What are the different opinions on what subjects/topics should be learned (preferably at which ages) ? How have these opinions changed over time?

(Not a professional educator, which is why I'm basically asking for a review of a topic that I guess is probably taught to professionals at least in brief.)

For example, I have read that people were taught the Trivium and Quadrivium in the Middle Ages in the West, and the Four Arts traditionally in China. (Worth noting that only rich people, especially those likely to remain rich, were taught these, and that fact probably affected the choice of topics.)

I've also read that the trend in the USA before WWII was towards a liberal education, but afterwards there seems to have been a shift away from that.

From both pragmatic and idealistic perspectives, what are the different opinions/philosophies that exist (and existed) about what should be taught? To what extent do different countries "get it right" and what are they doing right (or wrong) according to the different perspectives, and why?

Submitted September 12, 2019 at 01:00AM by NotAWriterIRL https://ift.tt/2AeA10d