If the concept of school was to disappear today as it were never invented, it will take three days at most for people to again start rebuilding an educational system. It is not a coincidence that we are on the top of the food chain. However illogical it may sound, with our inventions and the continuous passion for learning we are in position where we rule almost every corner of this world. If it weren’t for school this wouldn’t have been possible.
The truth about educational systems goes far beyond the imaginable traces of historical data. For instance, if Darwin was right and we did evolve from some primates, the first things that make this possible was learning how to do something differently, repeating that and making sure that the future generations also take note of whatever revolutionary change there is. If this doesn’t sound like school, I don’t know what does. My point is, we are bound to learn. We don’t have to call it school, we don’t have to invent rules; it’s in our unique DNA to extract facts, analyze, solve problems and re-apply what’s been learned in one field to anther.
Is There an Official Inventor of the School?
The earliest signs of the human ability to transfer knowledge is found in prehistoric hunting communities that lived in a dessert west of the river Nile (c.3500-3200 BCE). The Egyptians used hieroglyphs as the first formal writing system. You might not believe this, but it was easy to write full and complete sentences this way. Of course it had a lot more to do with pictures rather than specific symbols, but the point I’m making here is that humans have never and will never stop inventing systems of communication. Therefore, in my opinion, education is something deeply engraved in our DNA.
Humans are not the only animals that make use of this unique ability. However, we’re the only ones who consciously acknowledge the benefits and strive to perfect the methods. But if you take your time and observe a family of dogs, for instance, you will notice how the little ones tend to repeat the actions of the mother, as to learn a proper interaction with humans. This is also due to a rather complex educational system that dates back to the origin of dogs. In fact, everything today’s dogs know is a result of the struggles and the first wolf-human encounters. Once omega wolfs from a certain pack learned that the easier way to a full tummy is being friendly to the humans instead of going to war with them. This is how, little by little, wolves turned into the domesticated, ready to serve us version we are accustomed to today.
Learning: Mystic Origins
For the sake of proving how innate the concept of school is to our DNA as aforementioned, let’s take a trip down molecular lane. Our cells can learn. This pearl of wisdom is the basis of all new experimental drugs for curing cancer. What scientists are trying to do is use our cells’ tendency to repeat patterns to introduce a certain fighting code against carcinogenic tissues. For this purpose, they create shots which contain both invader cell tissue and T-cells. By injecting this shot in the body, the actual T-cells of the patient are expected to repeat the interaction that occurs among those in the shot. This should result in the capability of our immune system to learn how to summon the necessary amount of T-cells for an immediate attack of malign tissues.
Who invented education?
It’s safe to say that we didn’t invent school, but school invented us, meaning the concept of learning is what made it possible for us to exist as we are, communicate as we do and continue to spread what we’ve learned. The first thing that kids think of when they ask themselves who invented school is who invented homework. They do this, of course, in a rather agitated manner, however little do they know that if it weren’t for school, all of their favorite cartoons, movies and tech gadgets wouldn’t exists either. Kids are also not fond of those who invented school exams, but if it weren’t for exams, we wouldn’t be able to see what improvements does the learning process require.
If after all this elaboration on the true origin of school, or better, the origin of intelligent life in the light of school you’re still waiting on an actual name, then here’s a little something to satisfy that notion. The man who invented the first institution to be called school was Harry P. School, hence the common noun. This occurred in 1369, however, the methods of this first system weren’t very child-friendly. It served more like a punishing house for bad behavior, rather than a stimulating environment. Luckily, the children of today in most developed countries don’t have to undergo such rigid conditions.
The Bottom Line
In fact, what modern type of education focuses on these days is the natural flow of learning that activates the individual as a whole. These methods include the development of the 9 types of intelligence and this is the kind of setting that allows for every member to find their own place in the group and their own reason to feel as a contributor.
Finally, it’s not about whether we should find a single person to whom we ought to hand the torch of crossing the great divide between hating and loving the invention of school. It’s about realizing how untraceable this origin is. Only then will we be truly able to say that we understand the concept of learning. Only then will we be worthy enough to continue the tradition of transferring all these secret codes to our descendants. This non-conformist mindset is what makes it possible for one to abandon attachment to names, years and ideas and turn to innovation and free creation instead. If we are all aware that all is learning and learning is all, we will feel less inclined to judgment and more liberated to become the inventors and influential beings we are meant to be.
