Classical vs. Modern Education

I am majoring in Educational Studies with an online college.  I get to read over and over, in every single class I take, NOTHING about real education, but everything about progressive education, and it grates on my nerves. 

I have been struggling to pin-point the main difference between progressive education (public school education) and classical education, but haven't been able to do so successfully.  I finally ran across this article.  It hits the nail on the head.

Anyway, you can visit the link or below I have pasted the parts I found most profound from the article:

"...modern, progressive education has as a goal fulfilling the individual needs, interests and capacities of the individual students. This emphasis focuses on what is individual to each student, therefore upon the differences among the students, as if such differences were paramount in determining the means of education employed.

"If children share only similar physical characteristics, given that no two bodies (not even of “identical” twins post partum) are just exactly alike, then differences in height, genetic makeup, health, test-taking ability, IQ scores, and so on --all those things which individuate them from their fellows — are indeed of primary importance since they are different in nearly all such things that can be measured physically. In that case, no two children are truly equal (except before the law, in some countries).

"... However, if all children share something in common much more important than their similar yet differing bodies, then that shared commonality, that likeness will be of paramount importance in determining how best to educate them.

"Here we come to the crux of the matter. Different conceptions of the nature of man result in different educational goals and means. For those who think or believe that all men share a common human nature and like, immortal souls, then that reality becomes of paramount importance in determining the goals and means of education, which will certainly not be focused primarily on the less important  measurable, individual differences of their physical beings  (except perhaps in the most unusual cases of physical disability). Instead, education will be focused on the care of that shared human nature on their immortal souls."

"Since [Socrates] believed the soul was immortal and would have some eternal fate based upon its goodness or lack thereof  (as do all the major Western religions Christianity, Islam, Judaism), Socrates’ views on education reflected that belief, as did that of his ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans who followed the Greeks. Hence Socrates taught that the one thing needful for the soul was that it should strive after goodness.

"Since the fate of one’s immortal soul hinged on its goodness, then the pursuit of goodness became the principal occupation for the ancient Greeks. Goodness for them consisted of the virtues or habits of good action and thought, in proper order and harmony, leading to wisdom. So to pursue wisdom, and goodness, was to be on one and the same path. But how best to advance on this path? Socrates, beyond all of his philosophical dialogues, felt that one thing in particular was most important: “[I] thought that, because I loved him, my company could make him a better man,” [Socratic Aeschines fr. II c, p. 273 Dittmar]. This was the Socratic approach to education in its core: education through love.

 

"....Indeed, education did not mean for Socrates the cultivation of the intellect alone to the neglect of all else, but since man is attracted to the good, first by what is beautiful, education must first begin with the senses, proceed on to the memory, imagination, intuition and intellect, spurred on to all by love."

 

"Modern, progressive education, in either denying or ignoring the soul is left with nothing else but the body, the brain, to educate (with competitive sports added helter-skelter). The brain thus conceived as a sort of computer that moves about, rather than goodness or wisdom the goal of human education becomes knowledge in the sense of data storage and retrieval (in the better of the modern schools), and mere political indoctrination in most. Love is irrelevant in such an environment."

 

"Ignore the souls of children and so remove love from education and what do you get: modern, progressive “dumbing-down” education where fear and hatred stalk the halls and all too often explode into violence and despair.

Very, very few can learn well in such environments as sinking test scores and poor academic achievement (such as the growing inability of high schoolers even to read) increasingly confirm."

 

"Homeschooling is so successful relative to public and private school education, despite many obstacles and disadvantages, primarily because children have souls and thrive in every way – in the loving environment of their families."

-----------------------------end of article--------------------------------------------------

Final thoughts:

I am finding that the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, are absolutely jammed packed with a clear roadmap on how to "strive after goodness" and attain virtue and wisdom: the ultimate goal of a classical education. 

This is what motivates and thrills me about homeschooling: the pursuit of how to best cultivate virtue and wisdom in my children.  Especially how to lead my children, and myself, to be more like our Savior, so that we can have a good life here and an eternal life to come; that we may have faith, hope, charity, and an eternal perspective in this dark, uncertain world.

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever;" (Moroni 7: 46-47)

And finally:
 

"Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

 "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God."  (Moroni 7:12-13)

 

That about sums up my feelings towards progressive education vs. classical education. 

 

This is why I homeschool and why public school education will never be an option.