Education in Rome

Why was the Roman education system successful? In Ancient Rome, an important thing to obtain was a proper education. As Roman children grew, they were taught lessons from their parents, teachers, and tutors. Sadly, poor and unfortunate children were only taught to work from childhood. Prosperous children learned valuable lessons. Ancient Rome didn’t have the tools we have today in our classrooms. They were inventive and creative with their writing tools. In fact, not only writing tools, but education itself has evolved immensely since the Romans have ruled. When children in Rome were educated, they learned skills for the future. Unfortunately, poor families couldn’t afford to properly educate their kids, and their children were expected to work for a living from an early age. In Ludus, which is also known as primary school, rich children at seven years old were educated in writing, reading, and arithmetic. Assuming that girls only needed basic skills, families pulled their daughters out of school at age eleven, so their mothers could teach them to cook, to clean, and to prepare for marriage. Boys continued to be schooled. Secondary school or Grammaticus, taught boys more advanced subjects like Greek and Roman literature, geometry, history, geography, astrology, music, and philosophy. If pupils desired to pursue a career in law or politics, they studied rhetoric at fourteen. Besides secondary school and primary school, prosperous parents could have also had their kids educated at home by a tutor for academic subjects. Outdoor skills like horse-riding, swimming, and fighting with weapons and armor were taught by the father. Necessary skills were given to children in Rome through all forms of education. Fear was a great motivator to learn and achieve stellar grades in Ancient Rome. In Ancient Rome, primary and secondary schools were usually from dawn until noon without a break and set up by the schoolmaster in a house or rented room. While educating pupils, teachers, who were often disabled soldiers or educated slaves, demanded positive behavior. Administering cruel corporal punishment, teachers spanked culpable students with a cane or strap. Martial, a Latin poet who lived near a school, constantly complained about the noise from the school every morning: “Oh cursed schoolmaster, what right do you have to disturb everyone before the cock crows with your savage threats and beatings?”(22) Students had harsh teachers. Each student had no desk, learned from scrolls, and wrote on a wax tablet with a stylus. The wax tablet was a wooden board covered with a thin layer of wax, and letters were scratched on the wax by the pointed end of the stylus. The flat end of the stylus erased mistakes and made the surface smooth for reuse. Advanced pupils learned to write on papyrus, a paper made from flattened leaves of a water plant, which is mainly found in Egypt. With reed pen and ink, made from soot and gum, students wrote the words on the papyrus paper. After it was used, the papyrus could be scrubbed clean for reuse. Corporal punishment motivated fearful Roman students to achieve successful grades. When comparing today’s educational system and the Roman’s educational system, one can discover a myriad amount of differences. In public and private schools today, students use desks and books instead of scrolls like the Romans. Fortunately, many kids today, who are not extremely wealthy, receive an education and do not work from an early age unlike most Roman children. Teachers also aren’t as strict. The Romans thought beating a child was the only way to teach, educate, and learn. They even had a popular saying: “A boy who has not been caned has not been trained.” (Richard Dargie 23) Another difference is that school today starts at 7:30 and ends at 2:30, while the Roman’s school begun at dawn and finished at noon. In today’s society, Girls receive a proper education and aren’t forced to drop out at twelve for marriage. They are able to prepare for life and a constructive career in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college just like the boys. Surprisingly, there is one similarity. The Romans also had homeschooling and regular school like today. The differences between today and the past are truly significant. When Roman girls were educated, they were usually taught the basics and how to clean, cook, and run a household, which they needed for their future marriages. During a boy’s education, he learned more complicated subjects like geography, geometry, and philosophy as well as the basics. Usually, students wrote on wax tablets with a stylus and many more materials. As the years have passed, education has changed incredibly from the materials used, the way we teach, and the teachers. Ancient Rome has truly impacted our educational system, which is very significant. We can learn from their mistakes and improve from them. The Roman education system was successful because it has lasted throughout time.