The history of education is the history of teaching and of learning, and the history of what might be described as the curricula: what it is that is taught or learned.

Education has taken place in most communities since earliest times as each generation has sought to pass on cultural and social values, traditions, morality, religion, knowledge and skills to the next generation. The passing on of culture is also known as enculturation, and the learning of social values and behaviours is socialization. The history of the curricula of such education reflects human history itself, the history of knowledge, beliefs, skills and cultures of humanity.

In pre-literate societies, education was achieved orally and through observation and imitation. The young learned informally from their parents, extended family and kin. At later stages of their lives, they received instruction of a more structured and formal nature, imparted by people not necessarily related, in the context of initiation, religion or ritual.

As the customs and knowledge of ancient civilizations became more complex, many skills would have been learned from an experienced person on the job, in animal husbandry, agriculture, fishing, preparation and preservation of food, construction, stone work, metal work, boat building, the making of weapons and defenses, the military skills, and many other occupations.

With the development of writing, it became possible for stories, poetry, knowledge, beliefs, and customs to be recorded and passed on more accurately to people out of earshot and to future generations. In many societies, the spread of literacy was slow; orality and illiteracy remained predominant for much of the population for centuries and even millennia. Literacy in preindustrial societies was associated with civil administration, law, long distance trade or commerce, and religion. A formal schooling in literacy was often only available to a small part of the population, either at religious institutions or for the wealthy who could afford to pay for their tutors. The earliest known universities, or places of higher education, started teaching a millennium or more ago.

Universal education of all children in literacy has been a recent development, not occuring in many countries until after 1850 CE. Even today, in some parts of the world, literacy rates are below 60 per cent (for example, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and most of Africa).

Schools, colleges and universities have not been the only methods of formal education and training. Many professions have additional training requirements, and in Europe, from the Middle Ages until recent times, the skills of a trade were not generally learnt in a classroom, but rather by serving an apprenticeship.

Nowadays, formal education consists of systematic instruction, teaching and training by professional teachers. This consists of the application of pedagogy and the development of curricula.

EDUCATION IN PREHISTORY

Most of human history lies in prehistory, the period before the use of writing, and before written history. Throughout pre-history, most education was achieved orally and through observation and imitation.

From the origin of our species, thought by many anthropologists to have been around 200,000 years ago in the African savanna, until about 10,000 BCE, most humans lived as hunter-gatherers. Some were settled in a given locale/region and others exhibited a nomadic lifestyle across a large territory.

These bands or tribes had traditions, beliefs, values, practices and local knowledge which was passed orally for generations from person to person. The young learned informally from their parents, extended family and kin. At later stages of their lives, they received instruction of a more structured and formal nature, imparted by people not necessarily related, in the context of initiation, religion or ritual.

Some forms of traditional knowledge were expressed through stories, legends, folklore, rituals, and songs, without the need for a writing system. Tools to aid this process include poetic devices such as rhyme and alliteration. These methods are illustrative of orality. The stories thus preserved are also referred to as part of an oral tradition.

The advent of agriculture prompted the Neolithic Revolution, when access to food surplus led to the formation of permanent human settlements, the domestication of some animals and the use of metal tools.

Settlement, agriculture and metalwork brought new knowledge and skills to be learned and taught by each generation. As communities grew larger, there was more opportunity for some members to specialize in one skill or activity or another, becoming priests, artisans, traders, builders or labourers. Many skills would have been learned from an experienced person on the job.

The increased size of communities also brought changes to methods of leadership, politics and organization, together with early institutions. Society became less egalitarian as chiefdoms, States, city states and early civilisations replaced the earlier bands and tribes. For example, the Uruk period (ca. 4000 to 3100 BCE) saw the emergence of urban life in Mesopotamia. These early city-states had strong signs of government organization. The cities grew to cover up to 250 acres (1 km²) and up to 10,000–20,000 people by the end of the period.

In large settlements, social stratification began to develop, a hierarchical arrangement of social classes or castes within the society. There might be a king and nobles. There were often priests or other religious leaders, because religious beliefs in deities or spirits often formed an important part of a culture. In some societies, the status of women was lower than that of men; in some there were slaves. A person’s social class, caste or gender might in turn determine or limit the occupations which he or she might follow and the education that he or she would receive.

Before the development of writing, it is probable that there were already epic poems, hymns to gods and incantations (such as those later found written in the ancient library at Ninevah, and the Vedas), and other oral literature (for example, see ancient literature).

In ancient India, the Vedas were learnt by repetition of various forms of recitation. By means of memorization, they were passed down through many generations

I was Entering as a working Student here in (NDKC)  Notre Dame of Kidapawan College, Kidapawan City, Philippines since 2005 of October. I was though that i have no chance to go to school because of financial problem that my parents cannot afford. but God Give me a chance and he listened my prayer that i can go to school to continue my study. I was very dissapointed when i was applying the month of June and there is no slot for me, I thought a hundred times how can I approach the Administator to accept me. In the month of September I went again to the NDKC to apply again for the second Semester hoping that they accepting me. I give my Application Letter to the Incharge and she said i will back next day for the exam, she added that if I will pass the exam she will accept me as a working student. I was so happy then preparing for the exam. During the Examination day I was so nervous yet prepared and surprise because the examination was so difficult it is more on abstract reasoning. The only thing that I put in my mind is to passed the examination. After the examination the examinee told me to back again next day. Since, I finish my examination at around 12:30 before I go home I eat first my Lunch.

                  I went back to the NDKC for asking if I will Pass the examination, the good news is I will passed and the Incharge of the said Scholarship (GIA) Grant in Aide said that i will be started on Monday, I so happy, Thanks God for answering my prayer. I came Back and first day of my work is cleaning the Comfort room, sweeping the ground and etc. this is basis and training for me, If i will survive the training then i will be a part of GIA Scholar or Grant in Aide. During the Enrollment I was get Difficulty on how to enroll my self. The thing that i do is to observe to the other enrolees also, then I did my enrollment in one day.

My Work as A Working Student (GIA Scholar)

           For One Semester  I will Assigned as a Janitor in The Comfort room of the School its hard for me at the same time Im shy to my Classmates  but later on I can handle it and proud to my self. Very enjoy when together with my co-working we are in duty time. sometimes if there are many students use the comfort room the thing that we should do is we put Moriatic acid on the floor because there are some students staying i the comfort room fixing their selves for almost 1 hour, so we put moriatic acid for them to go out the comfort room. Then we are staying at the stock room of the CR laughing for them and sometimes we say. Go away from here. sometimes we make them scared until they leave the comfort room. My duty is afternoon only during morning is my class ours. Sometimes when we are in duty, together with my companion we after we clean the area we scape from the duty and we go to the shopping market. After an our go back to the area and check if the area is still clean if not, we go to the Library and study our lessons. 

               For almost 6 months I will assigned to the Comfort room. Summer 2005 our adviser fired me from my duty area and she transfered me to the Presidents Office as Student assistant of the President’s Secretary it’s for almost 3 months only. But then the Presidents requested that he needs a big Muscled man to carry the cartoons and some documents, Our Adviser of the GIA transfered me again to the Registrar’s office High School.  At first I fell alone because my boss did not talk to me or even asking something, but days after days they talk to me and welcome to their heart. Until now for almost 3 years I stay here and fell comfortable with my boss.