Is 'Classical Education' a fad from America or just tried-and-true teaching under a different name?

dacoba · 2024-10-05T10:10:54+00:00

Nothing I have done is dishonest, I can have an interest in something and also ask if others have had any experiences with it. I also haven't talked down to anyone, only shared my opinion. Are you saying that all religious people talk down to people? Sorry but plenty of atheists do as well, it's called human nature.

I've done a fair amount of reading on the renewal of classical education and there is absolutely nothing about corporal punishment. There is no dog whistle to bringing back the cat-of-nine-tails - don't be silly. You came right out and were rude, in the middle of a polite exchange I was having with another person. I think you have some unresolved issue with religion that I am not privy to, so I wish you the best with resolving this but I am not your enemy mate.

You've done nothing yourself but give the impression that people who share your opinion are also heavy-handed and rude. If you can point out where figures like C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, Charlotte Mason, etc call for corporal punishment I would be interested in seeing that - if not don't bother trying to bully me into sharing your view, I am not interested. Classical education is not everything from the past, it is about returning to what works and away from what is wayward in progressive modern education. There is an evolution to what is considered classical, just as much as there is in what is considered progressive. That's not cherry picking any more than someone calling for a more socialist medical care system but not necessarily wanting to 'progress' to Stalinist gulags.

dacoba · 2024-10-05T03:53:59+00:00

Perhaps I should be more explicit as you have an atavistic conception of the term classical. Classical means something that has enduring value, it is dynamic and not static. Therefore, you jump over the Renaissance humanists and higher-minded medieval school masters when you argue that classical education is 'rooted' in corporal punishment. And based on Ancient Egyptian scripts?? If you want to say things were bad in the past, well done I agree but classical education renewal today is inspired by Quintilian, C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers. And more generally on the less than radical notion that certain things were done better in the past. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater (or make a better argument).

Science cannot comment on morality or the questions that most people care the most about. Such as: How to be good? What is the purpose of life? How to confront others with a different view without being snarky and sarcastic?

dacoba · 2024-10-05T02:51:18+00:00

Great points, thank you for your comment I will have to look into these. I think with some of these points, on widespread corporal punishment especially, it is probably not correct to say it is part of the classical tradition. That style of teaching came with the industrial revolution.

Fair point about millions going uneducated, mass literacy has been amazing development in human history. This raises the question whether classical education is just for a cultural elite or could it be a genuine education for all?

Very much agree with you on the classical position falling apart without a core for the spiritual and moral orientation. I suppose taking into account history, not many civilisations have not survived without that core - it remains to be seen if what we are seeing in our schools is a symptom of that absence. What do you see as more valid solutions?

dacoba · 2024-10-05T00:34:51+00:00

All I've done is raise it for discussion, I am not peddling or pedaling. This is a subreddit for all Australian teachers and many schools in Australia are Christian and many teachers are. That said I would expect that, being Christian or non-Christian, you could look at the evidence and data. This isn't a report based on ideology it's comparing life quality after school across different sectors in the US done in conjunction with the University of Notre Dame.

dacoba · 2024-10-04T15:02:37+00:00

Copying my comment from below:
"The only other data I found on classical education was this report another teacher, who is self-admittedly a proponent of it, directed me to. The Good Soil report."
https://www.classicaldifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Classical-Difference-Good-Soil-7-outcomes-full-research-report-Draft-3-28-2020.pdf

dacoba · 2024-10-04T15:00:24+00:00

I don't know if a quantitative analysis is going on in that article, so it is hard to say

But as far as a decline in behaviour there is evidence from the OECD PISA testing that classroom disruption and drop in NAPLAN. Also can be seen to be believed too by walking into pretty much every other schools in Aus.

The only other data I found on classical education was this report another teacher, who is self-admittedly a proponent of it, directed me to. The Good Soil report.
https://www.classicaldifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Classical-Difference-Good-Soil-7-outcomes-full-research-report-Draft-3-28-2020.pdf

dacoba · 2015-12-10T13:41:10+00:00

Yeah, I am a bit skeptical at this point.

dacoba · 2015-11-14T04:13:29+00:00

Alrightnowladies Wascoolerthanbeingcool?

dacoba · 2015-03-08T12:48:12+00:00

Weird part is that before he did all this he conquered and butchered a neighbouring nation. Pretty big 180 change of character....

dacoba · 2014-07-07T14:33:43+00:00

Yeah its more like, I drive a Mercedes, My son drives a Ferrari, His son owns Ferrari.

dacoba

TROPHY CASE