Remember when education meant sitting quietly in rows while a teacher lectured from a dusty textbook? Well, neither do we—at least not entirely! In our interconnected world of education, we often take today’s diverse learning approaches for granted. But how did we get here? Let's time-travel through the most significant moments that changed education. 

The printing press revolution 

Before Gutenberg, books were hand-copied by monks with excellent penmanship but probably terrible eyesight. Libraries even chained books to desks—talk about strict late return policies! Then, in the 1440s, came the printing press, and suddenly knowledge wasn’t just for the elite. Within decades, millions of books circulated throughout Europe for all to access.

Public education takes centre stage 

In the early 1800s, suggesting that every child deserved education was revolutionary. Yet Prussia established mandatory schooling in 1763. Later the British Education Act of 1870 and similar legislation worldwide transformed education from a privilege to a right—creating the ‘but I don’t wanna go!’ morning dramas parents still experience today!

The beginning of the digital classroom 

Remember shared computer labs limited to an hour’s access a day? The digital revolution gave students the ultimate cheat code: instant access to information. What began with bulky desktops in the 1980s and 90s, has now evolved into smartphones in every pocket and virtual classrooms that would have seemed like science fiction to our grandparents.

The COVID-19 pandemic 

And then came 2020—when the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed the greatest unplanned experiment in education delivery ever witnessed. Overnight, kitchen tables became desks, parents became teaching assistants, and pets became the most popular classroom disruptors. Teachers who had been printing worksheets for decades suddenly found themselves in charge of digital classrooms, while students discovered they could attend class in pyjama bottoms (with formal tops for the camera of course).

From monks with quills to teachers with Zoom accounts, each moment in education history has made learning accessible to more people in more places. As international education professionals, we’re not just witnessing history—we’re writing its next chapter!

Written by Stephanie Clark