Traces of Colonialism in Modern Education

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Colonialism has existed forever as nations were always curious about what lies after that sea or land. Curiosity is part of our human nature and we always want to discover new things, cuisines, lands, animals, and people too. The Greeks, the Turks, and the Arabs, all practiced colonialism, so this is nothing new to our world. However, modern colonialism started with the exploration of other lands by European people, who were so keen on discovering what the world looks like, with all the continents. Spaniards colonized Mexico, for example, but this did not do good to the natives living there. Spaniards only took all the resources of Mexico, such as silver and gold, without giving anything in return. Natives were enslaved and slaughtered which led to the end of the Aztecs. 

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Hundreds of years ago, people thought that they were the only ones on this planet. They believed the Earth is flat and that there might be only them here. But across the vast oceans, there are other continents, with people that have distinct habits. So, what is the history of colonialism? How was the colonial educational system, back then and how is it different from what it is today? Let’s find out together. 

A Brief History of Colonialism 

As mentioned above, colonialism has existed forever as curiosity is an innate part of our human culture. But colonialism in a modern sense started around 1500, with the Portuguese people who at some point began to be more adventurous. They were controlling the navigation in the Strait of Gibraltar and starting to advance their navigation system. They started building better ships that allowed them to travel across the ocean and discover new continents. However, colonialism means that one party took power over another one, and this led to slavery to begin. They started exploring Asia, India, and Africa and, of course, discovered the amazing spices and resources they have. Colonialism, even though it led to the evolution of the world, also means suppressing other nations and reaping them apart of their resources. It also enabled them to trade resources and improve the quality of life of their people. 

Students study colonialism in college, analyzing its both positive and negative aspects. In particular, looking at the positive effects of the columbian exchange essay there are many positive aspects of colonial expansion, for this Сolumbian exchange concerned not only the material world but also the world of culture and education. There are many free essay examples you can find online to just delve more into the depths of this topic. 

What Is the Colonial System of Education? 

Colonial education was not as it was today. And as you can imagine, it was determined by the social class of the family. Boys from the upper classes were the ones who got an education and they even had private tutors that prepared them for going to college or university. As the educational system was still developing, the colonial power was in the hands of the rich. 

However, the nations that were conquered by others were educated in the spirit of the conquering nation. But the education they got was not the same. They weren’t trained to expand their knowledge and advance their skills as this meant that they would become a real competition to the natives of the colonialist power. Instead, they were trained to do menial jobs so that the job of the upper class would be easier.

They would have to run errands or simply be the assistants of the leaders, like how we call it today. These topics can be explored more in-depth by college students, as there is a database of free essay examples and written samples on these topics. It is a really fascinating topic as it helps people understand how the system of education and the entire world evolved and changed until the present time. 

Nowadays, everyone has access to education and many colleges and universities offer scholarships to students. This allows them to pursue their academic goals and get an education, something that was not possible in the colonial period. Especially nowadays girls get equal education rights, one of the main distinctions between the colonial system of education and the modern one. Even though discrimination is still very present in our society, we slowly find the tools to fight it. 

Final Thoughts 

Colonialism is the phenomenon that helped the world evolve. It enabled nations to trade spices, food, technology, and knowledge. However, it came with negative effects too, as some nations took over the world and eradicated local peoples. Or they have trained them to take on menial jobs, without creating competition for the upper class. Which, indefinitely led to slavery and the loss of cultural and local nations.

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