History of Education, Teacher Training, Teachers, Teaching

A Concise History of Education of Teachers, of				In Britain and the in British Commonwealth traditionally
Teacher Training and Teaching				greater importance has been attached to
(Based on author's site				professionalism, in that not only academic qualifications
In western countries the history of teacher training and				alone do not suffice but, also, separate professional
education, theories of teaching and education of				examinations may not be sat without a specific period
teachers, in western countries, began in the first				of time of specifically professional study. Teacher
decade of the 18th century in Germany, with teaching				training came to require higher entry qualifications than
seminaries preparing teachers to teach. In the history				for training as, e.g., certified accountants or as a
of education and teaching this was the first formal				barrister-at-law [practicing lawyers as trial advocates].
teacher training.				Then, depending on language status, specifically
The first teacher training college in the history of				professional curricula could be completed with a
education and the history of teaching of western				minimum of two or a minimum of three years of
countries, formal teacher education and training, was				professional study followed by [additionally to in-house
founded in early 18th century in France by the Roman				training in the course of professional study], e.g., six
Catholic monk Jean Babtiste de la Salle, canonised in				moths of pupillage for legal practice, or, e.g., a year's
1900; his Brothers of the Christian schools were				probationary class-room teaching prior to full
teaching poor and middle class children and were an				professional qualification,Â with an expectation also
order of non-clerical male teachers. This was based				of later continuous professional development by way
on what Greek philosophers had advocated and was				of, e.g., attendance at seminars -in the case of
later re-introduced into western society by Islam: that				teaching with optional further study in a subject
spirituality ought not be the only reason and basis of				offered by the Teacher Training College.
education. Until then, teacher education and training had				(Until the late 20th century holders of those minimum
been clerical; this, in 1725 was the first secular teacher				entry qualification, by passing a selection examination,
training college in the history of education of the West.				could become 'temporary teachers'. Graduates of
In western countries' history of education this changed				Oxford and Cambridge universities, upon payment of a
attitudes to education; teaching, and teacher education				fee, could be conferred upon the title of 'master' and
and training so began to require teachers to have an				be placed as teachers by their syndicate. Graduates
understanding of the human mind, together with				of other universities wanting to become teachers
knowledge of science and art and principles of				attended the two year compulsory [or longer with an
teaching, and methods of teaching and education.				additional subject] teacher training colleges, or with a
This requirement became established as the norm.				Bachelor of Education degree could enter teacher
Teacher training establishments conformed to it, with				training at final year level, subject to the successful
the Normal Schools, the first in the history of education				completion of a probationary year in class-room
for the training of teachers.				teaching.Â This professionalism in teaching has since
This proved popular; progress followed. This was the				been required of new graduates as the Post-graduate
first time when in the history of education and history				Certificate in Education [PGCE], in England only [for
of teaching of western countries a system of				teaching at state schools] with a QTS skills test, and
education was created which required and enabled				similarly [and also in the case of Bachelor of Education
knowledge and in-service experience and certification				graduates] the successful completionÂ of an
for teachers, with continuing professional development				induction year in school teaching as Newly Qualified
opportunities in professional teaching for teachers. It				Teacher [NQT] -with continuing professional
was an un-uniform system of teacher education and				development. While also non-major professional
training, but it did enabled teachers, while teaching, to				qualifications has been officially categorised as a level
attend teaching seminars to refresh and increase their				above under-graduate university degrees [being
knowledge of teaching; it made possible the exchange				considered to be reduced to two years] in the National
of ideas among teachers.				Vocational Qualifications scheme,Â without such a
Uniform teacher education and training, professional				degree only those qualify for the Qualified Teacher
teaching in the history of education first began in				Status [QTS] who previously had been trained at a
France. It was unsuccessfully attempted during the				Teacher Training College in the United Kingdom or in a
French revolution to adopt Germany's teachers'				Colony or former Colony of it, or if elsewhere if
seminars, and with Napoleon's efforts in the second				similarly they possess examination passes at GCE or
quarter of the 19th century a similar and the first				GCSE level [at grade C or above] additionally to the
uniform system in the western history of education				language requirement in Mathematics [and if to qualify
and training of teachers became established.				to teach at a primary school also in Physics] -or their
In the USA and in Britain there had not been a system				recognised equivalents [e.g., Matriculation].)
of formal teacher education and training; but, a				Reputable American teaching qualifications, e.g., through
certification for teachers, of moral fitness for teaching,				the Teacher Training College of the Columbia
had been introduced by Elizabeth I.				University, enjoy a similar international high regard.
