Page 20 - All About History - Issue 12-14

Education

Meet the brilliant minds that turned CONFUCIUS
learning on its head CHINESE 551-479 BCE

Among the most influential thinkers in
Chinese history, Confucius, or Kong Qui,
Roger Bacon believed hard work and careful study is
pointed out the many the sole way to truly mastering a subject,
shortcomings to the rather than instinct or faith alone. Above
Julian calendar, over all, he prioritised the moral teaching of
300 years before it was his students, promoting conduct, loyalty,
finally corrected and faithfulness and culture. Confucian
reformed approach to education, achieving moral
virtue and harmony through study, is still
Confucius has a quasi-
religious philosophy named prevalent in China and across Asia today.
after him: Confucianism

Amos Comenius
MORAVIAN 1592-1670
Both a religious and educational
reformer, Comenius believed that
learning should be a pleasant
and natural process, something
he felt was often hampered and
outright counteracted by the
severe practices in schools. He
argued that learning should be
enjoyed from an early age, right
through university and beyond.

“ You create the

future through

hard work”
ROGER BACON Jaime Escalante
ENGLISH 1214-1292
Bacon had a keen interest in all facets Jaime Escalante
of science, including the secretive BOLIVIAN 1930-2010
practice of alchemy and even An immigrant from Bolivia, Escalante gained
magic, and was a staunch teacher of international attention while teaching
Aristotle’s work. Known as ‘doctor underprivileged inner-city students at a low-
achieving east-Los Angeles high school.
mirabilis’, or ‘wonderful teacher’, by He took an unconventional approach
his contemporaries, Bacon took it to teaching calculus, including music
upon himself to reform the studies of and even toys in his lessons. His
theology and philosophy in universities. main intention while teaching was to
Himself a multilinguist, the study of remove the impression of calculus as
an extremely difficult subject – as
languages was incorporated side-by- one of the signs in his classroom
side with mathematics and science at read: “Calculus need not be made
his suggestion. Though his reforms easy, it’s already easy.” The
were adopted with success, his pursuits program proved a success when
in 1982, 18 of Escalante’s
of alchemy and astrology eventually students achieved high
gained him notoriety and he was scores in a college placement
imprisoned shortly before his death. exam for the subject.

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