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History 2 - Invisible Children (History of Orphans (Learn more about the…

- - - - did not believe children could be virtuous and disqualified them, stating in the Nicomachean Ethics (hereafter EN) that “the child’s life must follow the instructions of his guide, so, too, the appetitive part must follow reason” (ENIII.12.1119b13-15).
  - - - The evidence used to back up his work is school curricula, social circles within families and even medieval paintings.
    - - "Firstly that his data are either unrepresentative or unreliable. Secondly that he takes evidence out of context, confuses prescription with practice, and uses atypical examples. Thirdly, that he implicitly denies the immutability of the special needs of children, for food, clothing, shelter, affection and conversation. Fourthly, that he puts undue emphasis on the work of moralists and educationalists while saying little of economic and political factors."
- - - - Today, rites of passage are not as widespread or indeed as popularized in Western culture as it was once. Indeed our interconnected (or should I say, entangled?) world has done away with the need for “life-searching” passages and “trials of manhood”. There are still many however, who persist in carrying on the rites of passage their ancestors once undertook.
- - - - The life of a child in Medieval Europe often depended heavily on gender and hierarchy within society. Children born into common families would often be looked after greatly by their mothers, whilst those born into noble ones would have a team of servants dedicated to overseeing their daily activities. It was believed that nursing would reduce fertility, so noble wives rarely nursed their children. Logical given that only 50% of those born would survive until the age of 1.
      - At the age of about 6 or 7, children would begin to attend school. This of course, depended on their aptitude and parental preferences. Grammar school was where the children learned latin grammar, rhetoric as well as logic. Science and the mathematics were often shunned in this time, following the Roman example of education. Monastic schools were often popular with children of the lower class, who donned black robes to show that they were now scholars of theology. Whatever the case, by the age of 14 schooling would finish for many and then it was off to get a job.
      - Girls once again stayed at home and learned how to become good midwives and partners, whilst boys could enter into a wide array of jobs. Often though, it was the business of their father that the boy entered into. However, had they taken up an apprenticeship from another fellow (usually this included craftsmiths, painters, potters and metal workers), then they would likely remain in that business until they were able to go their own way in the world. With the wars that often erupted between nations, it was not uncommon for children as young as 16 to sign up for the army and take arms against a foreign power in a foreign land.
    - - When England established the 13 colonies in the 1600s, the children had a rather interesting time over there. Common garb in the period was frock coats and dresses for both males and females until they were about 6 or 7 (even later for females who weren’t yet “independent”). Boys would often go the Grammar school at the age of 8 and remain there until they were 12. It was here that basic arithmetic and language was taught, not much effort was put on the other subjects. Once again, girls were not often seen at school, they were at home learning the ropes of how to become good wives. After the ending of their education, boys would return home to help fathers in whatever profession they were invested in.
    - - From the ages of 4 to 14, males were to attend schools with subjects being varied for the time (common disciplines included History, Geography, Mathematics, Science and Medicine). After that, the children were often expected to help out their fathers in whatever profession they were involved in. As such, many in the towns took up jobs in the fields or trading with their fathers.
      - In some major cities like Alexandria or Thebes, higher education was offered (albeit with limited choices) to those who wished to take it. Often those who graduated from these schools became priests, architects or even doctors. Unfortunately, girls were not allowed to attend school. They were to stay at home and learn how to become good wives by their mothers. This is what a child in Ancient Egypt would’ve likely experienced.
      - In Ancient Egypt, the beacon of civilization shone brightly upon the children birthed in the presence of the Nile river. Children were looked after to great extent, with mothers often staying by their side until they were able to walk on their own two legs. In terms of education, schooling was often provided by local village institutions attached to a temple or government building.
    - - As the era progressed, more acts and reforms were passed to improve working conditions for children, from their pay to their hours. In the 1840s and 50s however, a new trend began to emerge: ragged school. These were independent charity schools run by people who charged no fee for educating those who couldn’t afford the church-offered schools. In 1870, the Elementary Education Act set up government intervention in schooling for the first time.
      - In 1880, the government made schooling to the age of 10 (and later 11) mandatory, whilst the 1891 act made all board and church schools free of charge. It was at these schools that children focused on the three R’s (sort of): Reading, Writing, Arithmetic. The subjects were later expanded on in higher institutions, such as Eton or Harrow.
      - Ah Victorian England, what a lovely (or dreary) place to be. The Industrial Revolution is reaching its peak, the British Empire is expanding ever further and the overall quality of life is slowly yet surely improving. But at the beginning of this age, the life of a child was one filled with danger and death at every turn. Many children from lower-class families (practically 8/10s of the entire population) would never set foot in a classroom. They would spend their days (even from the age of 6!) in factories, fields and mines. Those working in factories were often called upon to fit into tight spaces between machinery and make repairs (a dangerous job that left many without some fingers), those in the field were often better of, but those in the mines had the worst of the pick (the fumes could pollute their lungs, the explosions could kill them). Later in the 1833 Factory Act and 1847, the government banned the employment of children under the ages of 9 in textile factories and the age of 12 in coal mines.
  - - - The !Kung people are a sub-sect of the San, hunter-gatherer tribes that have populated the sparse lands of the Kalahari desert (spanning Botswana, Namibia and even South Africa).
      - Though they may seem fairly primitive in their ways, the !Kung have adapted to the modern age quite well. By “quite well” I mean that they have managed to keep their traditions intact without submitting to the wonders of our modern world.
      - The !Kung refer to themselves as the Jul’hoansi and speak Ju, a clicking language similar to the Khoisan group. Since their lifestyles are often more nomadic than ours, the education in the !Kung society relies on “learning through experiencing”.
        
