal arts education, are taught to look beyond social norms and mores, and to look for what is good and true and beautiful. They become independent virtuous citizens. The education they receive “invites students and teachers to search for standards that exist beyond those of the given culture in which they live. Classical education encourages teachers and students, therefore, to put current cultural standards to the test” (Walz, 2020, para. 11). Classical education is clearly the best choice when training young minds.

References

Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS). (n.d.). What is paideia? https://classicalchristian.org/what-is-paideia/?v=a44707111a05

Caros, J. (n.d.) Classical Education: The Oldest Ideas for the Youngest Minds. Responsive Ed. https://responsiveed.com/responsiveed-blog/2015/09/14/classical-education-the-oldest-ideas-for-the-youngest-minds/

Goodwin, D., Sikkink, D. (2020). Good soil: A comparative study of accs alumni life outcomes. The Classical Difference. https://www.classicaldifference.com/good-soil/

Jowett, B. (1914). The dialogues of plato: Volume IV. Hearst’s International Library Co.. New York. https://books.google.com/books?id=6IJEAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP9#v=onepage&q&f=false

Krislov, M. (2017). The life shaping power of higher education. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2017/10/06/importance-liberal-arts-transforming-lives-essay

Lewis, C. S. (1943). The abolition of man. Harper Collins.

Maden, J. (2021). Socratic method: What it is and how you use it. Philosophy Break: Your Home for Learning about Philosophy. https://philosophybreak.com/articles/socratic-method-what-is-it-how-can-you-use-it/

Sayers, D. L. (1947). The lost tools of learning. (p. 4). GLH Publishing

Veith, Gene. (2020). Research shows the benefits of classical Christian education. Patheos.https://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2020/11/research-shows-benefits-of-a-classical-christian-education/

Walz, M. D. (2020). Why not classical education? America: The Jesuit, 222(6), 32–35. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/02/27/classical-education-countercultural-its-time-bring-it-back