John Amos Comenius (28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech teacher, scientist, educator,
writer and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica Magna.
Comenius became known as the teacher of nations. He is often considered the father of modern education.
He lived and worked in many different countries in Europe, including Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Transylvania,
the Holy Roman Empire, England.
His contributions to the educational scene are immeasurable in many ways, and, as stated before, he is deemed the “Father of
Modern Education.” He answered the question “Is there a way to teach children pleasantly, but quickly at the same time?” in a
most biblical and helpful manner. The various schools of his day thought this was impossible. They leaned upon corporeal
discipline to the extreme, and neglected the teaching of girls altogether. Comenius though that learning should be done in
the home (following thoughts surrounding catechizing that began during the Reformation) and thus by parents, which would have
included the mother. If mothers, then, were not educated, then children would not be educated as well. He wrote the book
The Great Didactic (published in 1657 in Holland) that encompassed a Christian worldview in learning from God’s second
book – nature, and aiding parents in helping their children learn about god in every way possible.
Children in Comenius day were trained to repeat memorized Latin vocabulary and conjugations, but they were not taught to
think well. If one cannot think well, how can they learn or understand a given proposition? Education for Comenius stretches
beyond the boundaries of the classroom and encompasses all of life.
Some principles Comenius observed in nature applicable to education:
1. Nature observes a suitable time.
2. Nature prepares the material, before she begins to give it form.
3. Nature chooses a fit subject to act upon, or first submits one to a suitable treatment in order to make it fit.
4. Nature is not confused in its operations, but in its forward progress advances distinctly from one point to another.
5. In all the operations of nature, development is from within.
6. Nature, in its formative processes, begins with the universal and ends with the particular.
7. Nature makes no leaps, but proceeds step by step.
8. If nature commences anything, it does not leave off until the operation is completed.
9. Nature carefully avoids obstacles and things likely to cause hurt.
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