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DA6. Education in Roman vs Syrian Society

Statement

The Roman education system was different for both girls and boys. While boys were educated in subjects like politics and war, girls were mostly taught values that would help them run a household.

  • What are the similarities or differences between ancient Roman education and the education in your country?
  • Imagine yourself as being responsible for redesigning the education system in your country. What changes or reforms would you introduce to the education of both girls and boys to make it effective and fair?

Answer

This text will discuss the Syrian education system and compare it to the Roman one.

Roman Education System

The Roman education system originated after the adoption of Hellenistic education; it started with teaching in the Greek language while in parallel, translating knowledge into Latin; this means that most students were bilingual (Britannica, n.d.). The Roman education system in the first century BCE was mostly divided into three parts: Ludus Literarius, Grammaticus, and Rhetor.

The Ludus Literarius was the first primary school that focused on essential skills such as reading, writing, basic arithmetic, and measurements. The Grammaticus was the second stage of education, which will further elaborate on the skills learned in the Ludus school (UNRV Roman History, n.d.).

The final stage was the Rhetor, where students would focus on public speaking and further mastery of Latin and Greek to prepare them for careers as politicians or lawyers. It is noted that only a few gifted and wealthy students would reach this stage (UNRV Roman History, n.d.).

After that, male students were expected to go into military service for a variable amount of time. Very few students would continue their education in philosophy, law, or other fields (Invicta, 2019).

Women were mostly excluded from formal education, and they were mostly taught at home the manners of running a household, raising children, and managing finances; with very few of them getting formal education (UNRV Roman History, n.d.).

Syrian Education System

The Syrian education system is divided into 4 stages: primary, elementary (high school), secondary, and tertiary education. The primary stage (6-12) and elementary stage (12-15) are compulsory, while the secondary stage (15-18) and tertiary stage (18+) are not compulsory (Scholaro, n.d.).

During the primary and elementary stages, students are taught Arabic, English, and the basics of science and social studies. In the secondary stage, students are divided into three tracks: scientific, literary, and vocational (Roach, 2016). By 18, students choose to go for tertiary education or compulsory military service (for males only) before joining the workforce; the tertiary stage varies significantly according to the specialization chosen by the student, non the less, they are also expected to do military service.

Women have equal access to education in all stages; although it was uncommon for women to go to the tertiary stage; however, this has been changing in recent years.

Similarities and Differences between the Two Education Systems

From the discussion about the two systems above, we can see that both systems are similar in starting age (around 6), the expected military service for male citizens after 18, and that primary education is supported by the state.

The two systems also differ in the compulsory nature as education in Rome was expected but not mandatory, while the two first stages are compulsory in Syria. The Subjects taught were also different, with Syrian one more diverse and including different paths that modern society needs. The inclusion of women in the Syrian education system is also a significant difference.

Reforms to the Syrian Education System

The Syrian education system, in my opinion, suffers from various flaws that need to be addressed. First, compulsory military service should be stopped and made optional with people opting in to join the army and stop the favorable treatment of military-backed students in universities.

Second, the tertiary stage is taught in Arabic despite its complex nature and the origins of most of the subjects in English; this should be changed to English, with parallel translating to Arabic if necessary; once the translation is done, maybe the education can switch back to Arabic.

Third, the literary track in the secondary stage should be stopped, in favor of expanding the scientific and vocational tracks; tracks such as humanities, social sciences, and arts should be established.

Conclusion

The Roman education system was an essential part of Roman society; it also formed the basis of modern education systems. The Syrian education system, on the other hand, is a modern system that has been evolving to meet the needs of the modern world. Both systems were similar in some aspects and different in others, with the Syrian system being more inclusive and diverse. Nonetheless, education systems should not be static, but rather evolving to meet the needs of the society they serve.

References