        From a young age, the boys were often taken on hunting trips with their fathers to learn the tricks of this survival trade.
        
        The girls were also brought outside of the village, where the women taught them how to find edible plants that could be cooked alongside the meat the males brought back with them.
      - In more recent years, Western culture has permeated the education, with several children being sent to local schools for basic primary education.
      - Yet the most entertaining source of knowledge for !Kung youngsters were the elders, who could retell stories and myths of their tribe around the fireplace at night (probably not a fireplace, but hey it's a nice image).
    - - If you thought the !Kung were isolated, think again. The Yanomami people are a group of about 35,000 individuals from 200-250 different tribes occupying an area more than twice the size of Switzerland in the Amazon rainforest. They occupy some of Southern Venezuela and Brazil where the forest lies, living in fairly isolated villages miles from the nearest town. They are the largest isolated tribe in South America and are proud of it. x
      - The Yanomami learn to live off the land and learn as well through experience. Youngsters are sent into the woods (regardless of gender) to learn how to hunt, find edible plants and even build shelters if necessary. Since the tribal rituals are often very closely-knit, the Yanomami children are taught the lessons of the past from their elders. Yet with the threat of deforestation and gold mining ever apparent, the Yanomami have received help from multiple NGOs hoping to introduce more formal and varied education to the next generation.
    - - Over the next centuries, many dynasties and emperors would come and go. Each would leave their mark on the educational system, some would refine it for the better, others would dub it down to ensure they could control the populace. For more explanations, I recommend visiting this link.
      - Dynastic China was made up of many dynasties () and during these dynasties, many similarities existed between the educational systems and the philosophies for what children were supposed to do.
      - For many, children would spend their early years in the company of their entire family (yes, the entire extended family in one household, common even nowadays). Only the rich were able to afford basic education for their children and that came in the form of personal tutors. One such teacher was Confucius, whose teachings all of China would follow for centuries to come.
      - Confucius ==> pread the idea that it was necessary for boys to learn (of course, girls were never included in that thought process)
        
        Boys from poorer families would often learn from their father (or grandfather) and take up whatever business they got into.
        
        Peasant boys could often find themselves drafted into the military if there was a war on (or the emperor was particularly paranoid about his border safety).
        
        only during the Han period that schooling was provided for free (for boys), girls were still sentenced to home labor in order to learn what being a good wife meant.
- - - - America would only get its school in 1635, with the Boston Latin School forming the foundation of other educational institutions.
      - The British formal education was fully established by 1890, by which time education had become free (at least before college) and mandatory for all until the age of 11.
    - - Link Title
    - - in the Middle Kingdom under the direction of Kheti (treasurer to Pharaoh Mentuhotep II) that the first “schools” were set up. Evidence also shows that Mesopotamia, Sumeria and other middle-eastern kingdoms also offered education for those from certain background around the same time (3000 BC).
    - - The only exception was the citystate of Sparta, where boys from the age of 7 were taken away to military barracks to learn how to become the legendary warriors that distinguished the city.
    - - It was during the 11th and 12th century in Italy, England and France that the first universities appeared (most notably Oxford and Cambridge).
        
