In an essay included in Expanded Universe, Robert Heinlein talks about his primary education in a one-room Missouri school house. He learned Greek, Latin, trigonometry (maybe calculus as well?), deep history, etc.
I can’t talk about Heinlein’s education, but my grandmother’s one was based almost exclusively in rote memorization. She “knew Greek” as in she could remember by heart sections of Greek texts and their translation. Same for Latin. History was learning by heart lists of kings, date of birth/coronation/death, but fairly little in depth understanding. Nowadays the focus in ancient languages in learning their culture and to translate, for history is learning not only dates but reasons and connections between elements.
We also care way more about having the same education for everyone, that was really no concern a century ago. Each school was doing whatever they wanted.
In an essay included in Expanded Universe, Robert Heinlein talks about his primary education in a one-room Missouri school house. He learned Greek, Latin, trigonometry (maybe calculus as well?), deep history, etc.
I can’t talk about Heinlein’s education, but my grandmother’s one was based almost exclusively in rote memorization. She “knew Greek” as in she could remember by heart sections of Greek texts and their translation. Same for Latin. History was learning by heart lists of kings, date of birth/coronation/death, but fairly little in depth understanding. Nowadays the focus in ancient languages in learning their culture and to translate, for history is learning not only dates but reasons and connections between elements.
We also care way more about having the same education for everyone, that was really no concern a century ago. Each school was doing whatever they wanted.
The “the same education for everyone” is truly problematic. “That’s right! It goes in the square hole!”