The expressions "Spartan education", "Spartan conditions" came to us from ancient Greece. There were several states on the Peloponnesian Peninsula. One of them was Sparta, famous for its strong, brave and strong-willed warriors. The educational system in Sparta was intended to ensure that all young men become such warriors.
Hard to learn - easy to fight
The system of Spartan education existed from the 8th to the 4th century BC, when wars were common in the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Sparta had one of the best armies. They began to educate future warriors from early childhood. There was a strict selection system - babies who did not have excellent health were simply destroyed. Physically strong boys and girls were needed.
Until the age of seven, all children were brought up at home, then the boys were taken to specialized schools. I must say that at home, young Spartans were taught to endure cold and heat, to observe a strict regime.
From early childhood the Spartans got used to asceticism, luxury in this state was not appreciated.
Boarding life
Spartan boys were brought up in a boarding school until the age of twenty. The main focus was physical development and military training. The newcomers played paramilitary games, the older youths were engaged in specialized exercises - they learned to wield weapons, mastered fighting techniques, etc.
Tempering and various gymnastic exercises were obligatory for everyone. However, the young Spartan had to leave school as a comprehensively educated person. He was taught reading, writing, the basics of mathematics, playing musical instruments, and singing. Particular attention was paid to the development of speech. The Spartan had to be able to express his thought clearly, succinctly and clearly. Such speech is still called laconic - from the name of the region "Laconic" or "Laconia", where the city-state of Sparta was located.
Spartan girls were brought up at home, but they also had to be physically strong and comprehensively educated.
Are Spartan Conditions Needed?
Conditions in Spartan schools were harsh. Children had to be able to make do with a minimum of amenities. They slept on hard beds and ate rough food. In the future, under Spartan conditions, residents of different countries began to understand exactly harsh conditions, without any excesses, and Spartan upbringing - accustoming a child to such conditions.
Even aristocrats raised their sons in a Spartan way, if they wanted to raise warriors out of them. Some of the heirs to the throne did not escape this fate - for example, Catherine the Second raised her grandson, the future Emperor Alexander the First, just like that. Among the fellow practitioners of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin were also fans of the Spartan way of life - boys preparing themselves for military service. The conditions in the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, despite the absence of excesses, seemed to them too luxurious. The educational system that has developed in scout and pioneer organizations can also be called Spartan.
