SYSTEM OF SCHOOLS

Comenius further devised a system on how to teach all human beings. In the Great Didactic, he organized the school system in a way similar to the current American system, outlining kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school, and college and university levels. He believed in graded education and teaching children according to their age level and degree of understanding, bringing outside experience into the classroom. Lessons should begin with simple material, moving on to ones that are more complex. Teachers should be friendly, utilize the children’s native language, and help children remember material by repeating it, instead of demanding memorization. Students should travel to broaden their horizons. These concepts were groundbreaking at the time and earned Comenius a place in history as the “Father of Modern Education.”

Photo: Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia