Unlocking Potential: Exploring the Enduring Benefits of Classical Education

In the 21st century, amidst a rapidly changing world, classical education has re-emerged as a powerful and relevant approach to learning. Often perceived as a reform movement in K-12 schools, it represents a return to an educational tradition with roots stretching back centuries. While it might feel like something new in the contemporary landscape, it is in essence a return to and a recovery of an educational tradition that goes back centuries.

Defining Classical Education: Education for Freedom

What exactly constitutes classical education? Though currently referred to as "classical," it was previously known as "liberal education," emphasizing education for freedom and the cultivation of free citizens. Dr. Jeffrey S. defines classical-liberal education as a broad and expansive approach to learning that seeks the flourishing of its students in mind, body, and soul. It starts from the assumption that the student possesses the potential for intellectual excellence, moral virtue, and formation in an elevated culture.

Classical education stands in contrast to the paradigm of progressive American public education that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and came to replace the classical ideal of liberal education that had held sway in Western civilization for millennia. In contrast, classical liberal education starts with a vision of the human person that transcends time, place, and socio-political affairs. Classical education focuses on cultivating virtue, wisdom and historical consciousness, not merely on job training, home economics, or the perceived socio-political concerns of the present moment. It is an education for freedom and for all time, one that aims to cultivate what is highest and most noble in the human person.

The Purpose of Education: Cultivating Wisdom and Virtue

Classical education prioritizes the cultivation of wisdom and virtue. It views the primary purpose of schooling as shaping students’ minds and characters, preparing them to lead wise, noble, and virtuous lives. Within classical education curricula, students read the great works across different disciplines to gain knowledge.

In contrast to progressive education, which often emphasizes a narrowly utilitarian and career-focused curriculum, classical education typically has a broad curricular focus, immersing students in the humanities, history, natural sciences, pure mathematics, fine arts, and more. A cornerstone of classical education is the study of ancient Latin (and often Greek as well) to sharpen logic, hone the skills of grammar and communication, and study great texts in their original languages. On the other hand, progressive education's curricula take a narrower, utilitarian, and more vocational approach aimed at practical skill-building or careers, specifically in STEM fields. This results in a curriculum focusing more on math, technology, finance, computer science, and specialized electives tailored to students’ prospective career paths and interests in higher education.

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Classical education seeks to cultivate students who lead wise, contemplative lives guided by virtue by studying great works and ideas, becoming immersed in history, wrestling with big questions and eternal truths, engaging in rigorous argument and conversation, and pursuing beauty across disciplines. Both students and educators benefit from classical education, as it equips both parties to approach studies holistically and think outside the box that progressive education sometimes creates in curricula.

Dispelling Myths and Misconceptions

Classical education is often misconstrued as an outdated or elitist approach. If you’ve ever dismissed classical education as outdated, outmoded, or irrelevant, you might be surprised to discover its growing influence in diverse educational settings-including homeschooling-where the principles of classical education are being embraced by families seeking a robust, holistic, time-tested approach to learning. Classical education is a time-honored approach to learning that traces its long roots back to ancient Greece and Rome, flourished during the medieval period and was revitalized during the Renaissance. This educational model has shaped the minds of leaders, thinkers, and innovators throughout history.

One common misconception is that classical education is only for elite private schools and "snooty academicians" obsessed with Latin. Reality: Classical education teaches timeless skills like critical thinking, effective communication, and logical reasoning-useful for everyone in every walk of life, and, as an added bonus, highly valued in today’s rapidly changing job market.

Another myth is that it's all about rote memorization. Reality: While memorization plays a role (especially in the grammar stage)-because who doesn’t need a strong memory?-classical education emphasizes understanding, analysis, and application of knowledge.

It is also falsely believed that classical education is only for certain types of students. Reality: Classical education can benefit students of all abilities and backgrounds.

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Some believe that classical education neglects science and technology. Reality: Fun fact: Another name for “Dialectic” is “Logic.” Classical education provides a strong foundation in scientific thinking. Many classical homeschoolers incorporate modern technology and advanced science courses into their curricula. Of course, technologies come and go. An education in computer-aided design is outdated before a textbook can be published. A classical education teaches students to think well so that they are prepared for any domain of knowledge, including science and technology.

Another misconception is that it's Eurocentric and ignores other cultures. Reality: While it does focus on Western civilization, classical education teaches students how to think, not what to think. These skills can be applied to understanding and appreciating all cultures and perspectives. Of course, the importance of studying Western civilization cannot be understated.

Finally, some consider Latin a "dead language" with no practical value. Reality: Learning Latin improves understanding of English grammar, expands vocabulary, and makes learning other languages easier. It also provides direct access to important historical and scientific texts. Learning Latin affords us the special gratification of experiencing this complexity, which is ultimately part of one of the highest ambitions of being human: achieving linguistic beauty.

