Background and History

     In Europe alone, roughly 28.7 million children are enrolled in primary education (Early childhood, 2017). Education has been incorporated into nearly every country around the globe. School systems have existed for centuries. Dating way back, various Bible stories even serve as evidence of education throughout early times. Due to its influence on society and lengthy history, education is an influential topic to study and compare between cultures including Ireland and German-speaking countries such as Austria and Germany. The history and background of education as a whole provides insight to how this aspect of culture has changed and evolved over the last 2000 years.
History
     The start of classical education sparked after the Hellenistic era. Following that period of time, education took its own form. The systems began having structure and curriculums allowed education to remain the same for centuries. Following the classical education era, people of the Christian faith began shaping education around the Bible and different stories of faith (Marion, 1982). The school system became a combination of secular and religious education (Gray, 2008).
     As time went on, the number of child laborers decreased. In the time previously spent working, the idea of schooling children spread. Starting in the early 16th century, Europe progressively accepted child-education. By the 17th century, educating children became required by law in the United States. The first colony requiring schooling was Massachusetts. The primary focus of this education was encouraging the Puritan beliefs through schooling. Literacy was taught using Biblical stories and the alphabet was taught using Biblical references (Gray, 2008).
     While education was gaining popularity, Employers saw this as an opportunity. Many of the skills learned from an education were beneficial to the workplace. Some qualities included long work hours, following directions, and literacy. The countries requiring education also used it as an opportunity to create reliable soldiers (Gray, 2008).
     For certain countries, the education system took longer to develop. The Irish school system, for example, was established in 1831. The system created many questions and concerns. The system as a whole was misunderstood. Due to its emergence before many expected, a combination of the central government and a board of unpaid commissioners oversaw the system. The curriculums and teachers were chosen by the government and board and geared towards correcting the abnormally high illiteracy rate. Another unique characteristic of the Irish school system is the affiliation with the church. Although created as a “non-denominational” system, the system gradually favored certain denominations over others by 1851. This change eventually drew Bishops and Roman Catholic Churches into the system. The Irish school system as a whole included a struggle for power, high illiteracy rates, and religious systems (Akenson, 1970).
     Austria, another European country, had various groups vying for leadership of the national school system for years. The government and parental opinions have dominated the system over history. Although governmental leaders are the preferred leaders of the system, other perspectives have helped shaped the direction public schools have gone. The fight between groups for power continued for years, however the Austrian school system has since give the rights of the school system to the Austrian government (Krumm, 1989).
     At this point in time, compulsory education has been practiced in many countries. According to USLegal (2017), compulsory education is defined as, “A period of educational attendance required of all students. The period of compulsory education is often determined by the student’s age,” (p.1). The International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights is an International group that was started in 1966. The group strived to provide equal rights and opportunities for all. One focus of the group was to allow education for every student and ensure everyone receives an education (International Covenant, 2017).
     As school systems across the globe and evolved and transformed in successful systems today, each country endured different hardships. As these systems worked through their struggles, they were formed into the systems that have educated children and prepared them for higher education for decades. The importance of education has been noticeable within various societies. The history of education provides insight into how school systems became such a vital role in today’s society. The last 2000 years has proven to be a time of growth and evolution for each country as schools have education children and equipped them for life after their education.

References
Akenson, D. H. (1970). The Irish education experiment: the national system of education in the nineteenth century. London: Routledge & K. Paul.
Early childhood and primary education statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2017, from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Early_childhood_and_primary_education_statistics
Gray, P. (2008). A Brief History of Education. Retrieved October 12, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200808/brief-history-education
Krumm, V. (1989). Whose School is It? Comments on a Deplorable State Almost Everybody Seems to Be Content with.
Legal, I. U. (n.d.). USLegal. Retrieved October 12, 2017, from https://definitions.uslegal.com/c/compulsory-education/
Marrou, H. (1982). A history of education in antiquity. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
(n.d.). International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Retrieved October 12, 2017, from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspx