Labour’s new education secretary wishes, as usual, to change everything. She might consider the advice of the Roman educationist Quintilian (d. c. ad 100).
In the ancient world education was for the elites, and its purpose was to prepare them to be statesmen and power-brokers. That required mastery of both history, since that was the only way to understand the future, and verbal persuasion, because power depended upon winning legal and political arguments. The building blocks of education were acquiring a firm grasp of grammar and right usage, and reading widely across history and the best literature, poetry and philosophy. But above all else, that education must produce good men – courageous, just, honest and self-controlled.
The teacher was crucial. He must first understand each pupil’s mental abilities and character. The surest sign of ability was a good memory; such a pupil would absorb what he was taught and do it himself: that made him teachable. He would question the teacher about it all and rely on his guidance and authority rather than going his own, fruitless way. Different pupils required different treatment. Some were lazy until pushed; some did not like to be told what to do; some responded to fear, others were paralysed by it. Quintilian preferred boys who were stirred by praise and thrilled by success and cried over failure. Such a boy must be fed by compliments; rebuke would sting him, high esteem stir him, and you need never fear idleness.
Holidays were vital, because study depended on good will, refreshing enthusiasm for learning.
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