Key Elements of Classical Education

Several key elements define the classical approach to education. Beyond these foundational elements, classical education emphasizes engagement with the Great Books of Western civilization, from ancient classics to medieval theological works and Renaissance literature-as well as great modern books! This approach fosters cultural literacy and a deep understanding of the ideas that have shaped our world. It often includes the study of Latin and Greek, not just as languages, but as gateways to understanding the roots of much of our modern vocabulary and thought. Until lately the West has regarded it as self-evident that the road to education lay through great books. No man was educated unless he was acquainted with the masterpieces of his tradition. There never was very much doubt in anybody’s mind about which the masterpieces were. They were the books that had endured and that the common voice of mankind called the finest creations, in writing, of the Western mind.

The Socratic method of questioning and dialogue, revived during the Renaissance, is often employed, encouraging logical thinking and deep engagement with ideas. In essence, a classical education curriculum aims to produce not just knowledgeable students, but wise individuals equipped with the tools to learn, think, and communicate effectively throughout their lives.

Classical education emphasizes:

Engagement with Great Books: Classical education places a strong emphasis on reading and analyzing seminal works that have shaped Western civilization. This includes everything from ancient texts to Shakespeare to influential modern works.
Study of Latin: Latin is a cornerstone of many classical education programs (including Classical Conversations!). Latin provides a foundation for understanding language structure, enhances vocabulary, and opens doors to original texts in history, science, and philosophy.
Socratic Method: Named after the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, this method involves asking probing questions to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas.
Cultural Literacy: Classical education aims to provide students with a broad base of cultural knowledge.
Rhetoric and Communication: Building upon a foundation of memorization and clear and logical thinking, students learn to articulate their thoughts clearly and persuasively.
Integrated Approach: Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, classical education takes an integrated approach.
Character Development: Classical education places a high value on moral and character development.
The Pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty: God is the all-fair. Truth, and goodness, and beauty, are but different faces of the same All.

The Benefits of Classical Education: Equipping Students for Life

Classical education offers numerous advantages that prepare students not just for academic success, but for life. Classical education nurtures a genuine love for learning that extends beyond the classroom. The emphasis on logic, analysis, and the Socratic method develops students’ ability to think deeply and critically about complex issues. Through the study of rhetoric, debate, and great literature, students learn to express themselves clearly and persuasively in both written and oral forms. The focus on virtue and moral philosophy helps students develop strong character and ethical decision-making skills. By engaging with seminal texts and ideas throughout history, students gain a rich understanding of our cultural heritage.

Unlike modern education, classical education is not primarily about its utility in the workforce. Having said that, the rigorous nature of classical education prepares students exceptionally well for the challenges of higher education and the workplace. The perception of beauty is a moral test. Through these benefits, classical education equips students with the tools they need to think clearly, communicate effectively, and lead purposeful lives.

The Trivium: A Framework for Learning

The classical model emphasizes the Trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, providing a framework for lifelong learning. Through its integrated approach to subjects, focus on character development, and exposure to enduring works of literature and philosophy, classical education offers a rich, comprehensive learning experience.

The Grammar Stage (Elementary School)

If you walk into an elementary school classroom at a classical school, it’s not uncommon for there to be a fair amount of singing, chanting, and reciting. If you stay for long enough, you’ll also notice that the students are taking in tons of information. They learn people, places, dates, and general facts about a variety of subjects. This, according to Sayers, is because at this age learning by heart is easy and pleasurable. The elementary school-aged brain is naturally prone to memorization and recitation and their powers of observation and memory are at their most powerful. They latch onto engaging content and are delighted to learn the nitty-gritty details of all their subjects. At this age, classical education gives students a firm foundation of knowledge that they can use for building and analysis. It’s also the age where students build satisfaction and pleasant confidence in their knowledge.

The Logic Stage (Middle School)

As students move from elementary school to middle school, their satisfaction with facts diminishes. They enter a developmental stage where they are naturally argumentative and challenging. They crave, to a certain extent, to challenge the things they have been taught thus far. Remember when I mentioned that some of you will have a knowing smile? Well, just know that Sayers sympathized with the families of middle school-aged children. Psychologically, students in this stage have a powerful tendency toward discursive reason - or, thinking through a problem step by step. In the classroom, teachers start to move away from the memorization that marked elementary school and more towards discussions including questions that complement this unique stage of learning. The benefit of this developmental stage under a classical model is that students learn how to harness and direct their argumentative tendencies toward something good. They are encouraged to find answers for themselves and often find their foundation of knowledge is not enough to satisfy their desire. If they are going to continue to question and debate, they need more information. In this way, by the end of middle school, the imagination is reawakened after temporarily going dormant under the guise of youthful surliness.

The Rhetoric Stage (High School)

At last, we arrive at the last stage. Sayers notes that the Poetic stage is marked particularly by a student’s yearning to express themselves. The gift of classical education, in particular, is that it leaves students with a greater creative ability and deliberate eagerness to know and do more. Classical education gives children knowledge, yes, but more importantly, we give them essential tools - hammers, saws, chisels, etc. - that they can take with them as they approach any new problem or question.

