Public Schools vs. Classical Instruction: Here’s the Biggest Difference

Ask anyone, and they’ll likely tell you that the main difference between classical education and mainstream public education is difficulty. Some may even assume, wrongly, that classical education is only for the ultra-intelligent.

This is far from the truth. Classical education is notably more rigorous than public education (fourth-grade reading lists in classical schools might include titles such as Beowulf, Little Women, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), but rigor is not the primary distinction.

Rather, the true difference is scope.

Compare this to modern public education, which grew out of the “common school” movement under Horace Mann. Students are taught to follow structure and comply, and the main goal is meeting basic benchmarks. 

The result is an education characterized by mundane tasks, weak content, little to no one-on-one time with teachers, and a one-dimensional view of learning.

Sociologists Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis even went as far as to claim that public schools are miniature workplaces: students earn grades for obedience and busywork the way employees earn paychecks.

As a product of public education myself, I remember being horrified in eleventh grade when my Algebra 2 teacher announced that we’d be using a flipped classroom model, in which students teach themselves new concepts at home, then complete worksheets under supervision during class time. In practice, that meant I taught myself at home while the teacher’s role diminished to reviewing worksheets.

Now, compare this to classical education.

As a centuries-old approach dating back to ancient Greece, classical education aims to form the whole person, not just prepare students for the next test and move them along. 

"All students study literature and mathematics, history and the natural sciences, the fine arts, Latin, and physical education because the K-12 years are the years in which we are still acquiring general knowledge about ourselves and the world around us," according to Hillsdale Classical Schools, a foremost K-12 online classical institution. 

"The successful development of literacy and numeracy and a solid foundation in the core subjects is necessary before advanced or specialized training and study." 

Curriculum is content-rich and rigorous and, according to the main tenets of classical education, feeds into a broader understanding and appreciation of the world.

"A classical education teaches us to seek knowledge of the nature of things, especially the nature of man and of the universe as a whole. Human beings are that part of the universe who seek to know where we stand within it, and who wonder about its ultimate origins and character." 

Hillsdale, in accordance with the classical education model, believes that learning should go beyond the foundational subjects and stretch to lifelong character development.

For example, two key characteristics of Hillsdale's classical education are "an approach to instruction that acknowledges objective standards of truth, goodness, and beauty," and "a school culture of moral virtue, decorum, respect, discipline, and studiousness among both students and faculty."

The goal is wisdom and virtue as much as knowledge, guiding students toward truth, goodness, and beauty and preparing them to govern themselves and take part in the life of their communities.

  Related: Yes, the Public Education System Is Broken

Understanding the purpose of classical education is especially crucial today. 

Student aptitude in basic subjects like reading and math is in decline under the public school system, according to the latest national—National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—and global—Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)—studies. This, in addition to the lack of moral development and civic virtue, ultimately leaves students unprepared for both a career and a fulfilling life.

The ongoing decline in both achievement and virtue among young people has fueled a renewal of classical education, as parents, educators, and lawmakers see the value in a rigorous, more holistic approach.

Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.

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