Renaissance and Humanistic Education
The Renaissance, derived from the French word "rebirth" is generally acknowledged as the period from the mid-fourteenth to the end of the sixteenth century. Some of the examples presented here, although also relevant to themes and ideas of the Renaissance, belong to the Age of Enlightenment and the Age of Reason of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The period of the Renaissance witnessed a revival of classical texts and ideas from antiquity, and an intellectual revival of learning followed what is commonly refered to as the "Dark Ages."
The Humanism of the Renaissance gave birth to many innovations in the sciences and arts, as a time of scientific, philosophic, geographic, artistic, and linguistic expansion. As travel and mobility increased, so did new innovations and ideas. Education came to play a more vital role for the courts and their subjects as the race for colonies spread across the globe, opening up new horizons both geographic and intellectual.
Rulers began to take more of an interest in the purpose of training for apprenticeships and to develop the trades, leading to an increased interest in what we call vocational education. Scholars and the clergy were trained with more intent to fulfill their roles as advisors to the state, and as public and private servants serving in an increasing number of posts. Curricula and schools were developed and expanded to meet the increase in needs, and to accommodate the influx of new ideas, innovations, and discoveries.
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Last Modified: 02/12/04
