Western education

Western education is the form of education that mainly originated in or is characteristic of the Western world.

History

Ancient era

This section is an excerpt from Classical education in the Western world.[edit]

Illustration from a 16th-century manuscript showing a meeting of doctors at the University of Paris

Classical education in the Western world refers to a long-standing tradition of pedagogy that traces its roots back to ancient Greece and Rome, where the foundations of Western intellectual and cultural life were laid. At its core, classical education is centered on the study of the liberal arts, which historically comprised the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). 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.

In ancient Greece, the classical curriculum emerged from the educational practices of philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, who emphasized dialectical reasoning and the pursuit of truth. The Roman Empire adopted and adapted these Greek educational ideals, placing a strong emphasis on rhetoric and the development of oratory skills, which were considered essential for participation in civic life. As these classical ideas were preserved and transmitted through the Middle Ages, they became the foundation for the educational systems that emerged in Europe, particularly within monastic and cathedral schools.

The Renaissance 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 of classical languages, literature, and philosophy, seeing them as essential for cultivating a virtuous and knowledgeable citizenry. This revival continued into the Age of Enlightenment, where classical education played a central role in shaping the intellectual movements that emphasized reason, individualism, and secularism.

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 of liberal arts colleges, the resurgence of classical Christian education, and ongoing debates about the relevance of classical studies in a modern, globalized world.

Modern era

See also: History of education § After the 15th century

This section is an excerpt from Progressive education.[edit]

Progressive education, or educational progressivism, is a pedagogical 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 the New Education Movement. The term progressive was engaged to distinguish this education from the traditional curricula of the 19th century, which was rooted in classical preparation for the early-industrial university and strongly differentiated by social class. By contrast, progressive education finds its roots in modern, post-industrial experience. Most progressive education programs have these qualities in common:

• Emphasis on learning by doing – hands-on projects, expeditionary learning, experiential learning
• Integrated curriculum focused on thematic units
• Strong emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking
• Group work and development of social skills
• Understanding and action as the goals of learning as opposed to rote knowledge
• Collaborative and cooperative learning projects
• Education for social responsibility and democracy
• Integration of community service and service learning projects into the daily curriculum
• Selection of subject content by looking forward to ask what skills will be needed in future society
• De-emphasis on textbooks in favor of varied learning resources
• Emphasis on lifelong learning and social skills
• Assessment by evaluation of child's projects and productions

Pre-contemporary history outside of the West

The introduction of Western education into the rest of the world occurred to a large degree through imperialism. This affected the way that Western education was absorbed and influenced by the world.

Africa

This section is an excerpt from Education in Africa § Overview of education in Colonial Africa.[edit]

The onset of the colonial 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 as Spain, Portugal, Belgium and France 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 such circumstances, there was little demand to educate or train the colonized populations.

East Asia

See also: History of education in Japan § Meiji period, and Eastward spread of Western learning

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 of self-strengthening, which included taking ideas from the West.

Japan sought to modernise itself during the Meiji era by learning from the West. It sent scholars and diplomats to Western countries to learn from their education systems.

South Asia

This section is an excerpt from History of education in the Indian subcontinent § Colonial era.[edit]

The Jesuits introduced India to both the European college system and book printing by founding Saint Paul's College in Goa in 1542. The French traveler François 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.

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 to civilise the people.

Contemporary history outside of the West

Africa

See also: Boko Haram

Comparison with other educational systems

Asian education

See also: East-west cultural debate

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.

Islamic education

See also: Education in Islam

Since the colonial era, Muslim leaders have decried Western education as failing to instill moral values, with its secular nature also seen as problematic.

See also

• English-medium education
• The History of Western Education
• Western values