The German system of public education in the period between the 15th and early 20th centuries. Part 1

Abstract

This paper explores the origins of the German public education system. This part of the work provides an analysis of the formation process of the German primary education system between the 15th and 18th centuries. Also, this paper explores the use of philosophical approaches in German education, and examines the impact of Protestantism on the process of creation of the German primary education system. The study is grounded on a body of related research and special literature. In effect, its methodological basis is based on the principles of historicism, research objectivity, and systemicity, which are traditional in historiography. The authors employed the following key methods: (1) problem-chronological, which helped explore certain facts in the evolution of the German system of public education in the context of the then-existing historical situation; (2) historical-comparative, which helped compare the objectives for introducing a network of schools in the Protestant and Catholic zones of the German empire. The authors conclude by noting that during the period between the 15th and 18th centuries German pedagogy had its ups and downs. A setback to the fledging effort to establish a system of public education, first undertaken back in the 15th century, was the Thirty Years' War. German regions were divided based on religion - paradoxical as it may sound, it is this division that actually gave rise to competition for congregation. Ultimately, this acted as a key driver in the process of creating an extensive network of primary schools.