In England's history of education and teaching, in the				However, in their history of education, having less
first quarter of the 19th century a teaching method				aspired to make general education as 'practical' as in
was begun by Joseph Lancaster and Andrew Bell. It				the USA and in later Britain (with lessening emphasis
was called 'Lancasterian': the senior students as				on spirituality in India, increasing perfectionism in China
'monitors', while receiving teaching from a tutor, were				and in the 21st century the UK's preference for its
acting as teachers and teaching other students.				basis as respect for authority as in the USA), the
In Scotland's history of education and teaching				European teaching institutions almost uniformly continue
Germany's teacher education became interested in. In				more to value academic general education for entering
the third quarter of 19th century the Glasgow Normal				into professional training as school teachers, and
Seminary for teachers was founded by David Stowe.				Britain's considering, e.g., class-room assistant
Teacher education and training progressed. In the USA				qualifications as good substitute to, e.g., the GCE
Horace Mann founded the Massachusetts Normal				GCSE passes, as acceptable entry qualification was
Schools, and in Britain's colonies voluntary organisations				criticised.
and churches established formal teacher training				Interest in entering the teaching profession have
colleges and teaching.				always been based on the status of teachers, which,
Concerns were expressed in England on whether it				traditionally, was highest in Russia in the 2nd half of the
was right for persons of lower social class to attend				20th century, where teachers enjoyed more
teacher training colleges and give teaching to children				favourable terms of employment than elsewhere.
of persons of higher social class. In France it was				In Britain's history of education, the 1980's
feared that teachers by their teaching might influence				miss-projection of the how many teachers were
young minds with liberal ideas.				needed resulted in the employment of science
(In Japan [seemingly influencing the USA's history of				graduates, without formal teaching qualifications, as,
education and teaching] emphasis in teaching was on				initially temporary, teachers. A status was enjoyed by
instilling patriotism.)				teachers of similar regard, as in European countries,
In the history of teacher education and training of				and, about the end of the 20th century, conferring
Europe, in 19th century 'Philosophy of Education' of				knighthood upon teachers of long service was
Rosencrantz emphasized philosophical and				politically suggested in Britain but due to controversies
psychological data. This was on the lines of Islam's				on reforming the House of Lords it did not materialise.
system of university faculties and developed into				At the beginning of the 21st century, for reasons
separate teaching disciplines.				considered economic, the status of teachers was
This progress in the history of education and teaching				regarded to have been equated to those of
was furthered in Sweden by Pestalozzi. He				classroom assistants who were socially criticised for
advocated formal teacher training colleges.				taking classes on their own with brief training.
(Pestalozzi, except theologically, was self-educated; he				In the USA's history of education and teaching a form
never specifically set out a written account of teaching				of essentialism in education has been hailed, and a
and of teacher training colleges, but his place in the				culture based on practicality and model citizenry,
history of education and teaching and his greatness is				emphasising respect for authority. With a reported
deducible in outline from his various writings and his				lower literacy rate than, e.g., much less resourceful
loving and sincere deeds and the example he set.)				Turkey's, and in the 21st century, with no general
Froebel in Germany favoured the education of				minimum standard in teacher training and education,
teachers through teacher training colleges, as did				some states do not recognise the teaching
Alexander Bain's 'Education as a Science'. That				qualifications of some others. Teachers and teaching
developed with Herbart's pedagogical emphasis in				appear officially to enjoy no higher regard then in
teaching on the five formal steps: preparation,				Bernard Shaw's remark (by some believed to be
presentation, comparison, generalisation, application.				about writers' courses) "Those who can, do; those
Germany's model for teacher training and education				who can not teach".
