My School

WHOSE IDEA WAS SCHOOL,
ANYWAY?

STUFF YOU MAY NOT HAVE LEARNED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL: EVERY U.S. BILL, REGARDLESS OF DENOMINATION, COSTS JUST FOUR CENTS TO MAKE.

Well, there’s no one answer to that one. In some ways, you could say it was God’s idea because God instructed parents to teach and guide their kids. And that process of teaching and guiding shifted over the years.

One of the earliest groups of people to have an educational system (a school system) for all kids (not just the rich ones) was the Jewish people. All Jewish kids (well, all boys—only some of the girls), no matter if they were rich or poor, went to study with a rabbi (say RAB-bye). Rabbis are Jewish leaders, so it’d be like if you went to study with the pastor of your church.

And get this—Jewish kids memorized the entire Torah (say TOR-ruh)—the first five books of our Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Seriously! Can you imagine trying to memorize that much? Grab a Bible, flip through those pages, and check ’em out.

The kids in the Jewish schools didn’t just memorize stuff, though. They also had long conversations about what the stories and teachings meant. By the time they were 12 years old, they could quote the entire Torah and answer all kinds of complicated questions about Jewish beliefs. How does that make you feel about your homework?

Anyhow, except for the Jewish people and a few other exceptions, for thousands of years schools were for rich kids only. But about 100 to 150 years ago, people in many countries of the world decided everyone has the right to an education. Even then, until much more recently, school was offered through only the eighth grade for most kids.

Sometimes the idea that “school is good for you” might feel like a parent trying to get you to eat Brussels sprouts. But really, whether or not you like all your classes, you know it’s true. No matter if you want to be a doctor or a factory worker, a mom or an artist, going to school is a process that helps you learn to think, and it’ll help you no matter who you are or what you become.