Introduction
School and schooling is a vital issue in our society today. Not surprisingly, areas in education such as reading and writing, student motivation, childrearing, the selection of teachers, and the role of parents, have received considerable attention as far back as the fifteenth century. Perhaps one of the most important legacies of the Italian Renaissance was the humanist idea of education. Humanists addressed such areas in education and many of their writings reflect beliefs and practices which may be found in classrooms today.
The word humanista or humanist was coined at the end of the fifteenth century to designate members of a particular professional group. This group consisted of teachers of subjects described in Renaissance texts as the studia humanitatis. In the early nineteenth century, German scholars first used the term humanism to denote an educational theory based on the Greek and Latin classics. As a teacher, a humanist specialized in subjects such as Latin and Greek language and literature, history, and moral philosophy. His comprehensive purpose was to perfect the individual in wisdom, learning, and virtue.
This curriculum project explores various writings on education during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The period known as the Quattrocento contained contributions from scholars in humanist education whose work was emulated by later educators. William Woodward's two comprehensive works enable the reader to meet humanists in the field of education as well as to learn about their writings and practices. Roger Ascham's work, The Schoolmaster, further adds to our knowledge about the humanist movement in England. Historian Paul Grendler's two works explore the organization and nature of school in Italy and the changes in humanist education during the sixteenth century. The Jesuit influence in education is also examined and lastly, an analysis of the public schools in Renaissance France adds an interesting dimension to the selection of readings.
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