became the basis of further developments: Derwent				In the USA public interest in better educational
Coleridge and James Kay Shuttleworth in Britain, Mann				standards grew and at the end of the 20th century
in the USA broadly agreeing, favoured it. Teacher				three generals were appointed by a state to improve
education and training, should emphasise techniques of				teaching and educational standards, and at the
teaching -"not only the subjects of instructions, but also				beginning of the 21st century was appointed to
the method of teaching".				improve educational standards at federal level a
By the end of the 19th century teacher education and				serving general. Some teachers paid only term time,
training became established in France and Russia (and				having to seek vacation work during summer, teaching
in Japan). Teacher education and training came to be				and teachers, generally are regarded as having
required by law to be through formal teacher training				enjoyed not as good terms and conditions in the USA,
colleges.				but it has considered adopting the European
In English speaking countries history of education and				baccalaureate system.
teaching, formal teacher education and training, began				The growth of interest in culture and education in
in Scotland with the University of Edinburgh's creation				western society's history of teaching has been seen, in
of a chair in education, with the St. Andrews. The USA				the European Union, mostly in Cyprus which reportedly
with the efforts of, e.g., Henry Bernard and Nicholas				has the highest percentage of university graduates
Murray Butler, followed.				among fellow member states.
Developments in English speaking countries were				In western society spiritual values in education have
enhanced by the teaching techniques of Herbert				been protected by way of teaching religious studies in
Spencer in England, and pedagogy. In the USA's				many schools in American secularisim [protection of
history of Teacher education and training there were				religion from political influence] and by the religious
studies, e.g., by Francis W. Parker, of Germany's				affiliations of many of its universities; in European
pedagogical developments.				secularism [protecting against one's formal dominance
In the USA's history of teaching and education John				of the other], often with a state religion enshrined in the
Dewey worked with the University of Chicago				constitution, this has been partly ensured by such laws
Laboratory Schools as influenced by the Darwinian				as, e.g., the requirement of Britain's Education Acts in
hypothesis (reportedly originating from the library of				compulsory education to take pupils to religious
Alexandria) prior to its later evaluation by science.				worship at least once a month and, e.g., while British
Taking into account from other disciplines what was				universities are not formally religiously affiliated, the
considered relevant in teaching to child development,				availability of a place of worhsip and clerics to students
the Brown University founded a department of				at universities.
education.				While various emphasis and special education
The Roman Catholic La Salle College in Philadelphia,				considerations (e.g., the pedagogy based
chartered 1863, had been teaching education.				Steiner-Waldorf education for creating free moral and
The Teachers College founded in 1888 in New York				integrated individuals -by some its say by teachers and
was popularly incorporated into the Columbia University				schools on defining the curricula disagreed with, or
and was famously established that teacher training				Montessori's preschool and elementary school child's
college at beginning of 20th century, announcing "The				self directed activities with autodidactic equipment
purpose of the Teacher Training College is to afford				-regarded by some as risking raising obedient
opportunity, both theoretical and practical, for the				automatons), be it practical skills or Emerson's 'thinking
training of teachers, of both sexes, for kindergartens				man', have all had praise and criticism and arguments
and elementary schools and secondary schools, of				continue on prgmatism and creation -v- evolution,
principals, supervisors, and superintendents of schools,				generally Socrates's argument that the rightly trained
and of specialists in various branches of school work,				mind would turn toward virtue continues to carry
involving normal schools and colleges" -that became				considerable weight in most educational systems.
the basis, in the western history of education and				Basically an important aim of education and the
teaching, of teacher education and training.				societies' all time expectations continue to be on the
In Britain's system of education, which applied				lines of these verses (by the Cypriot 'Teacher of
throughout the Commonwealth, entry into teacher				Teachers', the late Orhan Seyfi Ari):
training came to require senior secondary school,				'I was an ape' you say -or amphibian?
advanced level, Matriculation or the later General				And now?!Â Are you not now.. 'man'!? "
Certificate of Education [GCE] passes Ordinary [O]				In western history of teaching and the status of
and at Advanced [A] level -more generally catered for				teachers the cultural values balance appears to have
at British Grammar Schools [as distinct from the USA's				been more reflected in the education and training of
where they are modern secondary schools], and				teachers in Europe, mostly in Spain and Italy, and in
Europe the British Grammar School equivalent Â				France where without much disregard to spiritual
LycÃ¨e Diploma in Science or in Arts -with				values also political and ideological affiliations of
compulsory advanced classical academic and cultural				teachers is the long established norm in professional
content, became the minimum entry requirement.				teaching.

Halstead Hospital

History of Education, Teacher Training, Teachers, Teaching