Western education is the form ofeducation that mainly originated in or is characteristic of theWestern world.
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Classical education refers to a long-standing tradition ofpedagogy that traces its roots back toancient Greece andRome, where the foundations of Western intellectual and cultural life were laid. At its core, classical education is centered on the study of theliberal arts, which historically comprised thetrivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and thequadrivium (arithmetic,geometry,music, andastronomy). This educational model aimed to cultivate well-rounded individuals equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in public life, think critically, and pursue moral and intellectual virtues.[1]
Inancient Greece, the classical curriculum emerged from the educational practices of philosophers likeSocrates,Plato, andAristotle, who emphasizeddialectical reasoning and the pursuit of truth.[2] TheRoman Empire adopted and adapted these Greek educational ideals, placing a strong emphasis onrhetoric and the development oforatory skills, which were considered essential for participation in civic life.[3] As these classical ideas were preserved and transmitted through theMiddle Ages, they became the foundation for theeducational systems that emerged inEurope, particularly withinmonastic andcathedral schools.[4]
TheRenaissance marked a significant revival of classical education, as scholars in Europe rediscovered and embraced the texts and ideas of antiquity.Humanists of this period championed the study ofclassical languages,literature, andphilosophy, seeing them as essential for cultivating a virtuous and knowledgeable citizenry. This revival continued into theAge of Enlightenment, where classical education played a central role in shaping the intellectual movements that emphasizedreason,individualism, andsecularism.[5]
Despite undergoing significant transformations over the centuries, classical education has maintained a lasting influence on Western thought and educational practices. Today, its legacy can be seen in the curricula ofliberal arts colleges, the resurgence ofclassical Christian education, and ongoing debates about the relevance ofclassical studies in a modern, globalized world.[4]
Progressive education, or educational progressivism, is apedagogical movement that began in the late 19th century and has persisted in various forms to the present. In Europe, progressive education took the form of theNew Education Movement. The termprogressive was engaged to distinguish this education from the traditionalcurricula of the 19th century, which was rooted in classical preparation for the early-industrialuniversity and strongly differentiated bysocial class. By contrast, progressive education finds its roots in modern, post-industrialexperience. Most progressive education programs have these qualities in common:
The introduction of Western education into the rest of the world occurred to a large degree throughimperialism. This affected the way that Western education was absorbed and influenced by the world.[6]
The onset of thecolonial period in the 19th century marked the beginning of the end of traditional African education as the primary method of instruction. European military forces,missionaries, and colonists all came ready and willing to change existing traditions to meet their needs and ambitions. Colonial powers such asSpain,Portugal,Belgium, andFrance colonized the continent without putting in a system of education. Because the primary focus of colonization was reaping benefits from commercial colonial economies,cash crop production, and extraction of raw materials, other physically laborious tasks were prioritized. These economies did not expand to require jobs of a higher skillset or more labor; therefore, intensive labor that required little skill was in high demand. Because of these circumstances, there was little demand to educate or train the colonized populations.
In China, as reformers sought to grapple with the foreign domination of the late 19th century, they came to a conclusion of re-ordering Chinese society through a process ofself-strengthening, which included taking ideas from the West.[7]
Even before theEdo period, Japan had established significant contact with Western knowledge throughRangaku (Dutch Learning). While maintaining its isolationistsakoku policy, Japan permitted limited trade with theDutch East India Company atDejima, Nagasaki. This unique arrangement allowed Japanese scholars to study Western medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and other sciences through Dutch books and interactions with Dutch traders. Rangaku scholars likeSugita Genpaku andMaeno Ryōtaku made groundbreaking translations of Dutch medical texts, including the influential "Kaitai Shinsho" (New Book of Anatomy), which introduced Western medical knowledge to Japan. This early exposure to Western learning through the Dutch connection laid an important foundation for Japan's later modernization efforts during theMeiji era, when Japan sought to further modernize itself by learning from the West. It sent scholars and diplomats to Western countries to learn from their education systems.[8]
TheJesuits introduced India to both the European college system and book printing by foundingSaint Paul's College in Goa in 1542. The French travelerFrançois Pyrard de Laval, who visited Goa around 1608, described the College of St. Paul and praised the variety of subjects taught there free of charge. Like many other European travelers who visited the college, he recorded that it had 3,000 students at the time, drawn from missions across Asia. Its library was one of the largest in Asia, and the first printing press in the region was established there in September 1556.[9]
The British colonised India starting in the late 18th century, and began to impose Western education by the early 19th century. They saw this as a highly positive step, and felt that it was a way tocivilise the people.[10] Native kingdoms also sometimes sought such education to understand how to deal with the British threat.[11]
Chinese/Eastern education has been contrasted with Western education on the basis of aiming to encourage individuals to acquire the discipline necessary to learn and therefore provide honor to their families.[12]
Since the colonial era, Muslim leaders have decried Western education as failing to instill moral values, with its secular nature also seen as problematic.[13][14]