The Modern Revival: Key Figures and Organizations

The modern revival of classical education owes much to two remarkable women: Dorothy Sayers and Leigh Bortins. In 1947, British writer and scholar Dorothy Sayers presented her seminal speech delivered during the vacation term at Oxford, “The Lost Tools of Learning.” In this work, Sayers argued that modern education had lost sight of the fundamental skills that enable effective learning. Leigh’s journey into classical education began with a personal quest. Despite her technical background, she found that when it came to reading great works of literature or historical texts with her children, something was missing. This realization led Leigh to explore the classical model of education. In 1997, Leigh founded Classical Conversations, a network of communities that use the classical model to teach at home. Leigh’s approach, which you can find in her books The Core, The Question, and The Conversation, explores the classical trivium from a parent’s perspective.

In the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st, numerous individuals and organizations have contributed to the resurgence of classical education. In the words of Leigh Bortins, classical education allows us to “hear a deeper, more confident voice and can respond in kind” (The Core, page 2).

Several national umbrella organizations provide membership services to classical schools. To varying degrees, these organizations act as promoters, accreditors, conveners, and service providers. In addition, there are prominent national institutes and think tanks that support classical education, advance research and scholarship, and host conferences and other events. Examples include the Association of Classical Christian Schools, the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, and the Society for Classical Learning.

The Growth of Classical Education

Classical education has seen remarkable growth in recent years. The upward trajectory of classical education across grades PK-12 can be tricky to measure because it is not limited to a single type of school. From 2020 to 2022, the Pandemic made it more challenging for founding groups to open new classical schools for in-person learning, especially standalone schools.

The number of classical schools has doubled in the past 10 years. The growth in the last decade has been aided by the arrival of a few charter-management organizations taking the classical model to scale, including Great Hearts, Founders Academies, American Leadership, Classical Academies, etc. Then, there’s the Hillsdale College Barney Charter Initiative, which has provided support - in the form of a liberal-arts curriculum, counsel, training, and best practices - for two dozen schools within its K-12 school network. However, the vast majority of classical schools are operating independently, in relative isolation, which means that we have an opportunity to develop some collective wisdom by connecting these schools to discover the many ways in which classical education serves diverse local communities.

Factors Driving the Growth

Several factors are contributing to the increasing demand for classical education. Millions of new families have begun schooling at home over the past three years. These families may have begun homeschooling because they were frustrated with the school closures and many disruptions precipitated by Covid-19. From what we can see in the statistics, most of these families have opted out of traditional public schools to exercise various choice options including online offerings, micro-schools, and private schools.

The growth of private schools is being stoked by the passage of state education savings accounts (ESA’s) legislation. Over the past two years, school choice programs have expanded significantly. Ten states - Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia - now have passed universal school choice into law making all families eligible for funding that can be applied outside of their public school (source). As new programs become available, the eligible population is growing exponentially. Through these and other forms of school choice such as vouchers and tax credits, more and more families have access to private school options that were previously out of reach.

Classical Education in Practice: Pedagogy and Assessment

The use of good and great works distinguish a classical education from a nonclassical one. Classrooms are filled with exemplary models of language, scientific reasoning, musical composition, philosophical speculation, and more, which serve first as standard-bearers - i.e., this is what greatness looks like - and then as models for emulation. In many ways, classical schooling is an apprenticeship to the great minds and creators of the past, where students develop their own thinking and creativity by close study of past masters. First, they study the master’s craft through careful observation and analysis. Then, they repeatedly practice producing similar arguments, demonstrating proofs, drawing objects, and so forth. Classical education resembles the atelier, or workshop, of a master artist, where students apprentice under the guidance of the master - learning and practicing the use of tools, materials, techniques, styles, and so on to produce fine art of their own.

Mortimer Adler’s useful description of the “Paideia Proposal,” which includes studying great works in three distinct ways: didactic instruction, or lecture; coaching in skills; and conversational seminars. You will see all three in a good classroom. The assessment of students will measure their ability to retain certain information from the didactic component, practice specific skills under the coaching of the teacher, and explore great works in the context of a vigorous conversation among peers, guided by a teacher.

The Role of Teachers in Classical Education

Classical classrooms require highly skilled teachers with deep subject knowledge and skill at leading seminars and discussions. The best teachers love their subject area and are always growing in their understanding, even while they continue to master the craft of teaching their subject to K-12 students. Training is being done within schools and networks, but we’re also seeing higher education get involved with graduate programs designed specifically for classical education.

Addressing Contemporary Concerns

In a time when many in education have argued that the Great Books themselves are outmoded or irrelevant, classical education offers a powerful response. Simply put, classical education is a systematic program of study highlighting the best arguments in every subject area. Thus, when it comes to exploring specific topics, a classical education introduces students to a chorus of authors who prepare students’ minds to engage those topics. For example, if you want to root out racism, you should read the greatest thinkers and arguments that address the perennial human error of viewing others with disdain - e.g., Augustine, Bartolomé de las Casas, Ghandi, King, and others. Such writers remind us that society’s defense of human dignity is ongoing - and those writers inspire the next generation to take up that just cause.

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