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Chapter 7: The Path
A Timeline of Significant Events in Education
The farther backward you can look, the farther
forward you are likely to see.
– Winston Churchill
2,000,000 BC
After evolving separately from chimpanzees for millions
of years, Australopithecus evolved into the first human
species. Homo habalis, Homo ergaster, and
Homo erectus
walked upright and made stone tools. Spoken language and
controlled fire existed by 500,000 BC.1,2 Evidence of toolmaking, language, and fire suggests that humanlike
knowledge was being transferred from generation to
generation.
160,000 BC
Homo sapiens arose in East Africa and spread throughout
sub-Saharan Africa and into South Asia (80,000 BC),
Australia (70,000 BC), Europe (50,000 BC), Central Asia
(40,000), North America (25,000 BC), and South America
(15,000 BC).3 By 50,000 BC, there were 1.3 million humans
on earth.4 These early humans were essentially
genetically identical to us. If a newborn could be
transported from this time, they would develop the same
anatomy and language as modern humans. They would likely
have a normal IQ and be indistinguishable in aptitude
and behavior. In other words, the main thing that
separates us from Neolithic hunter-gatherers is
knowledge.
8000 BC
The domestication of plants and
animals began in the Fertile Crescent with goats, sheep,
wheat, barley, flax, lentils, pigs, and cattle.5–7 By 3000 BC, agriculture had spread throughout Eurasia and
had arisen independently in China (rice, pigs, water
buffalo), Central America (squash, maize, beans), and
South America (potatoes, quinoa, llamas). Humans slowly
transitioned from nomadic lifestyles to agriculture,
which paved the way for permanent settlements, the
division of labor, and formal education. Population
densities, which had been relatively stable for
millennia, suddenly increased. The global human
population grew from 5 million in 8000 BC to around 200
million in 500 AD.8 Few historians will commit to exact
figures, but some have made educated guesses based on
archeological evidence. Although estimates vary,
everyone agrees that this was a period of unprecedented
growth. As populations expanded, so did technology due
to new living conditions, specialized scholars, and more
minds to solve problems.
Figure 7.1: Human Population
Growth, 8000 BC – 500 AD 8
3300 BC
Sumerian civilization arose in the Middle
East. Sumerians were the first people to live in cities,
use written language, and invent the wheel. Historians
know a lot about Sumerian cuneiform because Sumerians
wrote on clay tablets – a medium which remained intact
for millennia. The existence of writing and a growing
knowledge base led to formal education, teachers, and
texts. Libraries arose in temples and became centers of
intellectual activity. Male children from privileged
classes were trained as scribes and priests. But most
people remained illiterate.
3000 BC
Written language
appeared in Egypt. Because Egypt and Sumer were
neighbors and probably traded goods, cuneiform writing
may have inspired hieroglyphs. However, since the two
scripts are very different, if anything, the idea of
writing spread rather than its structure. Although
Egyptians and Sumerians had different writing styles,
they shared educational characteristics: privileged boys
were trained as scribes and priests, but less than 1% of
the population was literate.9 Instead of clay, Egyptians
wrote on papyrus – a paper-like material made from local
water reeds. Papyrus scrolls, which were lightweight and
portable, were an enduring contribution to education –
used by Greek and Roman civilizations until 300 AD.
1500 BC
Two influential writing systems emerged: Proto-Sinaitic
(1700 BC) and Chinese (1300 BC). Proto-Sinaitic evolved
from hieroglyphs and was the source of all future
alphabets. Chinese probably arose independently and was
logogrammatic – each word had a unique symbol. Both
systems had advantages. Alphabets had fewer characters
to memorize, words were easily sorted into dictionaries,
and copious new words, such as scientific terms, were
quickly added. Logograms were good because symbols were
constant across languages and time. (The closest thing
that Westerners have to logograms is numbers. The symbol
“2” has the same meaning in Spanish, German, and Old
English but is pronounced differently as dos, zwei, and
twá. Similarly, Chinese symbols do not change even when
they are pronounced differently among dialects.) Some
historians claim that alphabets were a major
breakthrough. However, given the scientific, mathematic,
and literary achievements of logogrammatic cultures, an
alphabet is obviously not a prerequisite for advanced
knowledge.
600 BC
Olmec writing appeared in
Mesoamerica. Despite geographic isolation, New World
civilizations were reaching many of the same milestones
as Old World civilizations, albeit thousands of years
later: agriculture, pottery, cities, roads, pyramids,
writing, mathematics, metallurgy, etc. The emergence of
duplicate technologies, separated by time and space,
suggests that societies grew by gradually building on
past knowledge rather than sudden intellectual or
genetic superiority. External factors were critical. For
example, irrigation and cities were unlikely to emerge
in sub-Saharan Africa, where endemic diseases like
malaria spread quickly in wet areas with large
populations. Eurasia had other advantages: native
species of large-seeded grasses for farming, expanses of
land running east–west with similar climates that permit
the spread of existing crops, and large mammals suitable
for domestication, plowing, and warfare.10 Eurasian
societies had a head start that would not be
relinquished. (In this context, North Africa is grouped
with Eurasia since it is similar in climate, history,
and trade.) The indigenous people of Australia,
sub-Saharan Africa, and the Americas would be invaded,
and their cultures supplanted, before they could
independently discover many of the educational advances
that arose in Eurasia after 500 BC.
Also in this chapter ...
- The history of education: 500 BC to 2000 AD
- How past advances in education will lead
naturally to the future
- Examining the final obstacles to better schools
- Practical ways for districts to initiate change
now
- Reform depends on you: lend your voice and help
spread the word
This is an excerpt
from Chalkbored: What's Wrong with School and How to
Fix It. Order the book
here.
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