        However, even these impressive places of higher learning could not compare with the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fes, Morocco. Established in the 9th century, it remains open and holds the Guiness World Record for the oldest school in the world.
  - - - In 1635 the opening of the Boston Latin School signified a new age in education’s evolution. The school was open to the public and all classes could come and learn here (except females, they still had about 200 years of prejudice in education).
  - - - Tutors and apprenticeships, it can be argued, actually were the schools; whilst formal education became the alternative later on. Ever since the establishment of stationary kingdoms, civilizations and empires (each with a vast multitude of cities and craftsmen), children have been sent off to learn a new trade under the guidance of an experienced master. It was not uncommon for parents to not see their child until they had completed their apprenticeship 5-10 years later (possibly longer depending on the trade). In fact, future US founding father Benjamin Franklin became an apprentice at a printing business led by his brother James (he was bound to the job as an indentured worker from the age of 12 to 21). Nowadays, apprenticeships are still popular, with many students opting to experience professional (often blue-collar) jobs with on-site training and sometimes classroom learning. This very much still has a place in the world, as families with lower income have a chance to see their child earn a living without emptying their wallets.
    - - As for tutors, well they’ve been around even longer. Some of the most famous philosophers and thinkers in Ancient History (read: Confucius and Aristotle) were tutors who taught higher-class families. It was much easier for a family (if they had the capital) to pay for a regular one-on-one teacher than to send their child off to learn with others. In a way, tutoring has evolved to become a more complementary form of education. Instead of relying solely on the tutor, children consult them on certain subjects where they might require more assistance or when homework is particularly troubling. Perhaps more interesting is the rise of “super-tutors”, companies and individuals who are paid thousands to prepare children for important exams (i.e the Chinese Gaokao or South Korean Suneung). Tutoring may soon play a larger role than public education, with parents preferring a personalized education than a collectivist one. Read this article for more details. In a way, by looking at this website you are being tutored in a slightly more general way, though perhaps the practice debate option offered here better encapsulates tutoring rise (too bad I’m not paid thousands for this, but I find the appreciation from scholars more worth it).
- - - - There are many countries that have attempted to follow similar policies but failed to even apologize. Japan has yet to acknowledge or apologize for the Nanking (Nanjing) Massacre (in which more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers were raped or mutilated), Turkey has yet to apologize for the Ottoman Empire’s campaign of the Armenian Genocide and Russia has yet to even start amending with Ukraine for the Holodomor famine.
- - - - If however it is a debt, then it most certainly is different than it was 100 years ago.
      - Back then, children from as small as 6 could work in dirty factories or farms, constantly facing danger whenever work placed them in a polluted or hazardous areas.
      - Nowadays human rights agencies and child protection laws in many countries have prevented such debt repayment methods.
    - - It is perhaps one of the most notable failures of our species that we expected (and still do expect) children to work for us. The argument used throughout history is that because the parents were kind enough to foster the child, they must pay back their debt by being an economic asset. Such a debt does not exist, how can we justify having children work by saying that its an economic matter? Children have the right to grow up and explore their world before even considering becoming an economic asset for their parents.
    - - A child becoming a Youtube star and then giving some of the money generated to their parents is not child labor. The child is willingly going on Youtube or whatever social media in order to share their discoveries, promote their thoughts or showcase their achievements.
      - It is however, child labor if the parent has demanded that the child set up the channel in the first place and then give 90% of the proceeds to them.
  - - - A child’s gender, race, nationality and class affect their childhood in many different ways.
        
        Nationality is extremely important. A child in Kenya will likely never surf the internet due to the country’s economic situations, whilst a child in the Netherlands will likely be able to surf the internet for hours in their childhood.
        
        Race tends to be a problem in the western world, with colored children often receiving more prejudice and harm from their peers who believe that they are superior to them.
        
        Gender is not so much an issue as it was back in the 1800s or even 1900s, but it still continues to prove troublesome in some countries. Most notably, in Saudi Arabia and India girls are often given very few rights and privileges when compared to boys (notoriously, Saudi girls are not allowed to meet with Saudi boys after school).
        
        Class is more of an impact on how childhood evolves in the materialistic sense. A lower class family in China will likely have their children work the fields in the countryside and get little to no pocket money; whilst an upper class family in Saudi Arabia will likely have more than 1 servant tend to their child.
    - - There aren’t many cases in which skipping adolescence is a good idea. During the initial 5-8 years of puberty, teenagers often require the time to adjust to their biological changes and then cope with the steady increase in responsibilities with their power.