Difference between revisions of "Category:Education (subject)"

• BACK TO THE TOPICS--INDEX

Education

Ancient Israel

Children learned from their parents and family. They could learn only what the parents knew and do what their parents were doing.

Hellenistic times

Schooling was one of the greatest innovations of Hellenistic times. It changed the life of children forever. Many things that today we take for granted emerged as a consequence of such a revolution. By attending a school children for the first time had the opportunity to learn things that their parents did not know, and become something different from their parents. School became a fundamental tool for social mobility at the center of the Hellenistic global society. The school replaced the family as the place of children's education, and the teacher replaced the parents as the major agent of children's education. As the society was more complex, education became a much more complex process that required a longer period of training, which extended the length of childhood.

There were limitations. Education was restricted to boys and only a very limited number of families could afford it for their children but at least theoretically in the Hellenistic society there were no ethnic, racial or social restrictions.

There were additional challenges for Jews. First of all, as the only monotheistic religion, their children had to attend an environment where la majority of students were polytheist and polytheistic practices were part of the teaching and the everyday life of students. Second, the Greeks had a comprehensive view of eduction, which included both the education of the mind and the education of the body. This exposed children to physical activities and sexual practices of initiation which could be in contrast with traditional Jewish law.

This would cause the need for Jewish schools. In Jewish tradition the establishment of a Jewish school system is attributed to the High priest Joshua ben Gamla (1st cent. CE): "Joshua b. Gamala came and ordained that teachers of young children should be appointed in each district and each town, and that children should enter school at the age of six or seven" (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 21a). He is therefore regarded as the founder of the institution of formal Jewish education.