A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning,
the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of
students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of
formal education, which is sometimes compulsory.[2] In these systems, students
progress through a series of schools that can be built and operated by both
government and private organization. The names for these schools vary by country
(discussed in the Regional terms section below) but generally include primary
school for young children and secondary school for teenagers who have completed
primary education. An institution where higher education is taught is commonly
called a university college or university.
In addition to these core schools, students in a given country may also attend
schools before and after primary (elementary in the U.S.) and secondary (middle
school in the U.S.) education.[3] Kindergarten or preschool provide some schooling
to very young children (typically ages 3–5). University, vocational school,
college, or seminary may be available after secondary school. A school may be
dedicated to one particular field, such as a school of economics or dance.
Alternative schools may provide nontraditional curriculum and methods.
Non-government schools, also known as private schools,[4] may be required when the
government does not supply adequate or specific educational needs. Other private
schools can also be religious, such as Christian schools, gurukula (Hindu schools),
madrasa (Arabic schools), hawzas (Shi'i Muslim schools), yeshivas (Jewish schools),
and others; or schools that have a higher standard of education or seek to foster
other personal achievements. Schools for adults include institutions of corporate
training, military education and training, and business schools.
Critics of school often accuse the school system of failing to adequately prepare
students for their future lives,[5] of encouraging certain temperaments while
inhibiting others,[6] of prescribing students exactly what to do, how, when, where
and with whom, which would suppress creativity,[7] and of using extrinsic measures
such as grades and homework, which would inhibit children's natural curiosity and
desire to learn.[8]
In homeschooling and distance education, teaching and learning take place
independent from the institution of school or in a virtual school outside a
traditional school building, respectively. Schools are organized in several
different organizational models, including departmental, small learning
communities, academies, integrated, and schools-within-a-school.
Etymology
The word school derives from Greek σχολή (scholē), originally meaning "leisure" and
also "that in which leisure is employed", but later "a group to whom lectures were
given, school".[9][10][11]
History and development
See also: History of education
Plato's academy, mosaic from Pompeii
The concept of grouping students together in a centralized location for learning
has existed since Classical antiquity. Formal schools have existed at least since
ancient Greece (see Academy), ancient Rome (see Education in Ancient Rome) ancient
India (see Gurukul), and ancient China (see History of education in China). The
Byzantine Empire had an established schooling system beginning at the primary
level. According to Traditions and Encounters, the founding of the primary
education system began in 425 AD and "... military personnel usually had at least a
primary education ...". The sometimes efficient and often large government of the
Empire meant that educated citizens were a must. Although Byzantium lost much of
the grandeur of Roman culture and extravagance in the process of surviving, the
Empire emphasized efficiency in its war manuals. The Byzantine education system
continued until the empire's collapse in 1453 AD.[12]
In Western Europe, a considerable number of cathedral schools were founded during
the Early Middle Ages in order to teach future clergy and administrators, with the
oldest still existing, and continuously operated, cathedral schools being The
King's School, Canterbury (established 597 CE), King's School, Rochester
(established 604 CE), St Peter's School, York (established 627 CE) and Thetford
Grammar School (established 631 CE). Beginning in the 5th century CE, monastic
schools were also established throughout Western Europe, teaching religious and
secular subjects.
Mental calculations. In the school of S. Rachinsky by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky.
Russia, 1895.
In Europe, universities emerged during the 12th century; here, scholasticism was an
important tool, and the academicians were called schoolmen. During the Middle Ages
and much of the Early Modern period, the main purpose of schools (as opposed to
universities) was to teach the Latin language. This led to the term grammar school,
which in the United States informally refers to a primary school, but in the United
Kingdom means a school that selects entrants based on ability or aptitude. The
school curriculum has gradually broadened to include literacy in the vernacular
language and technical, artistic, scientific, and practical subjects.
Obligatory school attendance became common in parts of Europe during the 18th
century. In Denmark-Norway, this was introduced as early as in 1739–1741, the
primary end being to increase the literacy of the almue, i.e., the "regular
people".[13] Many of the earlier public schools in the United States and elsewhere
were one-room schools where a single teacher taught seven grades of boys and girls
in the same classroom. Beginning in the 1920s, one-room schools were consolidated
into multiple classroom facilities with transportation increasingly provided by kid
hacks and school buses.
Islam was another culture that developed a school system in the modern sense of the
word. Emphasis was put on knowledge, which required a systematic way of teaching
and spreading knowledge and purpose-built structures. At first, mosques combined
religious performance and learning activities. However, by the 9th century, the
madrassa was introduced, a school that was built independently from the mosque,
such as al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 CE. They were also the first to make the
Madrassa system a public domain under Caliph's control.
Under the Ottomans, the towns of Bursa and Edirne became the main centers of
learning. The Ottoman system of Külliye, a building complex containing a mosque, a
hospital, madrassa, and public kitchen and dining areas, revolutionized the
education system, making learning accessible to a broader public through its free
meals, health care, and sometimes free accommodation.
Regional terms
The term "school" varies by country, as do the names of the various levels of
education within the country.
United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations
In the United Kingdom, the term school refers primarily to pre-university
institutions, and these can, for the most part, be divided into pre-schools or
nursery schools, primary schools (sometimes further divided into infant school and
junior school), and secondary schools. Various types of secondary schools in
England and Wales include grammar schools, comprehensives, secondary moderns, and
city academies.[14] While they may have different names in Scotland, there is only
one type of secondary school. However, they may be funded either by the state or
independently funded. Scotland's school performance is monitored by Education
Scotland. Ofsted reports on performance in England and Estyn reports on performance
in Wales.
In the United Kingdom, most schools are publicly funded and known as state schools
or maintained schools in which tuition is provided for free.[15] There are also
private schools or private schools that charge fees. Some of the most selective and
expensive private schools are known as public schools, a usage that can be
confusing to speakers of North American English. In North American usage, a public
school is publicly funded or run.
