Chap 1 The Alumni System
History Leadership

How Sumerian Civilization Gave Us Our Present Schooling

By Shahnawaz Qasim, IPS
On 27-May-2021

The Sumerian Started it First 

The Oldest Recorded Civilization Known To Man is The Sumerian Civilization. The oldest recorded civilization known to man is the Sumerian civilization which existed in the present day area of Iraq starting from 4500 B.C. The Sumerians were the first to invent the Cuneiform Writing which later became the modern day Alphabet System. They were the first to advocate Individual Freedom and that’s why they started the first codification of laws to set the limits of the state. They were the first to ever record the concept of Democratic Assembly as mentioned in one of their poems. The concept of state started with the Sumerian. We are a civilization today because the basic foundations of it were laid in the Sumerian civilization

How We Are Still Following The  Same Sumerian Schooling System

There are many contributions and interesting facts about the Sumerians. In this article we will concentrate on one of its most interesting aspects- Education & Schooling System. The facts concerning Education & School system is mesmerizing. The world till now follows more or less the Sumerian system of Education & Schooling. The wonderful and fascinating list is given below:

  1. The Sumerians were the first to develop the school system known to man
  2. Schools were called Edubba ( Tablet House ) as the teaching & writing were on tablets ( dried clay)
  3. We can relate it to the Slate System
  4. Schools were separate building in the center of the settlements
  5. The schooling system was from the very early youth till the person matured
  6. Schools had classrooms with baked clay benches on which 3-4 students could sit per bench
  7. School timings were from morning till late afternoon
  8. Schools had headmaster called “Expert” or “Professor” but they were popularly known as “ School Father “
  9. Headmaster was assisted by his vice headmaster called “Big Brother “
  10. Similar designations we can still see in convent and missionary schools
  11. There were other teachers also who looked after the curriculum
  12. The curriculum of the schools were very stiff
  13. The students were called “ School- Sons “
  14. There were “Monitors” in the class for attendance and discipline 
  15. There were special Proctors for maintain overall conduct and discipline
  16. Schools had strict discipline
  17. For indiscipline the students were caned also
  18. For coming late to school, students were punished 
  19. There was lunch system and students had to bring their own lunch box
  20. Schools charged fees from the students
  21. Teachers were paid from the school fees collected from the students
  22. School teachers were not so highly paid
The Private Tuition System 

There is a strong indication that private tuition system was prevalent. School had Class work and Home work system.Too much focus was put on “ Memorizing” the subjects and this continues till today in the form of “Rote System”. Lecture system of teaching was present which is still operational. There are numerous references of students bullying, quarreling, fighting, abusing and competing with each other professionally. There existed school rivalries. The Proctor had tough time maintaining discipline in the campus