Comparison between classical and modern education

Education, one of the most significant pillars of society, can be defined as transforming knowledge to the masses. It has evolved a lot since its advent to the present. The form of education, educational procedures and methods we see today is quite different from classical times. This evolution is spread over some time and has happened gradually. There is nothing like it transformed overnight or all of a sudden. There has been research, and work has been done to gradually enhance it by removing any lacking and introducing innovative and effective methods to the process. Generally, the comparison is drawn between classical and modern education. Classical education simply refers to the education relevant to Rome and ancient Greece.

On the other hand, modern education is prevalent in recent times, focusing on identifying and catering to students' individual learning needs. Some elements are similar in both educational models. Some of them are curriculum, purpose, theology, philosophy, pedagogy, assessment, etc. These elements are present in both educational systems. However, their specifications may differ from each other. Below are the elements that differentiate both educational processes.

Modern Education vs Classical education:

Approach:

Modern education does not emphasize on soul and the need to educate it. It is concerned with the brain of students as far as learning is concerned. The efforts of educating students are concentrated on educating their minds rather than wisdom or goodness. With the approach, the aim of learning becomes the storage and retention of information.

Due to being influenced by ancient Greek ideas, classical education focuses on the goodness and wisdom of human beings. According to them, the road to wisdom is led by goodness and therefore, goodness is a preamble for learning. They follow the approach of learning through love.

The focus of education:

The main focus of modern education lies in teaching students a defined set of information that is useful for them to survive in the modern world. Students learn about things, ideas, happening, history, people, and the whole world through facts. Modern education aims to make students as knowledgeable as possible based on their knowledge and the collection of ideas in their minds.

Classical education focuses on teaching students the bits of information and the skills needed to succeed in life. Students require several essential skills in life that are crucial for understanding the world around them. These skills include analytical, cognitive and problem-solving skills that are necessary for self-learning and comprehending the world.

Mindset:

Modern education believes that all students have the same mindset and learning abilities, and therefore the uniform pattern of information and knowledge is delivered to them. It assumes that all students need the same set of information or the same level of knowledge. Moreover, it assumes that every student can understand the information delivered to him through modern education.

Classical education believes that all students need some specific life skills, irrespective of their intelligence level or learning capabilities. It assumes that all students can learn skills and then use them as per their specific needs and requirements.

Status of man:

Modern education treats man as the supreme creature and focus of all educational processes.

Classical education believes that all students have different and unique sets of abilities and intelligence as they are created in the image of God. It assumes that all students have unique strengths and weaknesses that shape their lives and differentiate them from others. Due to this, they do not need a specific set of information; rather, skills that will help them find their way in the world and identify opportunities for themselves.

Classical education believes that all students have different and unique sets of abilities and intelligence as they are created in the image of God. It assumes that all students have unique strengths and weaknesses that shape their lives and differentiate them from others. Due to this, they do not need a specific set of information; rather, skills that will help them find their way in the world and identify opportunities for themselves.

Assessment strategy:

The same information is delivered to every student in modern education, and all students are evaluated through standardized testing. Students who get marks above a standardized score are termed as intelligent and capable of learning. Students who fail to achieve the standardized limit of the score are considered incapable of learning. This has led to the introduction of online assistance for students, such as cheap assignment help uk.

There is nothing like standardized testing in classical education for evaluating students based on their learning. It does not stress a uniform curriculum and uniform testing criteria for all. It rather evaluates students on their ability to apply the skills they have learned in real-life problems.

Basis of learning:

Modern education focuses on observation as the basis to begin the learning process. In the modern educational process, reason comes after an observation is analyzed and tested.

The classical educational process holds reason as the core factor to begin the learning process. It bases the study on rational foundations. The focus of classical education is not the man but God, who has created man with different skills and abilities.

Scope of questioning:

As the modern educational model emphasizes facts and information, there is comparatively less room for questioning. Rather, the facts are considered the only truth, and students have to understand and learn it rather than analyze and explore it.

The classical educational model has openness for new questions about a taught topic. It allows students to critically analyze a concept, raise questions and then strive to find out possible answers to that question. This provides a great learning opportunity to students that have long-term effects.

Subject matter:

The modern educational model is comparatively more universal and broad as it includes factors other than socio-cultural in the study. Students are not bound to learn from a pre-defined model; rather, the most effective techniques worldwide are followed.

Classical education is mainly composed of study about morals, ethics, values, culture and society. Students get knowledge in these domains within the boundaries of their civilization and culture. It teaches students the learning approach prevalent in their society and the rules to be followed while learning.

Conclusion:

Whatever the model may be, education has remained an integral part of society from ancient times to modern times. There are several strong sides of classical education that we do not find in modern education. It is good to progress but keeping old things that have an implication in the modern world also helps in improving the achievement of learning objectives.