FAQs for Classical Education

- 1. Is Classical Education still relevant and practical in the modern age?
  
  Absolutely! “Classical” does not refer to a desire to cling to what is outdated, or to ignore what is new; rather, it accommodates modern advancements in science, math, etc. It equips students with all of the practical knowledge that they need in order to be successful in their life beyond school.
  
  Further, one of the most important aspects of this kind of education is its aim of teaching students how to think critically, how to communicate, how to have a rational discussion. What could be a more important skill in our chaotic and emotion-driven modern public discourse? The incorporation of Socratic Method - that is, teacher-guided discussion amongst the students - aims to give them the ability to ask questions and articulate their thoughts in a calm, logical, and charitable manner.
  
  Students learn the modern world and US history, but it is important to note that a classical education aims first to anchor and orient its students in the foundations of Western Civilization. Studying Greco-Roman culture in particular, along with its fulfillment in medieval Christendom, allows the students to understand the foundations upon which our society has been built and the foundational principles and values which our society has now rejected. To ignore or downplay Western history is to rob students of their own rich cultural, intellectual, moral, and spiritual heritage.
  
  2. Do Classical Educators reject academic standards and standardized testing?
  
  Absolutely not! There are academic standards and standardized testing in this type of education. In fact, one of the most notable statistics in the realm of Classical Liberal Education is the high (and often superior) performance of classically-educated students on standardized tests such as the SAT. However, standards, “measurables”, statistics, etc. are not believed to be as centrally important as they are in modern education. We refuse to measure a student’s performance merely by numbers and standards. We use standards as one set of guidelines in a more holistic and human approach to formation - academic, moral, and spiritual.
  
  3. Why study Latin?
  
  There are so many reasons to study Latin! Too many to list here, in fact! Please refer to the very informative links below:
  
  https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/top-10-reasons-studying-latin/
  
  4. Do you reject the use of technology?
  
  Not at all. However, unless technology has a very focused purpose in the classroom, any teacher will tell you how it becomes more of an obstacle or distraction. Students have access to computers in order to do research and typing. Further, students who need assistive technology for reading are given the technology for this as well. While students are taught how to type properly, we also continue to teach penmanship and often require handwritten work.
- Reflection on classical education
  
  People often demand statistics that classical education works. This is a fair request since it is only recently that it has come back into favor; in that sense, it is “untested”. However, with a wider view of history, it is a surprising request. The best response is pointing to what has happened to our educational system and our culture ever since we abandoned our appreciation for classical education and our Western cultural heritage.
  
  Whatever your background, I don’t think there is anyone that thinks our children are better educated now than in the past. Is our technology better? Yep. Is there anything else we can boast over our ancestors in terms of being better formed, more moral, wiser (not just being able to access more information on our phones)? Nope.
  
  Perhaps some might take issue with the focus on Western civilization and culture. Isn’t this narrow-minded? Not at all. First of all, here in the West, it makes sense for us to be in touch with our cultural roots. Second of all, it is due to the West - its Greco-Roman roots and Christian fulfillment - that we even have the values which we consider so sacrosanct: human dignity, personhood, freedom, altruism, etc.
  
  If we polled exasperated parents in this social media-driven culture, what would they say that our younger generations need the most? More technology? More entertainment? Nope. Almost certainly the majority would say: “Some kind of stability. A moral compass. Virtue. The ability to think for themselves. The ability to communicate.” These are all things that classical education aims to provide. Not just information and preparation for a pragmatic and materialistic life. Does modern education address the soul? No. It either denies or ignores the soul. It treats our young as receptacles of information and nothing more. Can we really call anything “education” that ignores the most important aspect of a human person?
  
  So, the better question is: Where is the data that our abandonment of classical education has benefitted us?
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