What is Classical Education?
Classical Christian Education
Is Not a New Invention
It is really a returning to our roots, recovering the rich educational traditions of Western civilization from their ancient origins, down through two millennia of Christendom. Classical Christian education is distinct from modern education both in its aims and its methods.
Paideia – the Goal of Classical Christian Education
Whereas modern educational philosophy is primarily oriented toward preparation for a future career, the goal of classical Christian education is more comprehensive, and is grounded in the ancient concept of paideia, which can be understood as the passing on of culture and the formation of the soul. Central to the concept of paideia is the shaping of the student’s affections – cultivating in them a love of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Also comprehended is the development of virtue, with an emphasis on the joyful embrace of duty and the hearty pursuit of excellence.
Trivium – the Methods of Classical Christian Education
Modern classical Christian education is organized around an ancient concept known as the Trivium. In its ancient form, the Trivium consisted of three interrelated disciplines (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric) that equipped a student to think (Grammar), reason (Logic), and communicate (Rhetoric) skillfully. During the Medieval period, the Trivium was seen as foundational to the study of the “higher” disciplines of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. In modern classical education, the three disciplines of the Trivium have come to represent three distinct stages in a child’s education, based on the natural stages of childhood development. (This modern application of the Trivium derives from a 1947 address at Oxford University by Dorothy Sayers, entitled “The Lost Tools of Learning”.)
Trivium Stage* | Developmental Attributes | Educational Emphases |
|---|---|---|
Grammar (Gr. K-6) | The “poll-parrot” stage; students are naturally curious and able to absorb and remember large amounts of information. | Emphasis on rich foundational knowledge across all subject areas; use of memorization and recitation. |
Logic (Gr. 7-9) | The “pert” stage; students begin to develop opinions, question ideas, and enjoy argument. | Emphasis on understanding, reasoning, logic, and critical thinking; use of Socratic dialogue. |
Rhetoric (Gr. 10-12) | The “poetic” phase; students begin to desire independence and seek to present themselves and their ideas well. | Emphasis on persuasion, eloquence, wisdom, and discourse; use of the Great Books and the “Great Conversation.” |
*note that the grade divisions for the three stages in the table above are somewhat flexible
In addition to the organizational structure of the Trivium, another distinction of Classical Christian education is the inclusion of Latin study. Contrary to the modern ethos that sees no benefit in studying a “dead language”, classical Christian education recognizes the value of Latin study: as a means of connecting with the Western tradition, as a significant complement to many other areas of study, and as a meaningful academic exercise that develops orderly thinking, mental rigour, and analytical skills.
Although the West has a rich heritage of classical education, the 19th and 20th centuries saw the decline of classical methods and philosophies, as social and educational reformers ushered in an era of progressivism. By the mid-20th century, classical influences had all but disappeared from North American schools, replaced almost entirely by secular, progressive education. However, in the late 20th century, Christian educational pioneers sought to reclaim our great traditions, and the classical Christian education renewal began. There are now hundreds of classical Christian schools throughout the United States, but the movement has been much slower to take hold in Canada. King’s Cross Academy is proud to join the small number of Canadian schools that are both distinctly Christian and distinctly classical.